List of Miss Universe Winners from 2000 To 2022: Philippines, Mexico, USA, India & More!
It's the most beautiful time of the year again! And no, we're not talking about the Christmas season, but the Miss Universe season!
The pageant that transcends borders and celebrates the beauty, intelligence and grace of women from around the globe is upon us and the world just can't wait to be mesmerized again.
The 72nd Miss Universe pageant will be held at the José Adolfo Pineda Arena in San Salvador, El Salvador, on November 18 (Saturday). Eighty-four women from across the world will be vying for the title of Miss Universe 2023 and be given the platform to empower, unite and support the different advocacies they have.
Since 1952, the pageant has seen the most diverse set of women and has had more than a handful of memorable moments. Remember 2015, when Steve Harvey mistakenly crowned the wrong candidate? Or 1997, when winner Brook Lee said she'd eat everything in the world "twice!"
While it would be fun to look back at all the great moments of the pageant, I don't think we have enough time for that. So why don't we just look back at the Miss Universe winners from 2013 to the present and see where they are now?
2013: Gabriela Isler (Venezuela)
Gabriela Isler was a Venezuelan television anchor prior to joining beauty pageants. She won Miss Venezuela in 2012 and was 25 years old when she won Miss Universe in 2013 -- the seventh in her country. A few years after being crowned, she launched the "Universe of Blessings Fund" which aims to empower young women and lower the rates of adolescent pregnancies.
2014: Paulina Vega (Colombia)
Paulina Vega is only the second Colombian to be crowned Miss Universe, after a drought of nearly six decades following Luz Marina Zuluaga's win in 1958.
Vega, who won the crown at 22, traveled all over the world to advocate for HIV/ AIDS education. She continues to be a model today.
2015: Pia Wurtzbach (Philippines)
Possibly one of, if not the most famous Miss Universe winner, Pia Wurtzbach had everyone talking about the pageant that year. Mostly thanks to Steve Harvey's major snafu!
While the error made Wurtzbach a household name at the time, she made good with her new-found fame and platform to advocate for a lot of causes, including gender equality and HIV/ AIDS awareness. She also had one of the most memorable answers in the Q&A, dropping the line "confidently beautiful with a heart."
Pia, who is now married to Beautiful Destinations CEO Jeremy Jauncy, continues to advocate for many causes while being an actress and model in the Philippines.
2016: Iris Mittenaere (France)
Iris Mittenaere is only the second winner from France after Christiane Martel won in 1953. According to Mickey Boardman, one of the judges at the time, Mittenaere's answer during the Q&A portion that secured her the win.
"She was poised and well spoken," Boardman wrote in the New York Times.
Mittenaere is now a TV host and celebrity, judging shows like "Drag Race France" and "Top Model Belgium."
2017: Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters (South Africa)
Now going by Demi-Leigh Tebow after marrying former NFL star Tim Tebow, Demi-Leigh was known as the butt-kicking Miss Universe. During the pageant in 2017, she spoke of a carjacking incident where she punched one of the carjackers in the throat to escape.
She continued to campaign for women empowerment and equipping them with skills and knowledge to fight violence.
She's now an entrepreneur and philanthropist.
2018: Catriona Gray (Philippines)
Catriona Gray is the Philippines' fourth Miss Universe titleholder. While she was bashed then for being born and raised in Australia to an Australian father of Scottish descent, and only moved to the Philippines when she was 18, she continues to reside in the country and has built a career in the Asian nation.
During the 2018 pageant, Gray exuded much confidence that fans almost knew she'd bag the crown. During the show, she was seen at one point dancing to Ne-Yo's song on the sidelines.
2019: Zozibini Tunzi (South Africa)
Just two years after winning the crown, Miss South Africa was again Miss Universe. Zozibini Tunzi' s winwas a milestone for the pageant, being the first black woman with afro-textured hair to win the title -- showing off her beautiful natural hair.
Tunzi was also the longest-reigning Miss Universe at 525 days, as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world during her reign.
2020: Andrea Meza (Mexico)
Andrea Meza joined several other pageants, including finishing as the first runner-up in the 2017 Miss World, before joining and winning Miss Universe in 2020.
While Tunzi had the longest reign, Meza had the shortest at just seven months -- again, affected by the pandemic. But she made the most of her reign, using the platform to fight against gender-based violence and advocate for women's rights.
2021: Harnaaz Sandhu (India)
Harnaaz Sandhu was 21 when she won the third crown for India after a 21-year drought.
Sandhu started competing in pageantry as a teen, winning Miss Chandigarh 2017, Miss Max Emerging Star India 2018 and Miss India Punjab 2019. Ultimately winning Miss Universe in 2021.
She recently revealed her struggles with an autoimmune condition.
2022: R'Bonney Gabriel (USA)
R'Bonney Gabriel is the ninth Miss Universe winner from USA. She's among the few mixed-heritage winners of the pageant, being half Filipino-half American.
Gabriel, who is a designer of eco-friendly clothing, advocated for sustainability and inclusivity.
R'Bonney, who will end her reign at 29 years old, will crown Miss Universe 2023 on Saturday.
