# Miss USA 2024

Miss USA 2024 was the 73rd Miss USA pageant, held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, United States, on August 4, 2024.
Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii crowned Alma Cooper of Michigan as her successor at the end of the event. She represented the United States at Miss Universe 2024 in Mexico.

## Background
### Location

On July 14, 2022, it was reported that the competition would be held in Reno, Nevada, with the city securing a three-year deal to host the pageant from 2022 to 2024 under the ownership of then-national director and Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart. The event was originally to take place at Grand Sierra Resort in Reno; this would be the fourth time that the pageant is held in Reno and the third consecutive year holding the pageant in the city following Miss USA 2019, 2022 and 2023.
On June 29, 2024, it was announced that Miss USA 2024 would take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, scheduled to be held on August 4, 2024. This will be the first time since 2007 returning to its original home in California.

### Selection of contestants

Starting with this edition of the pageant, the Miss Universe Organization announced that it would allow women who are 28 years old and over to participate. Previous editions had only above 18 and below 28 years of age.
Selection of delegates at state pageants was supposed to begin in August 2023; however, after the appointment of president and CEO Laylah Rose, the state pageants were postponed indefinitely. The state pageants were then rescheduled in March 2024. The first state pageant was Tennessee, held on March 9, 2024, and the last state pageant was Florida, held on July 7, 2024. The state pageant season in previous years was much longer, around five to seven months.

## Results
### Placements

| Placement | Contestant |
| Miss USA 2024 | Michigan – Alma Cooper |
| 1st runner-up | Kentucky – Connor Perry |
| 2nd runner-up | Oklahoma – Danika Christopherson |
| 3rd runner-up | Tennessee – Christell Foote |
| 4th runner-up | Ohio – Macy Hudson |
| Top 10 | Colorado – Jessi Kalambayi  Hawaii – Breea Yamat  Massachusetts – Melissa Sapini  Texas – Aarieanna Ware  Virginia – Himanvi Panidepu |
| Top 20 | California – Samantha Ramos  District of Columbia – Kleo Torres  Illinois – Grace Rodi  Iowa – McKenzie Ariana Kerry §  Kansas – Bella Whitlock  Mississippi – Kaylee Brooke McCollum  Nevada – Najah Ali  New York – Marizza Delgado  North Carolina – Kenzie Hansley  South Carolina – Gracen Grainger |
§ – Voted into Top 20 by viewers.

### Special Awards

| Award | Contestant |
| Best in Swimsuit | Kentucky - Connor Perry |
| Best in Evening Gown | Tennessee - Christell Foote |
| Best in Interview | Michigan - Alma Cooper |
| Best Impact (Social Media) | Virginia - Himanvi Panidepu |
| Miss Photogenic | Massachusetts - Melissa Sapini |
| Miss Congeniality | Arkansas - Madeline Bohlman |
| People's Choice | Iowa - McKenzie Ariana Kerry |

## Pageant
### Format

Same with the previous edition, the results of the preliminary competition — which consisted of the swimsuit competition, the evening gown competition, and the closed-door interview determined the first nineteen semi-finalists who advanced at the first cut. The internet voting was also used, with fans being able to vote for another delegate to advance into the semifinals. The twenty semi-finalists competed in the swimsuit competition and were narrowed down to ten afterwards. The ten semi-finalists competed in the evening gown competition and were narrowed down to five afterwards. The five finalists competed in the final question round, after which Miss USA 2024 and her runners-up were announced.

### Selection committee

* Scheana Shay – Television personality (only as final telecast judge)
* Anastasia Soare – CEO of Anastasia Beverly Hills
* Gavin DeGraw – Singer (only as final telecast judge)
* Carole Gist – Miss USA 1990 from Michigan
* Natasha Graziano – Motivational speaker
* NJ Falk – Managing partner of Athletic Propulsion Labs
* Lu Parker – Miss USA 1994 from South Carolina
* Jojo Bragais – Shoe designer

## Contestants

Fifty-one contestants competed for the title.
| State/District | Contestant | Age | Hometown | Notes |
| Alabama | Diane Westhoven | 21 | Vestavia | |
| Alaska | Brenna Schaake | 29 | Fairbanks | |
| Arizona | Kristina Johnson | 41 | Phoenix | |
| Arkansas | Madeline Bohlman | 22 | Fayetteville | Previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2021 First cousin of Miss America 2024 Madison Marsh |
| California | Samantha Ramos | 24 | Santa Monica | |
| Colorado | Jessi Kalambayi | 26 | Denver | |
| Connecticut | Shavana Clarke | 29 | Bridgeport | |
| Delaware | Alysa Bainbridge | 25 | Newark | Previously Miss Pennsylvania 2022 Previously Miss Pennsylvania's Outstanding Teen 2016 |
| District of Columbia | Kleo Torres | 26 | Washington, D.C. | |
| Florida | Peyton Lewis | 26 | Orlando | |
| Georgia | Emmaline Farmer | 24 | Winder | |
| Hawaii | Breea Yamat | 27 | Lahaina | Sister of Miss Hawaii USA 2022 Kiana Yamat |
| Idaho | Kaitlyn Widmyer | 28 | Coeur d'Alene | |
| Illinois | Grace Rodi | 23 | Hinsdale | |
| Indiana | Stephanie Sullivan | 33 | Elkhart | |
| Iowa | McKenzie Ariana Kerry | 26 | Des Moines | |
| Kansas | Bella Whitlock | 19 | Leavenworth | |
| Kentucky | Connor Perry | 23 | Lexington | |
| Louisiana | Sydney Taylor | 23 | Livingston | Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2020 (4th runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2020) |
| Maine | Anne Baldridge | 25 | Portland | |
| Maryland | Bailey Anne Kennedy | 31 | Williamsport | First transgender woman to win Miss Maryland USA |
| Massachusetts | Melissa Sapini | 21 | North Attleboro | |
| Michigan | Alma Cooper | 22 | Okemos | |
| Minnesota | Muna Ali | 27 | Saint Paul | |
| Mississippi | Kaylee Brooke McCollum | 23 | Amory | Previously Miss Mississippi Teen USA 2019 (3rd runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2019) |
| Missouri | Ashleigh Bedwell | 25 | Campbell | |
| Montana | Shelby Dangerfield | 30 | Billings | |
| Nebraska | Kamryn Buchanan | 24 | Lincoln | |
| Nevada | Najah Ali | 23 | Las Vegas | |
| New Hampshire | Ariel Sullivan | 28 | Portsmouth | |
| New Jersey | Jabili Kandula | 24 | Hoboken | |
| New Mexico | Mackenzie Sydow | 22 | Albuquerque | |
| New York | Marizza Delgado | 25 | Brooklyn | Previously Miss Earth New York 2022 (Top 20 at Miss Earth USA 2022) |
| North Carolina | McKenzie Hansley | 24 | Charlotte | Previously Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2017 |
| North Dakota | Codi Miller | 31 | Amidon | Previously Miss North Dakota Teen USA 2009 |
| Ohio | Macy Hudson | 24 | Dayton | |
| Oklahoma | Danika Christopherson | 22 | Lawton | Previously Miss Oklahoma Teen USA 2020 (Top 16 at Miss Teen USA 2020) |
| Oregon | Shayla Montgomery | 21 | Happy Valley | Previously Miss Oregon Teen USA 2020 (1st runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2020) |
| Pennsylvania | Noni Diarra | 23 | Philadelphia | |
| Rhode Island | Kaitlynne Santana | 22 | Woonsocket | |
| South Carolina | Gracen Grainger | 22 | Hamer | Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2020 (Top 16 at Miss Teen USA 2020) |
| South Dakota | Ahmitara Alwal | 25 | Sioux Falls | |
| Tennessee | Christell Foote | 24 | Rocky Top | |
| Texas | Aarieanna Ware | 26 | Dallas | |
| Utah | Alyssa Chandler | 21 | American Fork | |
| Vermont | Samantha Vocatura | 27 | Stowe | Previously Miss World America Vermont 2023 (Top 10 at Miss World America 2023 |
| Virginia | Himanvi Panidepu | 23 | Centreville | Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 2018 |
| Washington | Tiffany Rea | 27 | Clarkston | Previously Miss United States 2020 |
| West Virginia | Caylie Simmons | 24 | Franklin | |
| Wisconsin | Tori Trittin | 22 | Madison | Previously Miss Minnesota Teen USA 2017 |
| Wyoming | Mackenzie Rush | 19 | Sheridan | |