71st Miss Universe: Ukraine wins 'Spirit of Carnival' award


Miss Universe Ukraine 2022 Viktoria Apanasenko received the "Spirit of Carnival" award during the 71st Miss Universe competition held in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

The award was presented to her by Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy "for embodying the company’s values of fun, friendship, diversity and inclusion."

"Viktoria Apanasenko has made it her mission to remind us that the war is ongoing and people across Ukraine are working to support their military, as well as their neighbors affected by the war – especially those displaced from their homes," said Duffy.

"I’m impressed by Viktoria’s strength and her kind and giving character which truly embodies the ‘Spirit of Carnival.' And through this recognition, we are also letting the people of Ukraine and especially our Ukrainian crew members know that we continue to support and admire their spirit as well."

A short video of the award presentation was featured during the 71st Miss Universe live telecast from the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center last Saturday, January 14.

Viktoria holds a master's degree in social work from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Overcoming bullying during her school years inspired her to work with mental health causes.

As a Peace Ambassador of the UN Global Compact Ukraine, the 29-year-old supports the "Mental Help" project which provides free, professional psychological help for the victims of the war in Ukraine.

Since the start of the war in her country, she has volunteered to prepare food for the armed forces and also helped provide food, medicine, and hygiene products to Ukrainian families.

In addition to helping her fellow Ukrainians, she wants to bring awareness to the importance of gender equality in the military through her work with The Female Quotient, an organization founded to advance gender equality in the workplace.

This is the third time a Miss Universe contestant received the "Spirit of Carnival" award. Previous winners were Miss Universe Dominican Republic 2020 Kimberly Jiménez and Miss Universe Bahamas 2021 Chantel O’Brian.

Photos: Viktoria Apanasenko / Instagram

RELATED POSTS:


Popular posts from this blog

Miss Grand Thailand 2025 is Sarunrat Puagpipat of Phuket

Image
Sarunrat Puagpipat, representing Phuket, was crowned Miss Grand Thailand 2025 during the national final competition held on Saturday, March 29 at MGI Hall in Bangkok. The 28-year-old beauty bested 76 other contestants to win the title and the first back to back victory for her province. She succeeds last year's winner, also from Phuket, Malin Chara-anan. Chayathanus Saradatta of Khon Kaen was named first runner-up while Nartthinee Tanutaponpinyo of Lampang, Panichida Kongsawanya of Lamphun, and Kanaporn Phatthanphan of Krung Thep Maha Nakhon were the second, third and fourth runners-up, respectively. Hosted by Thai-Australian celebrity Matthew Deane, last night's spectacular event themed "A Star is Born" marked the 12th edition of the annual Miss Grand Thailand pageant. The new Miss Grand Thailand will now prepare to represent the "Land of Smiles" at Miss Grand International 2025 in Bangkok this October. Road to the 13th Miss Grand International: Vie...
Read more

Miss Hawaii USA 2025 is Issha Rose Mata from Hilo

Image
Issha Rose Mata, representing the town of Hilo, bested 16 other contestants to win Miss Hawaii USA 2025 on Saturday, March 22 at Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu. The 29-year-old model and digital marketing specialist was crowned by last year's winner and Miss USA 2024 Top 10 finalist Breea Yamat. Mikaela Bega of Maui was named first runner-up while Kristi Van Diver-Kometani of Kakaako, Alexia Locquiao Sommers of Kahala, and Faith Alvior of Valley Isle were the second, third, and fourth runners-up, respectively. Completing the Top 10 were Ellise Kakazu of Waikiki, Kiri Takanishi of South Shore, Emma Fincher of Orchid Isle, Erica Osterkamp of Manoa, and Kaysha Kahai-Enos of Hawaii Island. The new Miss Hawaii USA is no stranger to pageantry, having joined Miss California USA 2023 and finished in the Top 18. She also represented her home state in the inaugural edition of The Miss Philippines pageant where she made the Top 10. Issha will now prepare to represent Hawaii at the ...
Read more

Bellezas Globales de Nicaragua 2025, four new queens crowned

Image
Four new queens have been crowned at the culmination of the Bellezas Globales de Nicaragua 2025 pageant held on Sunday, March 23 at the Teatro Nacional Rubén Darío in Managua. A total of 24 beauties battled it out to win the opportunity to represent Nicaragua in the next Miss World, Miss International, Miss Supranational and Miss Cosmo competitions. Crowned Miss Mundo Nicaragua 2025 (Miss World Nicaragua) is Virmania Rodríguez who will head to Hyderabad, India this May to compete in the 72nd Miss World. For the Miss International 2025 pageant in Japan, Nicaragua will be represented by newly crowned Miss International Nicaragua 2025 Verónica Iglesias. Marian Rodríguez and Maycrin Jaenz were crowned Miss Cosmo and Miss Supranational Nicaragua 2025, respectively. They will go to Miss Cosmo 2025 in Vietnam and Miss Supranational 2025 in Poland. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Miss Mundo Nicaragua (@missmundoni) Photos: Bellezas Globales de Nicaragua / ...
Read more

Tarlac's Jasmine Omay appointed Universal Woman Philippines 2025

Image
Jasmine Omay has been appointed as Universal Woman Philippines 2025 and was officially crowned in a special ceremony held on Tuesday, March 25 in Quezon City. The 27-year-old events host, model and pilot from Tarlac will represent the Philippines at the Universal Woman 2025 pageant in Jaipur, India this June. Her predecessor  Maria Gigante from Cebu became the first Filipina to win the title of Universal Woman last year in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. "From the Pearl of the Orient Sea, I will be flying high to the Universal stage. It is my pride to embody the grace, strength, and power of a Universal Woman," shared the new Universal Woman Philippines online. "Join me as we embrace this journey to show the power of a Filipina who dreams, leads, and inspires," she added. No stranger to pageantry, Jasmine was named first princess at Miss World Philippines 2024. She also placed in the Top 12 at Binibining Pilipinas 2022. Road to the 3rd Universal Woman: View this post...
Read more

Miss World Somalia 2025 is Zainab Jama

Image
Zainab Jama, 23, has been officially announced to represent Somalia at the 72nd Miss World competition in Hyderabad, India this May. The new Miss World Somalia holds a degree in aviation and airport management and is passionate about global opportunities and cultural exchange. As the founder of the Female Initiative Foundation, she is a dedicated activist against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), using her platform to protect and empower young girls. Beyond advocacy, Zainab enjoys football, modeling, and poetry. No stranger to pageantry, she has previously joined the Miss Global 2023 pageant in Vietnam where she made the Top 13. "I am beyond honored, humbled, and emotional to officially announce that I have been crowned Miss World Somalia 2025 and will be representing my beautiful country on the Miss World stage," she wrote online. "This moment is more than just a title—it is a testament to hard work, sacrifice, and unwavering faith. The journey to this crown was not easy...
Read more

Miss World Singapore 2025 is Katerina Delvina

Image
Katerina Delvina, 28, bested nine other finalists to be crowned Miss World Singapore 2025 in a recently held national competition in Singapore. The biomedical research student, model, and passionate advocate for charity work will represent Singapore in the upcoming Miss World 2025 competition in Hyderabad, India. Arantxa, Tanisha Tan, Anurathi and Dhivvya were named the first, second, third, and fourth runners-up, respectively. The new Miss World Singapore was crowned by her predecessor Oh Wei Qi. With a heart dedicated to giving back, Katerina hopes her pageant journey will open new doors for her to contribute even more to society. She believes that beauty is not just about appearance but about making an impact, inspiring others, and using her voice for meaningful change. Road to the 72nd Miss World: View this post on Instagram A post shared by AO Ventures Pte Ltd (@aoventuresasia) Photos: AO Ventures Pte Ltd / Instagram
Read more

Miss Czech Republic 2025: Meet the Top 10 finalists

Image
Ten finalists have been selected to compete in the Miss Czech Republic 2025 pageant, which will be held on May 3 at the Forum Karlín in Prague. The winners are expected to represent the Czech Republic at Miss World, Miss International, Miss Earth, Miss Supranational, and Miss Grand International. Who will follow in the footsteps of the reigning Miss World  Krystyna Pyszková ? Meet the Top 10 finalists: View this post on Instagram A post shared by MISS CZECH REPUBLIC (@missczechrepublic) Sára Aubrechtová Simona Procházková Linda Górecká Adéla Marie Černohousová Markéta Mörwicková Karolína Gorylová Aylin Saran Natálie Puškinová Anna Marie Mařáková Monika Kubísková Photos: Miss Czech Republic / Instagram
Read more

Plus-sized Sara Milliken crowned Miss Alabama for National American Miss 2024

Image
Plus-sized beauty Sara Milliken was crowned the National American Miss Alabama 2024 during the state final held on May 27 at the Renaissance Marriot in Montgomery. The 23-year-old model and mental health advocate from Atmore, Alabama is now expected to represent her home state at the National American Miss 2024 competition later this year. "This is a dream that has been 8 years in the making for me," said the new National American Miss Alabama who first joined the state pageant when she was 15 years old. After enduring bullying upon her return at the age of 16, she decided to take a break from joining for 7 years. However, this year, she mustered up the courage to give the crown another shot. "I returned to the NAM stage to prove to myself I didn't give up. I could do this. I was more than the mean things that was said to me," Sara wrote online. "I was authentically myself. I had fun. I had the most genuine smile on my face. I wasn't perfect." In r...
Read more

72nd Miss World final date and host country announced

Image
The Miss World organization has officially announced the final date and host country of the 72nd Miss World competition. According to MWO, this year's competition will last 28 days, from May 4 to May 31 in India. It will be held at various destinations in Telangana, a state with a rich legacy and modern vibe. The opening and closing ceremonies, including the final show, will take place in the state's capital city of Hyderabad. India's youngest state, Telangana, has made rapid strides and giant leaps in its first decade of existence. Its reputation for safety, tourist friendliness, and thriving international ecosystem make it an ideal destination for tourists from India and around the globe. "We are delighted to bring the 72nd Miss World Festival to Telangana, a state that beautifully represents its rich culture, innovation, and hospitality. Partnering with the Telangana government allows us to showcase its incredible heritage and dynamic growth to a global audience,...
Read more

Miss Scotland 2022 is Lucy Sophia Thomson

Image
Lucy Sophia Thomson bested 10 other finalists to be crowned Miss Scotland 2022 on Friday, July 29 at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow. The 23-year-old beauty representing Fife from Dunfermline succeeds last year's winner Claudia Todd and will represent Scotland at the 71st Miss World pageant. Olivia McPike from Kirkintilloch and Ailsa Black from Edinburgh were the first and second runners-up, respectively. The new Miss Scotland took to social media to thank her friends, family, and supporters who inspired and helped her succeed in her journey to the national crown. "My smile says it all. What a whirlwind the last 48 hours have been. I don't think it's sunk in yet," she wrote. Lucy holds a master's degree in business management from the University of Aberdeen and an MSc in international management from the University of Strathclyde. She is active in her community and founded a non-profit organization The BRAvery Trust, a bra and menstrual product donation cha...
Read more