Miss World 2026 Winner: Dominican Republic’s Joheirry Mola Takes Crown | image courtesy: MWO
Joheirry Mola Dominguez of the Dominican Republic has been crowned Miss World 2026, bringing the prestigious title back to her country after more than four decades. The 24-year-old model, teacher and journalist claimed the crown on September 5 at the grand finale in Nha Trang, Vietnam, emerging victorious from a field of 111 contestants.
Spain’s Elisabeth Reynés Alabern finished as first runner-up, while Malaysia’s Taanusiya Chetty was named second runner-up.
Mola’s victory marks only the second Miss World title for the Dominican Republic. The country’s first crown came in 1982, when Mariasela Álvarez won the competition.
Miss World Celebrates 75 Years in Vietnam
Although Miss World 2026 was officially the 73rd edition of the competition, the event also celebrated 75 years of the Miss World legacy.
Founded in London in 1951 by Eric Morley, Miss World has gradually evolved beyond the traditional beauty-pageant format, placing increasing emphasis on humanitarian work, leadership, communication and social impact through its “Beauty With a Purpose” philosophy.
Vietnam hosted the Miss World festival for the first time, welcoming contestants from August 9 for a month-long programme featuring cultural activities, humanitarian initiatives, fashion events, talent and sports competitions, multimedia challenges and public engagement.
The journey concluded at 2 April Square in Nha Trang, where the seaside setting became the stage for the 75th-anniversary grand finale.
A New Competition Format
Miss World 2026 introduced a new structure that divided the 111 contestants into four continental groups: Africa, Americas & Caribbean, Asia & Oceania, and Europe.
The competition progressed through the Top 40, Top 20, Top 12 and Top 6, with performances throughout the month helping determine who advanced.
Contestants could earn places through challenges including Beauty With a Purpose, Multimedia, Head-to-Head, Top Model and People’s Choice. The overall winners of the Talent and Sports challenges also secured automatic qualification.
The format placed greater importance on achievement across the entire festival rather than relying only on performances during the final night.
Miss World 2026 Crowns a New Queen in Spectacular Vietnam Finale | image courtesy: MWO
The Final Six
Six contestants eventually reached the decisive stage: Snit Habteab Tewoldemedhin of Eritrea, Taanusiya Chetty of Malaysia, Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc of Vietnam, Joheirry Mola Dominguez of the Dominican Republic, Elisabeth Reynés Alabern of Spain and Romanda Hombir of South Africa.
Their routes to the final reflected the different elements of the modern Miss World competition, from humanitarian advocacy and public voting to communication skills and performances throughout the festival.
The Answer That Helped Define Mola’s Victory
During the final question-and-answer round, Mola was asked about her Beauty With a Purpose initiative and how she hoped to use the Miss World platform.
Her response focused on bringing English-language education to children and young people in vulnerable communities.
“My Beauty With a Purpose is to take English program to kids in vulnerable communities,” she said.
Her message presented language education as more than an academic exercise. For Mola, English can provide access to communication, education, confidence and wider opportunities.
The answer reflected the central philosophy of Miss World: using visibility and influence to create meaningful social impact.
Who Is Joheirry Mola Dominguez?
At 24, Mola arrived at Miss World with experience across education, media and modelling.
She is a model, teacher, journalist and media correspondent, as well as the founder of Voices of Tomorrow, an initiative focused on English education for children and young people in vulnerable communities.
She has an academic background in business administration from Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) and has also been associated with Univision New York’s Ventana a Quisqueya.
Her combination of education, communication and advocacy became a defining part of her Miss World journey.
Her victory also ended a 44-year wait for another Dominican Miss World crown following Mariasela Álvarez’s triumph in 1982.
Celebrating friendship, beauty and an unforgettable journey, an exciting year ahead for the reigning queens. | image courtesy: MWO / @isntluiz
Spain and Malaysia Complete the Winning Trio
First runner-up Elisabeth Reynés Alabern of Spain built her campaign around dyslexia advocacy.
During the final stage, she also drew inspiration from Josephine Baker while speaking about resilience, breaking barriers and using one’s voice to make a difference.
Malaysia’s Taanusiya Chetty finished as second runner-up after a strong campaign highlighted by her success in Beauty With a Purpose.
Chetty’s performance further underlined the importance humanitarian advocacy played in the 2026 competition.
Major Miss World 2026 Challenge Winners
Chetty won the Beauty With a Purpose title, while Zimbabwe’s Brunette Makanyiso was also among the leading representatives. Nepal’s Luna Luitel featured among the Top 24 Beauty With a Purpose finalists.
Dr. Adah Mushibi of Zambia won the Multimedia Award. Continental Multimedia honours went to Julia Kühnle of Germany, Audrey Bianca Callista of Indonesia, Audrey Ho-Wen-Tsaï of French Guiana and Mushibi.
Asia Rose Simpson of the Philippines won the Head-to-Head Challenge, while continental honours also went to Romanda Hombir of South Africa, Georgia-Lee Gill of Trinidad & Tobago and Julia Kühnle of Germany.
France’s Indira Ampiot won the Top Model Challenge. Joheirry Mola, Tamunosoye Karibi-George of Nigeria and Vietnam’s Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc were among the continental Top Model winners.
Grace Richardson of England won the Talent Challenge with Over the Rainbow, ahead of Guadeloupe’s Annaëlle Ibo and the Philippines’ Asia Rose Simpson. Richardson’s success marked England’s first fast-track victory in Miss World history.
Puerto Rico’s Suil Anyelina Pagán claimed the Sports Challenge, followed by Amelie Moore of Northern Ireland and Olivija Spanovskis of Australia.
People’s Choice honours across the continental regions went to Snit Habteab Tewoldemedhin of Eritrea, Angelina Fan of Canada, In Leakena of Cambodia and Julia Horne of Gibraltar.
Nepal Missed the Top 40, but Luna Luitel Still Made Her Mark at Miss World | image courtesy: MWO
Nepal’s Luna Luitel Makes Her Mark
Nepal was represented by Miss Nepal World 2025 Luna Luitel.
A clinical nurse specialist pursuing a Master’s in Public Health at the University of Sydney, Luitel entered Miss World with the philosophy “Learn, Earn and Return.”
Her Beauty With a Purpose initiative focused on education, health and entrepreneurship and earned her a place among the competition’s Top 24 Beauty With a Purpose finalists. She was also among the Talent finalists.
Although Luitel did not advance to the Top 40, her recognition in one of Miss World’s most important humanitarian categories ensured Nepal had a notable presence at the festival.
A Spectacular Finale in Nha Trang
The grand finale transformed 2 April Square into a large-scale outdoor celebration featuring LED screens, lighting, sound and laser technology against Nha Trang’s coastal backdrop.
More than 5,000 seated places were prepared, alongside standing and fan-zone areas, with approximately 20,000 people expected to experience the event in person.
The finale was hosted by Miss World 2016 Stephanie Del Valle and Mr World Danny Mejía.
The defining moment arrived when reigning Miss World Opal Suchata Chuangsri crowned Mola as her successor.
Tanzania to Host Miss World 2027
With the Vietnam chapter complete, Miss World is now preparing for another landmark edition.
Tanzania has been confirmed as host of the 74th Miss World Festival in May 2027.
It will become the fourth African country to host Miss World after South Africa, Seychelles and Nigeria, as well as the first host from continental East and Central Africa.
The month-long festival is expected to combine cultural showcases, humanitarian projects, fast-track challenges, fashion events and the grand finale while also providing Tanzania with an international platform to showcase its tourism and culture.
More Than a Crown
Miss World 2026 began with 111 contestants, but the competition’s defining stories extended far beyond the final ranking.
Humanitarian projects, communication, cultural representation, talent, sport and personal advocacy played crucial roles throughout the month-long journey.
For Joheirry Mola Dominguez, the victory was built around a particularly clear message: education can create access, language can build connections, and opportunity can change lives.
Seventy-five years after Miss World began, the crown may still be the competition’s most visible symbol. But in 2026, purpose remained at the heart of what it represented.
