The Miss Louisiana USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Louisiana in the Miss USA pageant.

Miss Louisiana USA
Formation1952
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersAiken
Location
Membership
Miss USA
Official language
English
Key people
Janice McDonald
Paula Miles
WebsiteOfficial website

Miss Louisiana USA is produced by RPM Productions since 1990, which also produces the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA state pageants for Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. RPM Productions' headquarters is in Aiken, South Carolina.

Sydney Taylor of Livingston was crowned Miss Louisiana USA 2024 on March 30, 2024, at Jefferson Performing Arts Center in Metairie. She will represent Louisiana at Miss USA 2024.

History

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Louisiana is one of only seven states to have three or more Miss USA winners (in 1958, 1961, and 1996).

Four Miss Louisiana USA titleholders previously held the Miss Louisiana Teen USA title, including Ali Landry, who became the third woman from Louisiana to be crowned Miss USA.

Jennifer Dupont, Miss Louisiana USA 2000, is one of only seven women who have competed in the Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss America pageants.

Louisiana's future success at Miss USA would be evident in the state's first contestant, Jeanne Vaughn Thompson, Miss Louisiana USA 1952 and 1953. She is the only woman to ever compete twice in the history of Miss USA, and to outright win a Miss USA state title twice.

Thompson was also the only two-time state titleholder in Miss USA history, a record she held for 44 years until Shanna Lyn Searles became the second and only other double state titleholder. Searles won the Miss California USA title outright in 1996 after inheriting the state's 1992 title due to the original winner, Shannon Marketic, being crowned Miss USA 1992.

Thompson's overall pageant success includes winning the Miss Louisiana state title and competing at Miss America in 1951, winning the first two Miss Louisiana USA state titles and competing in the first and second Miss USA pageants, becoming the first-ever 1st runner-up in 1952 and a semi-finalist and Miss Congeniality (Amity) winner in 1953. Her two consecutive participations in Miss USA and subsequent final placements prompted organizers to create a rule allowing a person to compete for the title only once.

Miss Louisiana USA contestants accomplished another feat first, winning both the Miss Congeniality (Amity) and Miss Photogenic awards ever given to a Miss USA state delegate. Thompson was the winner of the Miss Congeniality award given to the first Miss USA state contestant in 1953.

The second Miss Congeniality award given also went to another contestant from Louisiana, Judy Fletcher in 1960. That year, during the era when both Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants were held at the same time, Fletcher tied with a Miss Universe contestant from Myanmar (known at the time as Burma) for the award.

Sharon Brown, who represented Louisiana in 1961, won the first Miss Photogenic award given to a Miss USA state delegate. She also won the Miss USA title, the first Miss Photogenic winner to obtain that feat.

Louisiana is one of only two states (California the other) to have won both the Miss USA title and the Miss Photogenic award in the same year on two separate occasions (Brown in 1961 and Landry in 1996).

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Results summary

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Placements

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  • Miss USAs: Eurlyne Howell (1958), Sharon Brown (1961), Ali Landry (1996)
  • 1st runners-up: Jeanne Thompson (1952)
  • 2nd runners-up: Lisa Lynn Moss (1981)
  • 3rd runners-up: Kathy Hebert (1968), Pamela Forrest (1983), Sarie Joubert (1985), Elizabeth Primm (1989), Brittany Guidry (2014)
  • 4th runners-up: Robyn Sanders (1976)
  • Top 6: Shirelle Hebert (1994), Elizabeth Coxe (1995)
  • Top 10/11/12: Bonnie Martin (1972), Storm Hensley (1973), Karen Hoff (1974), Christy Saylor (1992), Debbie Delhomme (1998), Anne-Katherine Lene (2002), Kristen Girault (2013), Candice Bennatt (2015)
  • Top 15/16/20: Jeanne Thompson (1953), Mary Lobianco (1959), Judy Fletcher (1960), Elizabeth McNulty (2007), Erin Edmiston (2012), Victoria Paul (2019), Mariah Clayton (2020), Tanya Crowe (2021)

Louisiana holds a record of 29 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

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  • Miss Photogenic: Sharon Brown (1961), Kathy Hebert (1968), Elizabeth Primm (1989), Ali Landry (1996)
  • Miss Congeniality: Jeanne Thompson (1953), Judy Fletcher (1960)
  • Best State Costume: 2nd Place: Elizabeth Primm (1989)

Winners

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Color key
  •   Declared as Winner
  •   Ended as runner-up or finalist
  •   Ended as one of the semifinalists
Year Name Hometown Age1 Local title Placement at Miss USA Special awards at Miss USA Notes
2024 Sydney Taylor Livingston 23 Miss Lafayette

Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2020

2023 Sylvia Masters Houma 27 Miss Sportsman's Paradise
2022 Katelyn "KT" Scannell Denham Springs 22 Miss Lafayette
2021 Tanya Crowe Amite City 28 Miss New Orleans Top 16 Professional cheerleader for the New Orleans Saintsations
2020 Mariah Clayton[1] Zachary 23 Miss Greater Baton Rouge Top 16
2019 Victoria Paul[2][3] Alexandria 26 Miss Lafayette Top 15 Later a contestant on season 24 of The Bachelor and season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise
2018 Lauren Vizza[4] Shreveport 27 Miss Shreveport Previously Miss Louisiana 2012[5]
2017 Bethany Trahan Lake Charles 21 Miss Calcasieu
2016 Maaliyah Papillion Lake Charles 21 Miss Lake Charles
2015 Candice Bennatt New Orleans 26 Miss Ville Platte Top 11 Previously Miss New Mexico 2012. Former Houston Texans Cheerleader.
2014 Brittany Guidry Houma 21 Miss Florida Parishes 3rd Runner-up Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2009 and 4th runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2009; one of few women to place in the top 5 at both Miss Teen USA and Miss USA

Cousin of Michelle Berthelot, Miss Louisiana USA 2008

2013 Kristen Girault[citation needed] Metairie | 21 Miss Florida Parish Top 10 New Orleans Saints cheerleader
2012 Erin Edmiston Lafayette 22 Miss Camellia City Top 16
2011 Page Pennock Shreveport 21
2010 Sara Brooks New Orleans 22
2009 Lacey Minchew Baton Rouge 24 Previously Miss Teen America 2002, representing Georgia. Originally from Marietta.
2008 Michelle Berthelot Hammond 26 Cousin of Brittany Guidry, Miss Louisiana USA 2014
2007 Elizabeth McNulty Lafayette 25 Top 15
2006 Christina Cuenca Chalmette 26
2005 Candice Stewart Metairie 21 Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2002. Contestant on Big Brother 15.
2004 Melissa McConnell Ruston 27
2003 Brittney Rogers Shreveport 20 Contestant on The Amazing Race 8. Winner of Fear Factor Miss USA episode
2002 Anne-Katherine Lene Abbeville Top 12
2001 Heather Hayden Amite
2000 Jennifer Dupont Plaquemine Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1998, Miss Louisiana 2004 and 1st runner up at Miss America 2005
1999 Melissa Bongiovanni Baton Rouge
1998 Debbie Delhomme Lafayette Top 10
1997 Nikole Viola Walker
1996 Ali Landry Breaux Bridge 26 Miss USA 1996 Miss Photogenic Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1990 (Top 12 at Miss Teen USA 1990), Top 6 finalist at Miss Universe 1996
1995 Elizabeth Coxe Springfield 24 Top 6
1994 Shirelle Hebert Arabi Top 6
1993 Jennifer Mitchell Leesville
1992 Christy Saylor Baton Rouge Top 11
1991 Melinda Murphy West Monroe
1990 Jeanne Burns Baton Rouge Currently evening news anchor for NBC affiliate WVLA in Baton Rouge.
1989 Elizabeth Primm Houma 3rd Runner-up Miss Photogenic, 2nd Place Best Costume Miss USA at Miss Asia Pacific 1989, did not place; Star Search 1990 Spokesmodel contestant.
1988 Rhonda Vinson Shreveport
1987 Carol Carter Shreveport Previously Miss Louisiana 1985
1986 Cecelia Brady Olla Now Cecelia Gonzalez of San Diego, California. Her father was Louisiana State Representative Thomas "Bud" Brady.
1985 Sarie Joubert Shreveport 3rd Runner-up 1st runner up at Miss International 1985 as Miss USA.
1984 Rusanne Jourdan Baton Rouge
1983 Pamela Forrest Baton Rouge 3rd Runner-up Mrs. America 1987 and Mrs. World 1988
1982 Lisa Michael Baton Rouge
1981 Lisa Lynn Moss Shreveport 2nd Runner-up Later Miss World USA 1981 and Top 5 finalist at Miss World 1981
1980 Kelly Bonin Baton Rouge
1979 Lisa Anderson Gretna 19
1978 Tauny Hanes Baton Rouge
1977 Patti Rosenbalm Bossier City
1976 Robyn Sanders Winnfield 4th Runner-up
1975 Rhonda Shear New Orleans Television program host and actor, best known for her role as host of the USA Network's weekend movie show, USA Up All Night
1974 Karen Hoff Bossier City Top 12
1973 Storm Hensley Bossier City Top 12 Was a sergeant in the Air Force stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City
1972 Bonnie Martin Ashland 21 Top 12
1971 Diana Risenstein Bossier City
1970 Nadine Robertson Bossier City
1969 Patricia Dupre Washington
1968 Kathy Hebert Franklin 3rd Runner-up Miss Photogenic
1967 Dianne Mader Houma 21
1966 Tanya Becnel Ama
1965 Terri Sommers Shreveport 19
1964 Linda Graves Shreveport
1963 Peggy Romero Kaplan
1962 Diana Jane Smith Oak Ridge Semifinalist in Miss World USA 1962
1961 Sharon Brown Minden Miss USA 1961 Miss Photogenic 4th runner up at Miss Universe 1961
1960 Judy Fletcher Alexandria Top 15 Miss Congeniality
1959 Mary Margaret Lobianco Top 15
1958 Eurlyne Howell Bossier City Miss USA 1958 3rd runner up at Miss Universe 1958
1957 Earlyn Regouffre New Orleans
1956 Cecile Morris Baton Rouge 19
1955 Merlin Garcia Gretna 19
1954 Sadie Vinson New Orleans Finalist in the 1955 Miss Dixie Pageant
1953 Jeanne Thompson Baton Rouge Top 20 Miss Congeniality Only woman ever to compete in Miss USA pageant twice. Previously Miss Louisiana 1951. Also competed in the 1952 Maid of Cotton Pageant
1952 1st Runner-up

1 Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

References

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  1. ^ Foster, Kent (October 20, 2019). "Zachary native, Southern University alumna crowned Miss Louisiana USA 2020". WVUE-DT. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  2. ^ King, Faith (April 10, 2019). "Miss Louisiana heads off to compete in Miss USA 2019 pageant". KALB-TV. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  3. ^ Weigle, Lauren (May 3, 2019). "Miss USA 2019 Contestants: Winner & Top Finalists Revealed Live". Heavy.com. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  4. ^ McCarty, Erin (October 22, 2017). "Shreveport's Lauren Vizza Wins Miss Louisiana USA". News Radio 710 KEEL.
  5. ^ Etheridge, Elaine (June 25, 2012). "The New Miss Louisiana is From Shreveport". News Radio 710 KEEL.
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