{
  "id": 3268123,
  "title": "Miss USA and Miss America are not the same pageant. Here's how to tell the difference.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/miss-usa-and-miss-america-are-not-the-same-pageant-heres-how-to-tell",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-25T12:46:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/miss-usa-miss-america-pageant-differences"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Miss USA and Miss America are two distinct pageants with notable differences. While both involve a sash and crown, their eligibility requirements, prize packages, and competition rounds are considerably varied. The Miss America pageant has been around for 31 years longer than its counterpart, Miss USA, which began in 1952. The inaugural Miss America was won by a 16-year-old named Margaret Gorman, while the very first Miss USA was crowned in 1952 by Jackie Loughery.\n\nIn terms of age eligibility, women aged 18 to 28 can compete in Miss America, whereas all women 18 and over are eligible to participate in Miss USA. A key difference lies in the swimsuit round. Miss America dropped this segment in 2018, opting to focus on talent, evening gown, and interview rounds instead. On the other hand, Miss USA still includes a swimsuit competition as part of its judging criteria.\n\nThe prize packages of the two pageants also differ significantly. While Miss America has historically offered college scholarships to winners, Miss USA typically provides winners with a yearly salary, plus additional perks such as an apartment in New York or Los Angeles during their reign. Controversies have plagued both pageants. In 2017, former Miss America executive director Sam Haskell stepped down amid leaked internal emails revealing negative allegations about past contestants. Similarly, in 2022, Crystle Stewart, then-president of Miss USA, was suspended after contestants alleged the pageant had been rigged. In 2024, two Miss Teen USA queens, Noelia Voigt and UmaSofia Srivastava, relinquished their crowns due to undisclosed reasons, marking a first in the pageant's history.",
  "summary": "Miss USA and Miss America are often confused, but they're very different. Miss America has a talent competition, while Miss USA has a swimsuit round.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}