Miss America's Teen
Scholarship pageant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Miss America's Teen is an American scholarship pageant. It is the sister program to the Miss America opportunity, and it aims to "promote scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community involvement for America's teens." As of September 6, 2025, Tess Ferm of South Carolina holds the esteemed title. To be eligible to compete, participants must first compete and win at the local level and then win the state title. The competition consists of several parts of competition which consists of an eight-minute interview in front of a panel of judges, talent, lifestyle and wellness, evening wear, and an on-stage question. All competitors must be girls between the ages of 13 and 18 years of age.[1]
| Type | Beauty pageant |
|---|---|
| Parent organization | Miss America Organization |
| Headquarters | Wellington, Florida |
| Country represented | United States |
| First edition | 2006 |
| Most recent edition | 2026 |
| Current titleholder | Tess Ferm South Carolina |
CEO | Robin Ross-Fleming |
Formerly called | Miss America's Outstanding Teen |
| Language | English |
| Website | missamerica |
More than $113,000 in scholarship grants were distributed among the 51 contestants in the pageant along with $29 million in in-kind tuition with 7 universities, with a $30,000 scholarship being awarded to the winner. The chairwoman for the Miss America's Teen program is Miss America CEO, Robin Fleming.
In January 2023 the official name of the pageant was changed from Miss America's Outstanding Teen to Miss America's Teen.
The current titleholder is Tess Ferm of South Carolina, who was crowned on September 6, 2025, at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida.
History
The first competition was held in August 2005 in the Linda W. Chapin Theater at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Meghan Miller, who represented Texas, was the first to win the competition.
Winners
| Year | Crowned | Winner | State | City | Age | Awards | Talent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | August 20, 2005 | Meghan Miller[2][3] |  Texas |
Beaumont | 17 | Overall Talent Award[3] Preliminary Evening Wear/OSQ Award Preliminary Talent Award |
Ventriloquism |
|
| 2007 | August 19, 2006 | Maria DeSantis[5] |  New York |
Staten Island | 17 | Preliminary Talent Award | Vocal |
|
| 2008 | August 11, 2007 | Caitlin Brunell[6][7] |  Virginia |
Great Falls | 15 | Preliminary Evening Wear/OSQ Award | En Pointe Dance, "Show Off" from The Drowsy Chaperone |
|
| 2009 | August 16, 2008 | Taylor Fitch[13] |  South Carolina |
Anderson | 17 | Musical Theater Dance | ||
| 2010 | August 15, 2009 | Jeanette Morelan[14][15] |  Wisconsin |
Racine | 15 | Vocal, "Think of Me" from The Phantom of the Opera |
| |
| 2011 | August 28, 2010 | Lacey Russ[19] |  Oklahoma |
Cordell | 16 | Preliminary Evening Wear/OSQ Award | Piano, Bach's "Prelude XXI" and Beethoven's "Sonata Pathetique" | |
| 2012 | August 20, 2011 | Elizabeth Fechtel[20] |  Florida |
Leesburg | 17 | Preliminary Evening Wear/OSQ Award | Musical Theater Jazz Dance, "I Am What I Am" |
|
| 2013 | August 18, 2012 | Rachel Wyatt[23] | South Carolina |
Piedmont | 17 | Dance |
| |
| 2014 | August 17, 2013 | Leah Sykes[26] | Florida |
Jacksonville | 16 | Vocal, "Someone Like You" by Adele | ||
| 2015 | August 2, 2014 | Olivia McMillan[27] |  Georgia |
Centerville | 17 | Outstanding Vocalist Award[28] Preliminary Talent Award[28] |
Classical Vocal, "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's opera, Turandot | |
| 2016 | August 1, 2015 | Allie Nault[29] |  New Hampshire |
Gilford | 17 | Preliminary Evening Wear/OSQ Award[30] Teens in Action Award[30] |
Dance/Twirl | |
| 2017 | August 6, 2016 | Nicole Jia[31] | Oklahoma |
Oklahoma City | 17 | Outstanding Instrumentalist Award | Piano, Variations on Mozart's "Rondo Alla Turca" | |
| 2018 | July 29, 2017 | Jessica Baeder[32] |  Alabama |
Auburn | 17 | Teens in Action Award[33]
Preliminary Talent Award |
Ballet en pointe, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" |
|
| 2019 | July 28, 2018 | London Hibbs[34] | Texas |
Tyler | 17 | Preliminary Evening Wear/OSQ Award Preliminary Talent Award |
Vocal, "Think of Me" from The Phantom of the Opera | |
| 2020 | July 27, 2019 | Payton May[35] |  Washington |
Vancouver | 17 | Preliminary Evening Wear/OSQ Award | Vocal, "Over the Rainbow" |
|
| 2021 | No national pageant was held due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||||||
| 2022 | July 30, 2021 | Marcelle LeBlanc[36] | Alabama |
Birmingham | 18 | Teens in Action Finalist
Preliminary Talent Award Top Interview Award (tie) |
Broadway Vocal, "On My Own" from Les Miserables |
|
| 2023 | August 12, 2022 | Morgan Greco[36] | Washington |
Camas | 16 | Preliminary Talent Award
Top Vocalist Award |
Operatic Vocal, "The Jewel Song" from Faust |
|
| 2024 | January 13, 2024 | Hanley House |  North Carolina |
Cleveland | 16 | Preliminary Fitness Award
Preliminary Evening Wear |
Lyrical Dance, "Don't Stop Believing" | |
| 2025 | January 4, 2025 | Peyton Bolling |  Arkansas |
Rogers | 17 | Jazz Dance, "Man of La Mancha" |
| |
| 2026 | September 6, 2025 | Tess Ferm | South Carolina |
Charleston | 18 | Teens in Action Winner | Vocal, "Tomorrow" from Annie |
|
Winners by state
States have yet to win Miss America's Teen
There have been no Miss America's Teen winners from the following states:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Delaware
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Vermont
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
