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Newly Crowned Miss USA Is the First Mom to Hold the Title
Kelley won after rule changes opened Miss USA to married women and mothers, and she earned a prize package valued at more than $685,000.
On Thursday, August 27, 2026, Miss Virginia USA Justus Kelley won the Miss USA 2026 title at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, becoming the competition's first married mother to win.
The Miss USA organization overhauled its eligibility rules in 2023, eliminating age caps and allowing married women and mothers to compete, breaking traditions that previously required contestants to be single and childless.
Valued at more than $685,000, the prize package includes a $150,000 salary, a Range Rover, a one-year luxury apartment lease, and a $30,000 wardrobe for the Miss Universe pageant.
As a licensed foster parent, Kelley described her victory as transformative, stating: "This opportunity means the world to me." She works with foster children in the Washington area.
Kelley will represent the United States at Miss Universe 2026 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as the organization marks its 75th anniversary with a theme celebrating generations of iconic titleholders.