The Miss Louisiana USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Louisiana in the Miss USA pageant.

Miss Louisiana USA is produced by A Blaize Productions since 2025, which also produces the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA state pageants for Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. A Blaize Productions' headquarters is in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ella Clark of Baton Rouge was crowned Miss Louisiana USA 2026 on July 11, 2026, at Mississippi State University in Starkville. She will represent Louisiana at Miss USA 2026.

History Louisiana is one of only seven states to have three or more Miss USA winners (in 1958, 1961, and 1996).

Four Miss Louisiana USA titleholders previously held the Miss Louisiana Teen USA title, including Ali Landry, who became the third woman from Louisiana to be crowned Miss USA.

Jennifer Dupont, Miss Louisiana USA 2000, is one of only seven women who have competed in the Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss America pageants.

Louisiana's future success at Miss USA would be evident in the state's first contestant, Jeanne Vaughn Thompson, Miss Louisiana USA 1952 and 1953. She is the only woman to ever compete twice in the history of Miss USA, and to outright win a Miss USA state title twice.

Thompson was also the only two-time state titleholder in Miss USA history, a record she held for 44 years until Shanna Lyn Searles became the second and only other double state titleholder. Searles won the Miss California USA title outright in 1996 after inheriting the state's 1992 title due to the original winner, Shannon Marketic, being crowned Miss USA 1992.

Thompson's overall pageant success includes winning the Miss Louisiana state title and competing at Miss America in 1951, winning the first two Miss Louisiana USA state titles and competing in the first and second Miss USA pageants, becoming the first-ever 1st runner-up in 1952 and a semi-finalist and Miss Congeniality (Amity) winner in 1953. Her two consecutive participations in Miss USA and subsequent final placements prompted organizers to create a rule allowing a person to compete for the title only once.

Miss Louisiana USA contestants accomplished another feat first, winning both the Miss Congeniality (Amity) and Miss Photogenic awards ever given to a Miss USA state delegate. Thompson was the winner of the Miss Congeniality award given to the first Miss USA state contestant in 1953.

The second Miss Congeniality award given also went to another contestant from Louisiana, Judy Fletcher in 1960. That year, during the era when both Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants were held at the same time, Fletcher tied with a Miss Universe contestant from Myanmar (known at the time as Burma) for the award.

Sharon Brown, who represented Louisiana in 1961, won the first Miss Photogenic award given to a Miss USA state delegate. She also won the Miss USA title, the first Miss Photogenic winner to obtain that feat.

Louisiana is one of only two states (California the other) to have won both the Miss USA title and the Miss Photogenic award in the same year on two separate occasions (Brown in 1961 and Landry in 1996).

Gallery of titleholders

Results summary Placements Miss USAs: Eurlyne Howell (1958), Sharon Brown (1961), Ali Landry (1996) 1st runners-up: Jeanne Thompson (1952) 2nd runners-up: Lisa Moss (1981) 3rd runners-up: Kathy Hebert (1968), Pamela Forrest (1983), Sarie Joubert (1985), Elizabeth Primm (1989), Brittany Guidry (2014) 4th runners-up: Robyn Sanders (1976) Top 6: Shirelle Hebert (1994), Elizabeth Coxe (1995) Top 10/11/12: Bonnie Martin (1972), Storm Hensley (1973), Karen Hoff (1974), Christy Saylor (1992), Debbie Delhomme (1998), Anne Katherine Lene (2002), Kristen Girault (2013), Candice Bennatt (2015) Top 15/16/20: Jeanne Thompson (1953), Mary Lobianco (1959), Judy Fletcher (1960), Elizabeth McNulty (2007), Erin Edmiston (2012), Victoria Paul (2019), Mariah Clayton (2020), Tanya Crowe (2021), Francie Millan (2025), Ella Clark (2026)

Louisiana holds a record of 31 placements at Miss USA.

Awards Miss Photogenic: Sharon Brown (1961), Kathy Hebert (1968), Elizabeth Primm (1989), Ali Landry (1996) Miss Congeniality: Jeanne Thompson (1953), Judy Fletcher (1960) Best State Costume: 2nd Place: Elizabeth Primm (1989) People's Choice Award: Ella Clark (2026)

Winners

Color key

Year Name HometownAge1 Local title Placement at Miss USA Special awards at Miss USA Notes 2026 Ella Clark Baton Rouge 24 Miss Baton Rouge Top 20 People's Choice Award 2025 Francie Millan New Orleans 23 Miss New Orleans Top 20 2024 Sydney Taylor Livingston 23 Miss Lafayette Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2020 4th runner-Up at Miss Teen USA 2020 2023 Sylvia Kathryn Masters Houma 27 Miss Sportsman's Paradise 2022 Katelyn "KT" Scannell Denham Springs 22 Miss Lafayette 2021 Tanya Lea Crowe Amite City 28 Miss New Orleans Top 16 Professional cheerleader for the New Orleans Saintsations 2020 Mariah Michelle Clayton Zachary 23 Miss Greater Baton Rouge Top 16 2019 Victoria Noel Paul Alexandria 26 Miss Lafayette Top 15 Later a contestant on season 24 of The Bachelor and season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise 2018 Lauren Michele Vizza Shreveport 27 Miss Shreveport Previously Miss Louisiana 2012 3rd runner-up at Miss Louisiana 2010 4th runner-up at Miss Louisiana 2011 2017 Bethany Michele Trahan Lake Charles 21 Miss Calcasieu 2016 Maaliyah Symone Papillion Lake Charles 21 Miss Lake Charles 2015 Candice Marie Bennatt New Orleans 26 Miss Ville Platte Top 11Previously Miss New Mexico 2012 1st runner-up at Miss Texas 2011 Former Houston Texans Cheerleader 2014 Brittany Alyson Guidry Houma 21 Miss Florida Parishes 3rd Runner-up Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2009 4th runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2009 One of few women to place in the top 5 at both Miss Teen USA and Miss USA Cousin of Michelle Berthelot, Miss Louisiana USA 2008 2013 Kristen Brooke Girault Metairie 21 Miss Florida Parish Top 10 New Orleans Saints cheerleader 2012 Erin Rebecca Edmiston Lafayette 22 Miss Camellia City Top 16 2011 Page Ellen Pennock Shreveport 21 2010 Sara Catherine Brooks New Orleans 22 2009 Katlin Lacey Minchew Baton Rouge 24 Born in Marietta, Georgia Previously Miss Teen America 2002 as Miss Georgia 1st runner-up at Miss Louisiana USA 2006 3rd runner-up at Miss Louisiana 2007 2008 Michelle Berthelot Hammond 26 Cousin of Brittany Guidry, Miss Louisiana USA 2014 2007 Elizabeth Bienvenu McNulty Lafayette 25 Top 15 2nd runner-up at Miss Louisiana USA 2006 2006 Christina Cuenca Chalmette 26 2005 Candice Dontrelle Stewart Metairie 21 Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2002 Contestant on Big Brother 15 2004 Melissa McConnell Ruston 27 3rd runner-up at Miss Louisiana USA 2002 2003 Brittney Jayne Rogers Shreveport 20 Winner of Fear Factor Miss USA episode Later a contestant on The Amazing Race 8 2002 Anne Katherine Lene Abbeville Top 12 2001 Heather Marie Hayden Amite 22 2000 Jennifer Dupont Plaquemine Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1998 Later Miss Louisiana 2004 1st runner up at Miss America 2005 1999 Melissa Bongiovanni Baton Rouge 19 1998 Debbie Delhomme Lafayette 24 Top 10 3rd runner-up at Miss Hawaiian Tropic 1995 3rd runner-up at Miss Louisiana USA 1997 1997 Nikole Elizabeth Viola Walker 24 1st runner-up at Miss Louisiana USA 1996 1996 Ali Germaine Landry Breaux Bridge 22 Miss USA 1996 Miss Photogenic Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1990 Top 12 at Miss Teen USA 1990 Top 6 finalist at Miss Universe 1996 1995 Elizabeth Mechelle Coxe Springfield 24 Top 6 1994 Shirelle Lea Hebert Arabi 22 Top 6 1993 Jennifer Mitchell Leesville 21 1992 Christy Lynn Saylor Baton Rouge 23 Top 11 1991 Melinda Murphy West Monroe 22 1990 Jeanne Rachel Burns Baton Rouge 21 Currently evening news anchor for NBC affiliate WVLA in Baton Rouge 1989 Elizabeth Primm Houma 23 3rd runner-up Participated at Miss Asia Pacific 1989 Later participated in the Spokesmodel category on Star Search in 1990 1988 Rhonda Leigh Vinson Shreveport 22 Second runner-up at Miss Louisiana USA 1987 1987 Carol Carter Shreveport 21 Previously Miss Louisiana 1985 3rd runner-up at Miss Louisiana 1984 1986 Cecelia Brady Olla 19 Daughter of Louisiana State Representative Thomas "Bud" Brady 1985 Sarie Nerine Joubert Shreveport 22 3rd runner-up 1st runner-up at Miss International 1985 1984 Rusanne Jourdan Baton Rouge 20 1983 Pamela Jo Forrest Baton Rouge 20 3rd runner-up Mrs. America 1987 Mrs. World 1988 1982 Lisa Ann Michael Baton Rouge 24 1981 Lisa Lynn Moss Shreveport 23 2nd runner-up Top 5 finalist at Miss World 1981 1980 Kelly Bonin Baton Rouge 19 1979 Lisa Anderson Gretna 19 1978 Tauny Hanes Baton Rouge 1977 Patti Rosenbalm Bossier City 1976 Robyn Denise Sanders Winnfield 4th Runner-up 1975 Rhonda Hazel Shear New Orleans Television program host and actor, best known for her role as host of the USA Network's weekend movie show, USA Up All Night 1974 Karen Ann Hoff Bossier City Top 12 First runner-up at Miss Louisiana USA 1973 1973 Storm Carleyne Hensley 22 Miss Barksdale AFB Was a sergeant in the Air Force stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City Third runner-up at Miss Louisiana USA 1972 1972 Bonnie Martin Ashland 21 1971 Diana Risenstein Bossier City 1970 Nadine Ruth Robertson 20 Miss Bossier City 1969 Patricia "Pat" Ann Dupre Washington 18 Miss St. Landry Parish 1968 Kathleen Annette "Kathy" Hebert Franklin 19 Miss Lafayette 3rd runner-up 1967 Dianne Mader Houma 21 1966 Tanya Becnel Ama 1965 Terri Marie Sommers Shreveport 19 1964 Linda Karen Graves 1963 Margaret Susan "Peggy" Romero Kaplan 1962 Diane Gay DeClouet Oak Ridge Semifinalist in Miss World USA 1962 1961 Sharon Renee Brown Minden Miss USA 1961 Miss Photogenic 4th runner up at Miss Universe 1961 1960 Judy Rebecca Fletcher Alexandria 18 Top 15 Miss Congeniality 1959 Mary Margaret Lobianco Top 15 1958 Eurlyne "Arlene" Howell Bossier City Miss USA 1958 3rd runner up at Miss Universe 1958 1957 Earlyn Regouffre New Orleans 1956 Cecile Morris Baton Rouge 19 Miss Baton Rouge 1955 Merlin Grace Garcia Gretna 19 1954 Sadie Marie Vinson New Orleans Finalist in the 1955 Miss Dixie Pageant 1953Jeanne Vaughn ThompsonBaton Rouge Top 20 Miss CongenialityOnly woman ever to compete in Miss USA pageant twice. Previously Miss Louisiana 1951. Also competed in the 1952 Maid of Cotton Pageant 1952211st Runner-Up 1 Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

References

External links Official website