Miss Universe Jamaica Holds Crown Workshop for 13 Parish Queens in Kingston

Contestants vying for the Miss Universe Jamaica 2026 crown spent Sunday at the AC Hotel in Kingston for a training session led by the Miss Universe Jamaica Organisation, bringing together the 13 parish queens and fast-track finalists.

The programme, titled “Earning the Crown,” was designed to drive home how weighty the responsibilities attached to each title really are.

“The workshop was entitled ‘Earning the Crown’ and while there were multiple objectives for the session, the overall aim was to remind our title winners that their crowns were not just symbolic representations of the Miss Universe brand, that there are serious duties and obligations tied to the crowns and title,” Mark McDermoth, president of the Miss Universe Jamaica Organisation, told Observer Online on Sunday.

McDermoth said organisers also stressed that holding a queen’s title is something contestants must work to deserve.

“We also underscored the importance of earning their crowns and the privilege to be referred to as queens, that for us at Miss Universe Jamaica, being a queen is not simply just being crowned one, the title is earned. We reminded the parish title winners and runners-up about the Miss Universe Pageant System, we reviewed the selection process and criteria and gave them a very detailed overview of what is required/expected, and we also outlined the programmes and activities that form part of the years’ itinerary,” he added.

This year’s format introduced parish-level pageants, with a winner crowned in each parish to widen the national search.

“Introducing the parish pageants is a major investment in the Miss Universe Jamaica recruitment process and we want to ensure that we strengthened the integrity of the programme and add greater value to the title winners, who are the direct products of the programme, and as such, we want to give them as many tools and opportunities we can to assist their personal growth, development and their performance at the national level and beyond,” McDermoth said.

McDermoth led the session, which included wide-ranging discussion and space for the contestants to share their own views. Areas covered included national representation, showing appreciation to supporters, proper care of loaned garments and accessories, interview technique, keeping up with current affairs through reading, tidying social media profiles, health and fitness, the Miss Universe judging framework, personal image and brand management, hygiene standards, and table manners, among other subjects.

Deborah Gordon, a former Miss Universe Jamaica East holder and second runner-up at the national Miss Universe Jamaica competition, delivered a segment on runway walk and onstage presentation. She was recently named the organisation’s official stage presentation coach.

“Deborah is responsible for training the ladies to improve the way they walk generally, and also how they present themselves in the personality interview, the swimwear and evening gown presentations as required by the Miss Universe Pageant System, with which she is very familiar. Her presentation to the ladies about the correlation between fitness, the way they walk and their onstage presentations and she then instructed the ladies to demonstrate their swimwear and evening gown presentations and made notes for future sessions with them,” McDermoth shared.

National eliminations for Miss Universe Jamaica 2026 are set for Sunday, July 12, at the AC Hotel, starting at 11:00 a.m. Prospective entrants may register via Instagram at @officialmissuniversejamaica. The registration cutoff is Wednesday, June 8.