Miss California USA is the

beauty pageant A beauty pageant is a competition in which the contestants are judged and ranked based on various physical and mental attributes. Per its name, beauty pageants traditionally focus on judging the contestants' physical attractiveness, sometimes sol ...

that selects the representative for the state of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

in the

Miss USA Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020. ...

pageant, and the name of the title held by that winner. The pageant is directed by Crown Diva Productions. California's most successful placements were in

1959 Events January * January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

, and

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

, when Terry Huntingdon, Maria Remenyi,

Summer Bartholomew Summer Bartholomew (born on November 20, 1951 in Merced, California) is an American actress, television host and beauty pageant titleholder who won the Miss USA 1975 pageant. Born in 1951, her first name was chosen because of a character in a S ...

Julie Hayek Julie Lynne Hayek (born October 4, 1960) is an American actress, model, charity worker and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 1983. She represented the United States at Miss Universe 1983, and finished first runner-up. Early life Hay ...

, Shannon Marketic, and

Alyssa Campanella Alyssa Marie Campanella (born March 21, 1990) is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2011. Having previously been crowned Miss California USA 2011. Campanella was also crowned Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2007 and was firs ...

, respectively, were crowned Miss USA. The current Miss California USA is Samantha Ramos of

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

, who is crowned on June 23, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Orange County. Ramos will represent California at

Miss USA 2024 Miss USA 2024 was the 73rd Miss USA pageant, held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, United States, on August 4, 2024. Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii crowned Alma Cooper of Michigan as her successor at the end of the event. Sh ...

History

The Miss California USA Pageant was produced by Carolee Munger. Prior to Ms. Munger, Guyrex Productions held the franchise for a number of years and produced successful televised pageants with over 100 participants. Before Guyrex, the pageant was produced by Dr. Leanord Stallcup, who took over the directorship after Faye Smith successfully led the way through the 1970s and 1980s. Also was produced by Top 10 Productions, Inc. based in San Diego. Top 10 was led by Pam Wilson and Alex Kuty, who have been involved in pageant and fashion production for many years. Top 10 took over for K2 Productions in 2013. K2 had a number of controversies but during its 9 years producing the pageant, it managed to be the top placing state at Miss USA, growing the entry numbers to the largest state pageant in the history of Miss USA and doing the first live television airing in over 10 years. In the beginning, K2 Productions was directed by former Miss Teen USA 1995,

Keylee Sue Sanders Keylee Sue Sanders (born July 29, 1977) is an American model and beauty queen who was Miss Kansas Teen USA, and Miss Teen USA 1995. Sanders first won the Miss Kansas Teen USA title in October 1994. In August 1995 she was crowned Miss Teen USA i ...

, and Keith Lewis. K2 Productions was later directed by Lewis and briefly co-produced by

Miss USA 1995 Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020. In ...

Shanna Moakler Shanna Lynn Moakler ( ; born March 28, 1975) is an American actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder. She was the winner of the Miss New York USA pageant in 1995 and was the first runner-up at Miss USA 1995. After winner Chelsi Smith won ...

. In October 2021, Kristen Bradford of Crown Diva Productions took over the directorship for California pageants. In 2009,

Carrie Prejean Caroline Michelle Prejean Boller ( Prejean; ; born 1987) is an American model, former Miss California USA 2009, and Miss USA 2009 first runner-up. Prejean was stripped of her Miss California USA crown for alleged breaches of contract. Litigation ...

was forced to resign after placing 1st runner-up at

Miss USA 2009 Miss USA 2009 was the 58th Miss USA pageant, held at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts in Paradise, Nevada, on April 19, 2009. At the conclusion of the final night of competition, Kristen Dalton (Miss USA), Kristen Dalton of Mi ...

after a

controversy Controversy (, ) is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin '' controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an op ...

developed regarding the answer she gave to her final interview question at the national pageant. Pageant organizers claimed she was fired due to contractual violations. California has produced a Miss USA every decade (except the 2000s) and is ranked second highest among states in terms of placements, after Texas.

Shauna Gambill Shauna Gambill (born 1976 or 1977) is an American model and beauty queen who won Miss Teen USA 1994 and also competed in the Miss USA 1998 and Miss World 1998 pageants. Gambill first won the Miss California Teen USA title in late 1993. In A ...

, who won the national

Miss Teen USA Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant that has been run since 1983 by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19 years old as of January 1st of the competition year. They must be US citizens, and cannot have been married, pregnant, or ...

crown in

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

, is the only Miss California USA who has previously held the Miss California Teen USA title. As Miss California USA in 1998, Gambill placed 1st Runner-Up to

Shawnae Jebbia Shawnae Nicole Jebbia (born September 13, 1971) is an American entertainer and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 1998. As Miss USA, she represented the United States at Miss Universe 1998, where she was placed in the Top 5. Jebbia won t ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. Three Miss California USA titleholders have also competed in the

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is judged on competition segments with scoring percentages: ''Priva ...

pageant while two were former winners of the Miss Teenage California Scholarship Pageant.

Gallery of titleholders

File:Erica Dann 2019 by Glenn Francis.jpg, Erica Dann, Miss California USA 2019 File:Nadia_Mejia_2015.jpg, Nadia Mejia, Miss California USA 2016 File:Natasha_Martinez_2013.jpg, Natasha Martinez, Miss California USA 2015 File:Cassandra_Kunze_2014.jpg, Cassandra Kunze, Miss California USA 2014 File:Mabelynn Capeluj 2013.jpg, Mabelynn Capeluj, Miss California USA 2013 File:Natalie Pack 2 2012.jpg, Natalie Pack, Miss California USA 2012 File:Katie Blair 2010.jpg,

Katie Blair Katie Blair is an American beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Teen USA 2006, becoming the first person from the state of Montana to win a major pageant title. At Miss California USA 2011 Blair was originally the first runner-up, but after t ...

, Miss California USA 2011 File:Alyssa Campanella 2010.jpg,

, Miss California USA 2011 and

Miss USA 2011 Miss USA 2011 was the 60th Anniversary of the Miss USA pageant, held at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts in Paradise, Nevada, on June 19, 2011. Rima Fakih of Michigan crowned her successor, Alyssa Campanella of California, at ...

File:Miss California 2010.jpg, Nicole Johnson, Miss California USA 2010 File:Tami Farrell 2 2009.jpg,

Tami Farrell Tami Nichole Farrell (born October 5, 1984) is an American actress, TV host and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Oregon Teen USA 2003, Miss Teen USA 2003 and Miss California USA 2009. Biography Farrell is the daughter of a freight driver and ...

, Miss California USA 2009 File:Carrie Prejean Miss California.jpg,

, Miss California USA 2009 File:Raquel Beezley 2011.jpg, Raquel Beezley, Miss California USA 2008 File:Meagan Tandy 2015.jpg, Meagan Tandy, Miss California USA 2007 File:TamikoNash.jpg,

Tamiko Nash Tamiko Pleshette Nash is an American actress, television host, model and beauty queen who has competed in the Miss USA 2006. Nash won the Miss California USA pageant in 2005, becoming only the third African American to hold the title. She wen ...

, Miss California USA 2006 File:Ellen_Chapman_2015.jpg, Ellen Chapman, Miss California USA 2004 File:Julie Hayek Miss USA 1983.png,

, Miss California USA 1983 and

Miss USA 1983 Miss USA 1983 was the 32nd Miss USA pageant, televised live from the Knoxville Civic Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, on May 12, 1983. At the conclusion of the final competition, Julie Hayek of California was crowned Miss USA 1983 by outgoing ti ...

File:Summer Bartholomew, CBS photo front.jpg,

, Miss California USA 1975 and Miss USA 1975 File:Maria Remenyi picture session.jpg, Maria Remenyi, Miss California USA 1966 and Miss USA 1966 File:Terry Lynn Huntingdon as Miss California.jpg, Terry Huntingdon, Miss California USA 1959 and Miss USA 1959

Results summary

*Miss USAs: Terry Huntingdon (1959), Maria Remenyi (1966),

(1975),

(1983), Shannon Marketic (1992),

(2011) *1st Runners-Up: Pamela Stettler (1961), Susan Bradley (1967), Diana Magaña (1988),

(1998), Brittany Hogan (2005),

(2006),

(2009) *2nd Runners-Up: Kim Hobson (1972), Diane Schock (1991), Angelique Breaux (1999) *3rd Runners-Up: Donna Schurr (1955), Marilyn Tindall (1962), Gayle Gorrell (1974), Pamela Gergley (1977), Cynthia Kerby (1981), Meagan Tandy (2007) *4th Runners-Up: Francine Herack (1963), Troas Hayes (1969), Kelly Parsons (1986) *Top 5: Nadia Mejía (2016) *Top 10/12: Karin Morrell (1971), Carol Herrema (1973), Joni Pennock (1976), Donna Adrain (1978), Linda Fogarty (1979), Christina Faust (1989), Jane Olvera (1993), Tarah Peters (2002), Nicole Johnson (2010), Cassandra Kunze (2014), India Williams (2017),

Kelley Johnson Kelley Elizabeth Johnson (born October 22, 1992) is an American nurse, television host and beauty pageant titleholder. In addition to being a Chief Nurse Advocate, she is also a doctoral student, keynote speaker and national spokeswoman. Kelly ...

(2018), Allyshia Gupta (2020) *Top 15/16/20: Marcella Roulette (1953), Sandra Constance (1954), Peggy Jacobson (1957), Donna Brooks (1958), Teri Janssen (1960), Jeanne Venables (1964), Kathryn Hage (1965), Suzanne Fromm (1968), Linda Hall (1970), Raquel Beezley (2008), Mabelynn Capeluj (2013), Tiffany Johnson (2022), Tianna Clark (2023), Samantha Ramos (2024) California holds a record of 53 placements at

, second overall behind

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

and ahead of

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

Awards

*Miss Congeniality: Jeanne Venables (1964), Cynthia Kerby (1981), Lori Dickerson (1987) *Miss Photogenic: Maria Remenyi (1966), Cynthia Kerby (1981), Shannon Marketic (1992), Cassandra Kunze (2014) *Best State Costume: Suzanne Fromm (1968)

Winners

;Color key

Notes

References

External links

Official Miss California USA website
* {{State pageantry, State=California

Culture of California Women in California 1952 establishments in California Recurring events established in 1952 Annual events in California