The 74th Annual Miss Universe contest will return Friday, November 21 at the Impact Challenger Hall in Bangkok, Thailand with a new batch of hosts and judges, who will have to choose a winner from 120 women.
Contestants who take the stage will be representing over 100 countries from across the globe as they compete for this year’s crown. The judges have an impressive group of contestants to choose from, including a civil engineer, a “Big Brother” star, and a Ph.D. candidate specializing in HIV research.
Information on the 2025 Competition
The pageant theme for 2025 is “The Power of Love,” which the Miss Universe Organization website describes as a thematic mechanism to bring together the 130 competing nations “in a shared vision of compassion, inclusivity, and strength.”
“Through this celebration, we honor love as a force that empowers, breaks barriers, and inspires positive change across the world,” the website reads.
A new winner will be crowned in Thailand on Friday morning by Miss Universe 2024 Victoria Kjær Theilvig, the first woman from Denmark to win the title.
The contest will take place at 8 a.m. in Thailand, meaning that television coverage for US viewers will begin at 8 p.m. ET on November 20 (the day before in the US). It will be available to watch for US viewers on Telemundo or via streaming on Peacock.
Online Voting Introduced
While fans can’t choose the winner of Miss Universe 2025, they can help their favorite contestant reach the Top 30 through votes in the People’s Choice category, such as Miss Congeniality.
In previous editions, the Miss Congeniality award had been decided through peer voting, where delegates cast their votes for a competitor they believed best embodied “grace, friendly demeanor, and an all-around great attitude.”
For its 74th edition, the Miss Congeniality award will be determined through online voting, along with the following new categories:
- Most Beautiful People
- Beyond The Crown
- Most Photogenic
- People’s Choice
- Best Skin
- Best Evening Gown
- Best National Costume
Miss Universe Winner Criteria
The 2025 Miss Universe titleholder will be decided based on their performance in four categories, according to Miss Universe Organization (MUO) president Raul Rocha in an Instagram post from November 3. The categories are:
- Personal Interview
- National Costume Presentation
- Evening Gown Presentation
- Swimsuit Presentation
Mario Búcaro, CEO of the MUO, shared this year’s winner criteria. It will focus on the overall aspect, cultural diversity, and ability to work with organizations and the community.
“The person who will win the crown must be able to work with organizations, speak with the community, and be a voice for women and everyone. In today’s era, where the world is very divided, we need someone who can be a bridge and has beauty from within and outside.”
Mario also explained the judging process, where judges will receive tablets with the Red Arrow system to give scores. Scores will be automatically accumulated each round, and the results will be sent to an accounting firm as a third party to ensure transparency and fairness.
The Top 30 semifinalists are chosen after the preliminary competition based on scores from the preliminary competition.
As explained above, public votes only determine a place in the semifinals, not the final winner.
The Top 30 advance to compete in the swimsuit, evening gown, and Q&A segments during the grand finale, where the final winner is chosen by the judges.
