The 2025 Miss America winner was crowned on Sunday, January 5. Abbie Stockard, crowned Miss Alabama in June, took home the crown and $55,000. Stockard is a 22-year-old nursing student and cheerleader for Auburn University.
The competition saw 51 competitors—one for every US state, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. The pageant was historical, with Annette Addo-Yobo of Texas, the first foreign-born representative of the state, coming in second. The top five were rounded out by Miss Tennessee, Miss Florida, and Miss Ohio.
Celebrity pageant judges included former Olympic track and field athlete Carl Lewis, cheerleader and Netflix star Gabi Butler. The contestants paraded in various outfits, from short golden dresses to evening wear to fitness wear, which replaced swimwear in 2023. They also competed in an interview and talent portion of the competition. Stockard performed a dance to a Christian rock song by Lauren Daigle, while runner-up Addo-Yobo performed slam poetry.
During the pageant’s interview, Stockard was asked about unemployment, to which she blamed the declining labor force on the participation rate of 25-to-54-year-olds. “I believe we need to encourage those [people] to join the workforce, adapt to new skills, and learn to grow in our current workforce and industries.” According to CNN, the employment rate among 25-to-54-year-olds has increased since the pandemic.
Addo-Yobo was asked about immigration, to which she spoke of her family’s experience. She informed the judges that her parents arrived in America with “two suitcases, a few hundred dollars, and a little girl, which was me, in a fur coat.”
Stockard was thrilled to receive her victory crown. Her charity initiative for the pageant raised money for cystic fibrosis research, a condition that impacts her best friend.
