Betty Cantrel from Georgia wins MIss America 2016 (Full Result)

Betty Cantrell, Miss America 2016

21-year-old Betty Cantrell from Georgia is Miss America 2016. She was crowned by the outgoing queen Kira Kazantsev  Miss America 2015 at the glittering competitive grand finale Miss America 2016 held at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Georgia representative from Warner Robins battled it out among 51 other contestants  to win the coveted crown. She is a student of Mercer University and was also a winner a winner at the preliminary talent show with her operatic vocal performance of "Tu Tu Piccolo Iddio."

Miss America 2016 crowning session

In addition to the previous scholarship of $15,000 won by Betty as Miss Georgia 2015, she now has another $50,000 as Miss America 2016 to further her education. During her reign, she will embark on her national speaking tour about her platform, Healthy Children, Strong America, and act as the official National Goodwill Ambassador for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children's hospitals, is the national platform partner of the Miss America Organization.

  

Vanessa Williams, Miss America 1984, was one of the judges. She gave up her crown few weeks before the end of her reign due to controversy of her nude photos getting published in a magazine called ‘Penthouse’ without her consent. The first runner-up was 21-year-old Hannah Roberts, Miss Mississippi who earned a $25,000 scholarship. Second runner-up was 22-year-old Kelley Elizabeth Johnson, Miss Colorado with a $20,000.

Full Result

Miss America 2016: Georgia – Betty Cantrell

1st Runner-up:  Mississippi – Hannah Roberts

2nd Runner-up:  Colorado – Kelley Johnson

3rd Runner-up:  Louisiana – April Nelson

4th Runner-up: Alabama – Meg McGuffin

Top 7

South Carolina - Daja Breyon Dial
Tennessee - Hannah Robison

Top 10

Florida - MaryKatherine Haymans Fechtel
Oklahoma - Georgia Lynn Frazier
Texas - Shannon Lee Sanderford

Top 12

Iowa - Taylor Alyssa Wiebers

Nebraska - Alyssa Christine Howell

Top 15

Arkansas - Loren McDaniel
Virginia - Savannah Morgan Lane
West Virginia - Chelsea Malone

Special Awards

Life & Fitness

Daja Dial, South Carolina

Mary Katherine Fechtel, Florida

Taylor Wiebers, Iowa

Talent

Taylor Wiebers, Iowa

April Nelson, Louisiana

Betty Cantrell, Georgia

Watch Video of Miss America 2016 preliminary winners

Miss America 2016 Preliminary Competition Winners

(L-R): Miss South Carolina 2015 Daja Dia, Miss America 2015, Kira Kazantsev and Miss Iowa 2015 Taylor Wiebers

The Miss America 2016 preliminary competition was held yesterday September 8, 2015 at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. Miss Iowa 2015 Taylor Wiebers won the Talent show with her vocal performance of “Don’t Forget Me” from the musical TV series “Smash.”  Taylor will receive a $2,000 scholarship.
"I was a huge fan of that show," Wiebers said afterwards. "That's what all we contestants want: We don't want the judges to forget us."

Talent winner Miss Iowa 2015 Taylor Wiebers

While Miss South Carolina 2015 Daja Dial won the preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness show in a swimsuit. Daja will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Dial said she developed a fitness regimen in three years of cheerleading in her home state — tempted at times by her grandparents' soul food restaurant and their delicious but fattening favorite dishes.

"Exercising has become routine," she said. "It's been a part of my everyday life."

Lifestyle and fitness winner Miss South Carolina 2015 Daja Dial

The panel of preliminary competition judges included publicist and talent producer Brian Edwards, Miss America 1979 Kylene Barker, producer Jenni Pulos, fashion and style expert Rachel Zalis, fashion designer Noah Alexander, D.C. lobbyist Lanny Griffith, and actor/model James Brown III

The grand finale of the Miss America 2016 will hold on Sunday, September 13 live at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey. And Miss America 2015, Kira Kazantsev will crown her successor at the end of the event. To be broadcasted on ABC and streamed to mobile devices and Xbox 360 consoles via the WatchABC app.

Watch Video: Pageant TV Youtube Channel

Photo Credit: Pageants News

Miss America 2016 - Eight more days to go

52 representatives from all 50 states, including Puerto Rico and District of Columbia will be contesting at the 89th edition of Miss America pageant, Miss America 2016 to be held on September 13, 2015 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It will be aired on ABC Sept. 13, 2015 9 p.m. ET and Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev will crown the winner at the end of the event.

Miss America 2016 Contestants Visit Walt Disney World Resort

The Bachelor's Chris Harrison is hosting the event for the seventh time and the preliminary judges will include the publicist and talent producer Brian Edwards, Miss America 1979 Kylene Barker, producer Jenni Pulos, fashion and style expert Rachel Zalis, fashion designer Noah Alexander, D.C. lobbyist Lanny Griffith, and actor/model James Brown III

2016 Miss America Contestants at The Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino

NOTE: Miss Virgin Islands pageant organization failed to renew their license therefore did not send a representative for the Miss America which reduced this year's participants to 52 unlike the supposed 53


Photo Credit: Miss America org