Miss Nicaragua

Miss Nicaragua is a Nicaraguan beauty pageant that celebrates the beauty of Nicaraguans women's. The first edition was held in 1955 now it is celebrated annually to select the entrant for Nicaragua in the Miss Universe.

History
The Miss Nicaragua beauty pageant was the most important pageant for women in Nicaragua. The first Señorita Nicaragua was held in 1955. The pageant was hosting by Club de Leones, Club 20–30 and Club Terraza those were some of the most important clubs in Managua during the 1950s.

The first Miss Nicaragua was Rosa Argentina Lacayo (R.I.P.) when in 1955 became the first lady to represent Nicaragua at Miss Universe 1955 held in Long Beach, California, United States, Lacayo's was unable to reached in the Top 15 during the pageant whoever was recognize as the winner of the Best Dressed Girl award. Lacayo passed away on September 2016 at the age of 79.

During the following years until 1979 Nicaragua has sent to Miss Universe 13 delegates advancing for the first time ever in the Top 12 in 1977 held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic with Beatriz Obregón Lacayo who became the first Nicaraguan to qualify in a Miss Universe top. In 1979 the Miss Universe was held in Perth, Australia the Nicaraguan embassador Patricia Pineda Chamorro declined to compete in the final competition due to threats of death by the Somoza family who were governing Nicaragua during this decade. In this year the franchise holders for Miss Nicaragua resigned to send more delegates in to the pageant.

After 12 years Nicaragua returns to Miss Universe after the defeat of the Somoza's the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (INTUR) took the Miss Nicaragua pageant and crowned Ana Sofía Pereira from Managua as the new Miss Nicaragua 1991 she represented the country in the Miss Universe 1991 held in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. During the 1990s and with the INTUR directionship Nicaragua sent 6 more delegates to Miss Universe, at this point 19 delegates represented the country at Miss Universe. In 1996 Luz María Sánchez Herdocia was crowned as Miss Nicaragua 1996 but she were unable to compete in the pagent due to a lack of the channel who supposed to pay the inscription for Sánchez Herdocia.

Starting the 2000s in 2001 the Intur lost the franchise of Miss Nicaragua and was held by Silhuetas Modelos, a model academy in Nicaragua under the directorship of Karen Celebertti, a former contest in Miss Nicaragua 1992. After a year of absence at Miss Universe a new Miss Nicaragua was crowned to represent the country at Miss Universe 2001 held in Bayamón, Puerto Rico where Ligia Argüello Roa became Miss Nicaragua 2001. During the Miss Universe 2007 held in Mexico City, Mexico the delegate of Nicaragua Xiomara Blandino placed in the top 15 (Top 10 among the pageant) after 30 years since Nicaragua qualified for the first time.

In the 2010s the Miss Nicaragua was competing at Miss Universe for 10 consecutive years the longest period of Nicaragua in the pageant during the Miss Universe 2013 held at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia. A native of the Department of Carazo, based in the United States, Nastassja Bolívar was crowned Miss Nicaragua 2013 and represented the country in Miss Universe advancing into the Top 16 of the edition returning the country into the Miss Universe top after 6 years since 2007, in this edition Nicaragua won the Best in National Costume award for the first time fun fact Nicaragua placed in this award category 2nd place in 2009 in Nassau, Bahamas and 6th place in 2012 during the edition in Las Vegas. Bolívar was dethroned by the Miss Nicaragua organization at beginning of 2014 when she mentioned the national director doesn't agree with some strategies during her representation in Russia. In 2015 Nicaragua placed in the 4th place of Best National Costume competition with Daniela Torres Miss Nicaragua 2015 who represented the country in Las Vegas.

Miss Nicaragua 2020 saw the crowning of Ana Marcelo, the first woman from the Department of Estelí to win the title. At Miss Universe 2020, Marcelo qualified into the top 21 semifinalists, marking the fourth time Nicaragua made it into the top, and the first since 2013. Miss Nicaragua 2021 and 2022 were Allison Wassmer and Norma Huembes, both of which went unplaced at their respective Miss Universe pageants.

In 2023, Miss Universe was held in San Salvador, El Salvador on November 18th. The Nicaraguan delegate was Miss Nicaragua 2023 winner, Sheynnis Palacios from Carazo, crowned on the evening of August 5th, 2023. Palacios became the first Nicaraguan to win the 3 biggest pageants in Nicaragua, those being Miss Teen Nicaragua (2016), Miss World Nicaragua (2020), and Miss Nicaragua (2023). Palacios became the 5th delegate from Nicaragua to place in the Miss Universe semifinals, and the first since Ana Marcelo's 2020 Top 21 placement. She went on to win the Miss Universe 2023 competition, outperforming 83 women from all over the world, and becoming the second Central American and first Nicaraguan to earn the Miss Universe crown.

Two months after Miss Universe 2023's final night, the Miss Nicaragua franchise was taken away from Karen Celebertti by Ortega's government. Celebertti was participative in protests against the government in 2018, and thus was accused of several crimes by Ortega's government. She was not allowed to return to Nicaragua, and has settled in Mexico since then. She is now working for the Miss Universe organization as part of the talen acquisition department. Celebertti officially announced her resignation of the Miss Nicaragua organization in an Instagram post.

As of May 2024, there is no license holder for Nicaragua in the Miss Universe pageant.

Participants


Participants for the Miss Nicaragua contest must be at least 18. After participants are chosen, between 8 and 17 candidates are elected and represent a city or department. The majority of Miss Nicaragua winners has been from Managua.

Since 2023, the Miss Nicaragua pageant allowed women married and mothers to join in the competition.

As well the transgender women are allow to compete however since there is not any government mandate about legalisation the candidates are not allowed to join the national pageant.

Regional ranking
This is a regional ranking based on departments representation since 2001 until 2023.

Big Four pageants representatives
The following women have represented Nicaragua in the Big Four international beauty pageants.

Sheynnis Palacios, Miss Nicaragua and Miss Universe 2023.

Miss Nicaragua Universo









 * The winner of Miss Nicaragua represents her country at the Miss Universe. On occasion, when the winner does not qualify (due to age) for either contest, a runner-up is sent.

Contestants
The runners-up and semi-finalists of the Miss Nicaragua pageant are sometimes sent to represent Nicaragua in other international beauty pageants. Winners include Sharon Amador, the first finalist in Miss Nicaragua 2006. Sharon won the Miss Ambar Mundial pageant in 2006. In 2010, the franchise for Miss Earth Nicaragua was awarded to Nuestra Belleza Nicaragua. In 2023, Katherine Burgos Reyes, the first runner-up of Miss Nicaragua 2022 was appointed to compete at Miss Supranational 2023.

Dethroned
Miss Nicaragua 2013, Nastassja Bolívar was dethroned after competing at the Miss Universe 2013 in Moscow, Russia.