The winner of the Miss Teen USA 2026 competition was 18-year-old Kiran Reddy from Georgia. it says on the official event page on Instagram. Previously, the girl made history as the first Indian-American to win the title of “Young Miss Georgia.” Now Reddy will have to represent the United States at an international competition in Cambodia.
The 44th Miss Teen USA competition was held in Miami, Florida. Reddy won a cash prize of $25,000. The next stage for her will be the “Young Miss Universe” competition, which will be held on October 25 in Cambodia, USA Today clarifies.
“I’m so excited and blessed to be able to represent Georgia and the United States and be the role model I always needed growing up,” Reddy was quoted as saying by People.
According to the WALB TV channel, the girl has helped her father, a doctor, since childhood, and in the fall she plans to enroll at the University of Georgia for a preparatory medical course. After graduation, Reddy wants to return to his hometown of Douglas to work as a doctor and eventually provide pregnancy services in other countries.
“I grew up in his office [отца] and just loved watching how he interacted with patients. I remember playing with his stethoscope. It was there that I fell in love with women's health and obstetrics and gynecology. That’s what I hope to strive for in the future,” Reddy said.
In addition to helping her father in the maternity ward of the hospital, the girl was involved in charity and volunteer activities: reading to children in schools, organizing tea parties for the elderly and organizing a beauty contest, raising $3,000 to fight Alzheimer's disease.
Reddy entered the national level event due to changes in the format of the competition. Previously, this required winning at the state level, but this year the organizers held an open casting call. Kiran, along with everyone else, sent a video with a fashion show and personal performance. The girls who will take part in the competition were selected by online voting – previously this was done by the jury.
However, this is not the end of the competition week in Miami. On Friday, the final of the adult Miss USA competition will be held there, timed this year to coincide with its 75th anniversary. The event will be hosted by 1993 titleholder Kenya Moore and actor Ian Ziering, star of Beverly Hills, 90210.
The beauty of the participants will be assessed by a jury that will include Miss USA 2016 Deshauna Barber-Echols, Miss Universe 1992 Michelle McLean, founder of the media company The Shade Room Angelique Nwandu and Miss Puerto Rico 2019 Madison Anderson.
