Glitz, Glamour, and Growth: Reflections on the Miss Global Pageant 2024-2025
- Metta Xiong
- Mar 11
- 11 min read
Happy Monday!
This past weekend, on March 9, 2025, the Miss Global 2025 crown was awarded, concluding a week-long whirlwind of activities. Leading up to the crowning, contestants from around the globe participated in a series of events, promos, and social gatherings that kept us glued to their journey. But like any competition, there were moments that sparkled and moments that stumbled. Today, I want to talk a bit more about those moments and open up the conversation.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely my own and are based on my personal experiences and observations. This commentary is not intended to represent the official position or policies of the organizations.
About the Competition
63 contestants from around the globe flew to Cambodia and Thailand for the Miss Global pageant. The competition unfolded across four preliminary rounds, and an added key-word competition round for the Top 12 finalists, and a question round for the Top 3 finalists. During the preliminaries, the show opened with elegant evening gowns, followed by the swimsuit round, and concluded with the vibrant showcase of national costumes. Additionally, each contestant underwent a closed-door interview. My personal favorite has always been the evening gown competition – there's something magical about wearing the perfect gown that increases women's confidence.
Starting with the preliminary evening gown competition, some of my favorite looks were from Indonesia, Samoa, & USA, though narrowing it down was tough! but I really only want to narrow it down to just 3. Also, did anyone else notice the abundance of capes and trains this year? It has definitely been a trend. Moving on to the swimsuit portion. Swimwear is about more than just physical fitness; it's a testament to the women's confidence and poise. Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Vietnam showcased some of the most captivating struts, in my opinion and has mastered their walk. Finally, the national costume round brought breathtaking creativity and color to the stage. I was particularly drawn to Australia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.
During finals night, the show opened with an opening number with drummers and Miss Global 2024, Ashley Melendez, looked stunning in a Thai dress as she welcomed everyone to the show. The contestants made their entrance in varying black and gold outfits and they were met with great excitement. Once the judges were introduced and the commercial break finished, the Top 20 were revealed. The competition began with swim, and as the Top 20 strutted their stuff in gold swimsuits, as opposed to the blue and orange they wore in swim, it was clear that they elevated their performance and brought on an incredible amount of confidence and energy compared to prelims. From the top 20, the top 12 began and showcased their top gowns, with many bringing new gowns for finals, including USA, Jamaica, and Indonesia, who were a few of my favorites.
The Key Word Competition
Each pageant has has their own unique way of executing the on-stage question and the Miss Global pageant is no exception. From the Top 12, they are called directly from the lineup to walk forward and answer what they call, "The Key Word Competition" to talk about their views and give a 30-second speech inspiring us from a list of words from their random-key-word-generator. Focusing on Top 5, we had USA who talked about Leadership, Puerto Rico who talked about Gender Equality, Jamaica who talked about Resilience, Vietnam who talked about Amazing Thailand, and Philippines who talked about Sustainable Development Goals. Here's my take on each of the Top 5 in what they said and how they answered their key word:
USA: She didn't complete her thought which is always unfortunate because it leaves the judges with an incomplete thought. She spent too much time talking about her experience as a leader rather than focusing on what a leader can look like. I didn't feel more inspired after hearing her words, and that affected her placement.
Puerto Rico: She had a very solid answer in explaining it's not just for women. She ended her question a bit rushed, but she was able to squeeze out what it means to be a strong individual, to advocate for what you believe in, and that you have a place on this Earth which checks the purpose of this round, which is to inspire and I felt very inspired after her speech, though it didn't quite hit the topic of gender equality.
Jamaica: Jamaica was poised and answered so well. She was fluid in her speaking and spoke clearly and easy to understand. It seemed a little rushed at the end, but she completed her thought, although her answer didn't seem to have the impact she intended. She had a good overall answer that was solid.
Vietnam: She wasted no time in the 30 seconds that she was given by jumping right in and talking about the culture and cuisine and making an emphasis on the people. The audience loved her answer and so did I. I think it could've been improved in the sense slowing down just a tad and adding a bit more to strengthen her answer, but it was good nonetheless.
Philippines: I have so much love and respect for the people of the Philippines and how well they prepare their contestants when it comes to pageantry. In my opinion, she had the best answer and delivery out of all of the contestants, but also the most difficult. Her delivery had good pace and she covered the topic of SDG and how it ties back in with the vision of Miss Global. What I would've liked to hear from her would've been at least one specific idea she had in achieving this.
The On-Stage Question
The Top 3 consisted of Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Vietnam where they all had 60 seconds to answer the same question pertaining to the organization's slogan. The question was, "The Miss Global's Slogan 'Empower. Embrace. Embody'. Please share with us throughout this past 2 weeks at Miss Global, which of those 3 words you experienced most and what you have learned from being a part of Miss Global." Here's my thoughts on their answers.
Jamaica: Very well-rounded answer. She answered with elegance and poise and shared her experience with the us and how it's helped her embrace her learning from the other delegates and embody their culture and empower them in return. There were almost no stumbles when answering her question, and she had great delivery, but missed the mark because she mentioned all three words of the slogan, instead of selecting just one.
Puerto Rico: She stumbled quite a bit over her words and what she wanted to express. When she finally grounded herself, she was able to push through til the end. She said that by embracing ourselves and sharing our diversity we can shine bright all the way. It was a good answer, however, the stumbles affected her score and resulted in her placing.
Vietnam: She shared that the other delegates have empowered her to be who she wants to be. She also added a bit about representing her home country and then at the end, I think she realized that she had more time because the timer wasn't ticking yet, so it sounded like she was filling up the time by continuing on with her answer about embracing the beauty within and the sisterhood.
The Results
In 5th place, we had Philippines, 4th place was USA, Puerto Rico came in 3rd, 2nd place was for Jamaica, and our 1st place winner, and Miss Global 2025, was Vietnam: Nguyễn Đình Như Vân.
The Public Apology
Shortly after Vietnam was crowned, there was an outcry of the "disrespectful" image displayed of the "nine-dash line map" during the final competition. By displaying this map, it shows China's support to claim these waters as part of their territory, however, for Vietnam, it's an act of imperialism. One viewer commented: "This is not only a sensitive issue but also violates Vietnam's sovereignty. This action made the community extremely upset." Not long after, Miss Global issued a public statement saying, "We sincerely apologize for any offense caused by the graphic material we recently shared. It was never our intention to misrepresent or disregard Vietnam's sovereignty or the sensitivities surrounding territorial matters."
Miss Global Hmong
The Hmong community witnessed a groundbreaking moment this year, with Nikki Ntsa Iab Lee becoming the first delegate to represent us at Miss Global. Regardless of individual perspectives, Nikki's journey carved a path for future Hmong contestants. Her perseverance, strength, and radiant smile were undeniable. Building on this historic moment, I want to transition to some early concerns that surfaced during her reign and regarding the Miss Global Hmong organization itself. While I won't rehash the details of the initial Miss Global Hmong pageant (which faced it's own challenges), Nikki's experience brought to light important questions about the organization's leadership, particularly National Directors Lisa Lee and Pang Lee.
2023 Royal Court
When Lisa and Pang announced their leadership roles for the Miss Global Hmong pageant, the Hmong community showed an abundance of support, envisioning new opportunities for Hmong women on the global stage. There was an outpour of support and hopeful interest from potential contestants. However, this initial enthusiasm soon waned due to a lack of activity on their social media and website. Moreover, there was no indication of a broader team being built, with essential roles like Accountant and Event Manager seemingly unfilled. Despite announcing open applications, promotional efforts remained minimal. While it's understandable that new organizations take time to develop, the low engagement and participation was concerning. The 2023 Miss Global Hmong pageant took place in July 2023 where Padee Yang was crowned as the winner, with Shoua Thao and Ia Xiong as her 1st and 2nd runner-ups. Unfortunately, Padee soon resigned, leading to Shoua to assume the title, Ia becoming 1st runner-up, and Qaze Xiong being named 2nd runner-up.
As an official preliminary competition for Miss Global, the hope for any Miss Global Hmong titleholder is to represent the Hmong community on the international stage. In 2024, Miss Global was slated to take place in Vietnam and Cambodia, yet neither Miss Global Hmong 2023, Padee Yang, nor her 1st runner-up, Shoua Thao, participated. This sparked considerable speculation within the Hmong community, raising questions about the organization's credibility and the lack of transparency. Some even speculated that this decision may have contributed to Padee's subsequent resignation, which she announced just days before the end of 2023, stating, "...I must stand true to my personal values and beliefs, which are currently not aligned with the organization."
Although Padee chose to resign in December of 2023, an official announcement from the organization did not surface until February 2024 and Shoua did not step into her official role as the new titleholder until March 2024.
Who is Nikki Ntsa Iab Lee?
Despite their efforts, a formal Miss Global Hmong pageant did not occur in 2024. This raised several questions: Did the poor engagement and participation from 2023 deter potential applicants? Or was Padee Yang's cryptic resignation message the cause? Adding to the confusion, the Miss Global Hmong pageant provided no official explanation for the cancellation, further fueling a lack of transparency. It's common for runner-ups from previous years to be invited to represent at international pageants with some even having it stated in their contracts. However, whether they were invited remains unclear. Instead, Nikki Ntsa Iab Lee, originally from Minnesota and residing in Los Angeles, was abruptly announced as Miss Hmong Global 2024 on social media in May 2024. As a viewer, this came as a shock, creating further distance between the organization and its supporters. There was no explanation from the directors, and no formal coronation took place. You can view her virtual coronation on her YouTube channel, dated June 1, 2024. Furthermore, there were no runner-ups named. With only eight months remaining until the Miss Global 2025 competition, Nikki embarked on her pageant journey under these unusual circumstances.
Financial resources are crucial for a successful pageant journey. Preparing a delegate requires significant fundraising efforts and often an entire support team. Eight months is a relatively short timeframe for pageant preparation, but it's certainly achievable with sufficient resources. However, the only fundraising effort I observed was one event in December. While the organization and Nikki created a PSA asking for donations through GoFundMe, that appeared to be the extent of their fundraising activities. In the pageant world, it's common for titleholders to raise funds through paid appearances. Although Nikki did make appearances, it's unclear whether those events were sponsored, and whether they generated income for her pageant preparations.
The Backlash
Nikki's journey was extensively documented on social media, both on her accounts and those of Miss Global Hmong and its directors. However, this transparency also brought scrutiny. Early on, viewers began criticizing her wardrobe, hair, and makeup choices, leading some to question whether the directors were able to properly prepare their delegate. The green and pink gemstone gown Nikki wore during the preliminary evening gown competition – which she explained was self-made on a small budget – was met with mixed reactions. While Nikki's dedication was appreciated, many felt the directors should have provided better attire. Viewers observed that Directors Lisa and Pang seemed to prioritize their own appearances, especially when Lisa shared a photo of her own Hmong-inspired gown during the week-long activities. The national costume, though inspired by "tradition", was deemed "sad" by some in the community, with one viewer even expressing a desire for community collaboration. In the swimsuit competition, viewers expressed concern about a potential wardrobe malfunction due to an ill-fitting top. Given that delegates are often alone backstage, Nikki was responsible for her own preparations, highlighting the need for her team to have provided better support to set her up for success. These observations, widely shared online, raised serious questions about Lisa and Pang's expertise and leadership.
Many viewers in other countries expressed their surprise at the contestant representing, "Hmong", which opened the conversation between viewers to question what Hmong is and how she was allowed to compete. Through miscommunication, some where outraged and expressed that someone who is not representing a country, should not be allowed to compete. This made me reflect on what the Miss Global Hmong Organization has done to spread their awareness and inform others of who we are and educate others of our presence. Given the lack of social media awareness from the organization, it did not surprise me that this was a common area of concern from many viewers in other countries.
During the national costume round, Miss Vietnam also presented a Hmong-inspired design. It's important to note that a significant Hmong population has resided in Vietnam for many years. While many Hmong spectators celebrated Miss Vietnam's outstanding performance and attire, others expressed confusion and even disappointment. They questioned why the Hmong community seemed quicker to applaud a Hmong-inspired look from another country rather than supporting our own representative. This highlights a complex issue within our community and the various perspectives on cultural representation.
My Final Thoughts
Drawing upon my experience in production, program development, pageant training, and operations management, I believe there are valuable lessons to be gleaned from this year's Miss Global Hmong pageant. My intent in sharing these thoughts is to offer constructive feedback that will contribute to the pageant's future growth and success. This is in no way intended as a personal criticism of the directors or Nikki, but rather as an opportunity for learning and improvement.
To the Directors: Embrace the voices of your viewers. The internet can be a challenging space, but remember that you have the power to create a supportive environment. Don't be afraid to seek help – building a strong team of trusted individuals and networking with others who share your vision is essential. Recognize your strengths and potential, and be clear about your intentions. Transparency is key to fostering trust and inspiring the Hmong women who look to you to fulfill their dreams. Never lose sight of the organization's mission, and let that guide every decision you make.
To Nikki: Congratulations again on making history! Your light and courage truly shone throughout this experience. I hope you enjoyed your journey and travels, and I commend you for your articulate voice and platform, which I'm confident you will continue to use to inspire others. As the face of this organization, know that some negativity may come your way, but never let that diminish your accomplishments. You have incredible potential, and I hope to see you back with the organization in the future, guiding other young women. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, always remember the power of your achievements – it's all part of the journey.
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