Miss Utah has been crowned the winner of Miss USA 2023
Miss Utah Noelia Voigt was crowned the new Miss USA in Reno, Nevada, on Friday night.
She will now represent the United States at the Miss Universe pageant on November 18.
Voigt said during the pageant that she's been preparing for Miss USA for seven years.
The next Miss USA is Noelia Voigt of Utah.
Miss USA 2022 Morgan Romano crowned Voigt onstage at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada, on Friday night. Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz placed first runner-up.
Voigt will now represent the United States at the Miss Universe pageant on November 18, 2023, in El Salvador. The current Miss Universe, R'Bonney Gabriel, was the first American to win the pageant in 10 years.
When asked how she would contribute as a brand ambassador for the Miss USA organization, Voigt said that the ability to connect with people "is an incredibly important asset that a Miss USA should have."
"The United States of America is an incredibly diverse country, probably one of the most diverse in the entire world, so being able to connect with everybody is important," she said. "As a bilingual Venezuelan-American woman, I plan to connect with that community of people because the United States of America is a diverse country, and Miss USA needs to be able to represent every community, no matter their background, their race, their ethnicity."
In a video that was shown during her final walk, Voigt said she's been preparing for the Miss USA crown for seven years and believes Miss USA should be a symbol of unity.
The 23-year-old is currently studying interior design. She is an advocate for survivors of dating violence and the rights of immigrants, as she is the daughter of an immigrant from Venezuela.
Voigt has published a children's book, and in her free time, she likes to dance, car camp, and spend time with her dog.
Miss USA 2023 occurred following a year of controversy for the iconic pageant, which began after Gabriel won Miss USA 2022 in October. Contestants claimed the pageant was rigged and then-Miss USA president Crystle Stewart was suspended by the Miss Universe Organization.
After Gabriel won Miss Universe in January, Romano, who placed first runner-up, assumed the title of Miss USA 2022. In August, the Miss Universe Organization announced it had found the rigging allegations were false but that Stewart would no longer be president of Miss USA. Hours later, it announced that Laylah Rose would take over the position.
Rose brought some major changes to Miss USA, including a new scoring system. Rose told Insider that the interview portion this year made up 50% of the contestants' total score, while the swimsuit and evening-gown rounds were 25% each.
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