Miss Mississippi celebrates 90-year anniversary competition, see the contestants

Wicker Perlis, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
Updated ·5 min read

Starting Wednesday, 38 delegates who have won qualifying competitions throughout the state over the past year will descend on Vicksburg to compete for the Miss Mississippi crown.

This year the competition celebrates its 90-year anniversary.

The competitors, who carry long-eld dreams of representing the state in the Miss America competition, will compete in the preliminary categories of interview, talent, evening wear, and health and fitness. Each also enters the competition having developed a service initiative.

The health and fitness category is new for 2023 and will see competitors take the stage in sportswear.

The preliminary competitions take place Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at the Vicksburg Convention Center starting at 7 p.m. Then, on Saturday, the final competition will take place at 8 p.m., and will feature top competitors presenting their talents and evening gowns, along with answering questions from the hosts. The night will culminate in the reigning Miss Mississippi, Emmie Perkins, crowning the new winner.

Emmie Perkins of Hattiesburg is crowned Miss Mississippi 2022 at the Vicksburg Convention Center in Vicksburg, MS on Saturday, June 25 2022.
Emmie Perkins of Hattiesburg is crowned Miss Mississippi 2022 at the Vicksburg Convention Center in Vicksburg, MS on Saturday, June 25 2022.

Judges' scores will count the interview for 30%, talent for 20%, health and fitness for 20%, evening gown for 20% and on-stage conversation for 10%.

Tickets to attend the finale in-person will cost $50 and be available at the door.

For those unable to attend in Vicksburg, the event is available for streaming at missmisslive.com and on select local TV stations in the state, including WLBT in Jackson.

Tickets to live streams of the Miss Mississippi 2023 competitions vary in cost by night:

  • Preliminary rounds: 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday stream for $20 per night

  • Crowning of Miss Mississippi: 8 p.m. Saturday streams for $35

  • An all-access package to streaming all the night’s competitions is available for $85

More : See how former Miss Mississippi Holly Brand did on NBC's 'The Voice.'

Here are the delegates competing in Miss Mississippi 2023:

All-America City

  • Krystle Hughes

  • ​Service Initiative: Going Blue to Save Men - Prostate Cancer

  • Talent: Dance

  • Education: University of Mississippi

  • Ambition: Physician scientist

Barnes Crossing

  • Avery-Claire Littleton

  • ​Service Initiative: Be The Match

  • Talent: Piano

  • Education: graduate of Mississippi State University

  • Ambition: Prosthetist/Orthotist

Biloxi

  • Katelyn Perry

  • Service Initiative: Children's Miracle Network

  • Talent: Vocal

  • Education: graduate of University of Southern Mississippi

  • Ambition: Public Relations

Capital City

  • Natalya Knoke

  • Service Initiative: Seeing Hope

  • Talent: Dance

  • Education: University of Mississippi

  • Ambition: Forensic Accountant for the CIA

Delta State University

  • ​Maddie Stevens

  • Service Initiative: Point of View

  • Talent: Vocal

  • Education: Delta State University

  • Ambition: Registered Nurse

Domain at Oxford

  • ​Lauren Barron

  • Service Initiative: Heal a Heart with a Bark

  • Talent: Spoken Word

  • Education: University of Mississippi

  • Ambition: Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Fairpark

  • Jaycie Tungett

  • Service Initiative: Shining a Light on DIPG

  • Talent: Ballet en Pointe

  • Education: MS Gulf Coast Community College

  • Ambition: Public Speaker

Golden Triangle

  • Tiara Jackson

  • Service Initiative: Reach Out and Lend a Hand

  • Talent: Vocal

  • Education: Hinds Community College

  • Ambition: Radio/Television Broadcaster

Hattiesburg

  • Angel Gail Lang

  • Service Initiative: Preston Strong

  • Talent: Piano

  • Education: graduate of Mississippi State University

  • ​Ambition: CEO

Heartland

  • Sarah Randolph

  • Service Initiative: Big Sis Me

  • Talent: Vocal

  • Education: Mississippi State University

  • Ambition: General Dentist

Hinds Community College

  • Brelynn Beck

  • Service Initiative: DIPG

  • Talent: Dance

  • Education: Hinds Community College

  • Ambition: Physical Therapy Assistant

Historic Downtown

  • Derykah Watts

  • Service Initiative: Mississippi Student Advocacy Team - Community ServiceTalent: Vocal

  • Education: Jackson State University

  • ​Ambition: Public Historian

Hub City

  • McKay Lee Bray

  • Service Initiative: Inspiring People to Pitch In

  • Talent: Vocal

  • Education: University of Mississippi

  • Ambition: CEO of a healthcare facility

Jones County

  • Charity Lockridge

  • Service Initiative: Project Smile

  • Talent: Vocal

  • Education: graduate of Hinds Community College

  • Ambition: Dental Hygienist

Lafayette County

  • ​Meredith Sides

  • Service Initiative: Love is Action

  • Talent: Ventriloquism

  • Education: University of Mississippi

  • Ambition: Speech Pathologist

Leaf River Valley

  • Neeley Robertson

  • Service Initiative: RESTORED: Giving Purpose Back to Dementia Patients

  • Talent: Vocal

  • Education: University of Alabama

  • Ambition: Professional performer/educator

Lee County

  • Sara Peyton Edwards

  • Service Initiative: Infertility - Turning Fear Into Motivation

  • Talent: Piano

  • Education: Mississippi State University

  • Ambition: Nurse Practitioner specializing in Infertility

​Meridian

  • Lydia Bishop

  • Service Initiative: Human Trafficking Awareness

  • Talent: Dance

  • Education: Mississippi State University

  • Ambition: Marketing Specialist

Metro Jackson

  • Becky Williams

  • Service Initiative: Make a Move

  • Talent: Dance

  • Education: Mississippi State University

  • Ambition: Superintendent

Midtown

  • Abigail Church

  • Service Initiative: Positively Purposed

  • Talent: Jazz Dance

  • Education: University of Mississippi

  • Ambition: Real-Estate Attorney

Mississippi State University

  • Anna-Katherine Thompson

  • Service Initiative: P3: Pledging Purple for Preemies

  • Talent: Vocal

  • Education: Mississippi State University

  • Ambition: Public Relations in the entertainment industry

Natchez Trace

  • Baileigh Jay

  • Service Initiative: F.A.S.T. Minds - Women with ADHD

  • Talent: Dance

  • Education: University of Southern Mississippi

  • Ambition: Speech Language Pathologist

New South

  • Landry Payne

  • Service Initiative: Food 4 Thought

  • Talent: Vocal

  • Education: Mississippi University for Women

  • Ambition: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

Oxford

  • Riley Thrasher

  • Service Initiative: Body Beautiful

  • Talent: Vocal

  • Education: University of Mississippi

  • Ambition: Attorney

Pearl River Community College

  • Savannah Faith Sylvest

  • Service Initiative: Every Body Is Beautiful

  • Talent: Lyrical Dance

  • Education: Pearl River Community College

  • Ambition: Secondary Teacher

Pearl River County

  • Britney Diaz-Roman

  • Service Initiative: Fostering Family, Fostering Opportunity

  • Talent: Monologue

  • Education: Pearl River Community College

  • Ambition: Occupational Therapist

Pine Belt

  • Vivian O'Neal

  • Service Initiative: CapABLE

  • Talent: Dance

  • Education: graduate of University of Southern Mississippi

  • Ambition: University President/Professional Speaker

Presley Heights

  • MaKayla Luper

  • Service Initiative: Build Up Mississippi

  • Talent: Clogging

  • Education: Mississippi State University

  • Ambition: Construction Lawyer

Rankin County

  • Madison Delancey

  • Service Initiative: Advocate, Donate, Educate: Breaking the Cycle of Childhood Trauma

  • Talent: Dance

  • Education: University of Southern Mississippi

  • Ambition: Elementary Teacher

Red Hills

  • Devan Doud

  • Service Initiative: The Carly Check

  • Talent: Vocal

  • Education: University of Mississippi

  • Ambition: Hospitality Management with an emphasis in Lodging

Southern Magnolia

  • Leah Kat Adcox

  • Service Initiative: Crushing Labels - The Mosaic Initiative

  • Talent: Vocal

  • Education: University of Southern Mississippi

  • Ambition: Event Management Specialist

Starkville

  • Adyson Poole

  • Service Initiative: Feed Mississippi

  • Talent: Colorguard

  • Education: Mississippi State University

  • Ambition: Town Planner

Tupelo

  • Shaelen Hudson

  • Service Initiative: Leading the Fight Against Hunger

  • Talent: Piano

  • Education: University of Mississippi

  • Ambition: Physician

Turtle Creek

  • ​Madeleine Thompson

  • Service Initiative: Trust Your Gut

  • Talent: Baton

  • Education: Mississippi State University

  • Ambition: Communication Specialist

University

  • Ally Hopper

  • Service Initiative: Attacking Addiction

  • Talent: Dance

  • Education: University of Mississippi

  • Ambition: Attorney

University of Southern Mississippi

  • Karsyn Ulmer

  • Service Initiative:  Joycie's Journey

  • Talent: Vocal

  • Education: University of Southern Mississippi

  • Ambition: Special Needs Educator

Vicksburg

  • Morgan Alexis Nelson

  • Service Initiative: Happy Feet

  • Talent: Dance

  • Education: Mississippi State University

  • Ambition: OB/GYN Physician

Warren County

  • Erika Wheeler

  • Service Initiative: In Living Harmony: Making Music Throughout the Community

  • Talent: Vocal

  • Education: Alcorn State University

  • Ambition: Professional Opera Singer/Music Educator

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: See who is competing in Miss Mississippi Pageant and how to watch