Vanessa Pulgarin

 Colombia wins MGI All-Stars maiden edition, Philippines in Top 5

By Earl D C. Bracamonte

Vanessa Pulgarin of Colombia bested 55 other international titlists to be crowned the first-ever winner of the MGI All Stars competition. Miss Grand International founder & president Nawat Itsaragrisil and Miss Grand International 2024 CJ Opiaza crowned the Colombian beauty.

Fairh Maria Porter of Ghana was 1st runner-up, while Huong Kiang Nguyen of Vietnam was 2nd runner-up.

The two other delegates who also made it to the Top 5 were Mariana Beckova of the Czech Republic and Gazini Ganados from the Philippines; while those who advanced to the Top 10 were Suheyn Cipriani (Peru), Yamilex Hernandez (Dominican Republic), Priscila Londoño (Colombia), and Gabriela dela Cruz (Venezuela).

The other ladies who made it to the first cut, Top 18, were Samantha Quenedit (Ecuador), Zewen Qin (China), Isabella Santiago (Venezuela), Francia Cortes Sandoval (Mexico), Nicole Puello (Dominican Republic), Fuchsia Anne Ravena (Philippines), and the three challenge winners.

The challenge winners were Thet San Andersen (Myanmar, Best Portrait), Azzaya Tsogt Ochir (Mongolia, Best Runway), and Huong Giang Nguyen (Vietnam, World Choice Award), winner of the People’s Choice online poll, who went on to place in the Top 3 – the only transwoman to have achieved that feat in pageant history.

Midway through the pageant, the MGI system crashed because of the millions who voted on the online poll. Audiences had to wait for an hour for the system to go back on. And then before the Top 5 announcement, it crashed again.

All the placements from the Top 18 to the Top 3 were the composite scores from the judges (70%) and the online votes (30%).

The selection committee was comprised of Osmel Sousa, Omar Harfouch, Miss Universe 1991 Lupita Jones, Jojo Bragais, Miss Grand International 2020 Abena Appiah Akuaba, Psi Samut Scott, Miss Grand International 2022 Isabella Menin, and Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova.

Vanessa will be back in the 2nd edition of the MGI All Stars where she will be automatically placed in the Top 18.

Hosted by Danilo Carrerra, together with reigning Miss Grand International Emma Mary Tiglao and Miss Universe 2023 Michelle Marquez Dee, the inaugural edition of the Miss Grand International All Stars was broadcast from the MGI Hall in Bangkpk, Thailand and was beamed live to a global audience through the GrandTV channel on YouTube.