Miss Universe Maldives
| Established | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Beauty pageant |
Official language | English |
Current titleholder | Aminath Yuin Mohamed |
National Director | Buddhika Nirmal Bandara |
| Affiliations | Miss Universe |
Miss Universe Maldives (Dhivehi: މިސް ޔުނިވާސް މާލްޑިވްސް) is a national beauty pageant to select the representative of the Maldives for the Miss Universe competition.
The country debuted at Miss Universe in 2024, with its first participation drawing public controversy in the Maldives.
History
Miss Universe Maldives was officially announced on 12 July 2024, when the official Miss Universe Instagram account revealed that Ernest Hadrian Bőhm had been appointed as the National Director of Miss Universe Maldives, marking the country's debut in the Miss Universe competition.[1][2][3][4] Mariyam Shaina Naseem was subsequently appointed as the first-ever Miss Universe Maldives and was selected to represent the country at Miss Universe 2024.[5] Prior to the competition, Naseem reportedly faced pressure from domestic authorities and segments of the public due to religious concerns surrounding her participation.[6][7] On 30 October 2024, Diego Pérez, Ambassador of Mexico to India, granted her a visa to travel to Mexico and compete in Miss Universe 2024.[8][9][10] Naseem ultimately participated through her management company, He n She Maldives, without official support from the Maldivian government.[11][12][13]
Following its debut at Miss Universe in 2024, the Maldives did not participate in the 2025 edition of the competition.[14] In 2026, Buddhika Nirmal Bandara acquired the national franchise for Miss Universe Maldives and subsequently organized the Miss Universe Maldives 2026 and Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2026 pageants, which were held on 23 June 2026 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.[15][16]
Titleholders
- : Declared as Winner
- : Ended as runner-up or top 5/6 qualification
- : Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
- : Ended as special awards winner
| Year | Atoll | Miss Maldives | Placement at Miss Universe | Special Award | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddika Nirmal Bandara a franchise holder since 2026 | |||||
| 2026 | Malé | Aminath Yuin Mohamed[16] | TBA | ||
| Did not compete in 2025 | |||||
| Ernest Hadrian Bőhm a franchise holder in 2024 | |||||
| 2024 | Malé | Mariyam Shaina Naseem[17] | Unplaced | Previously Top Model Maldives 2022[18] | |
See also
References
- ↑ @missuniverse; (12 July 2024). "Thursday appreciation post for our National Directors". Retrieved 15 April 2025 – via Instagram.
- ↑ Bravo, Frances Karmel S. (27 September 2024). "Everything you need to know about the Miss Universe 2024 coronation night". PEP (website). Archived from the original on 21 December 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ↑ Rifai (10 July 2024). Wahyu Kurniawan (ed.). "Negara Yang Debut di Ajang Miss Universe 2024, Ada Arab Saudi!" [Countries Making Their Debut at Miss Universe 2024, Including Saudi Arabia!]. IDN Times (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ↑ Ravoay, Lhaïmy Zoubert (28 June 2024). "Mayotte bientôt au concours Miss Univers" [Mayotte soon to be in the Miss Universe competition]. La Première (French TV network) (in French). Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
- ↑ Midhath, Masha (29 October 2024). "Maldives makes historic entry into Miss Universe with Maryam Shaina representing the nation". Ras Online. Archived from the original on 22 February 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ↑ "Govt slams Maldives woman participation in Miss Universe". Atoll Times. 30 October 2024. Archived from the original on 1 November 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Konstantinides, Anneta (17 November 2024). "20 Miss Universe contestants who made history during the 2024 pageant". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 17 November 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "Miss Universo: la primera candidata de Maldivas desata controversia en su país" [Miss Universe: Maldives' first contestant sparks controversy in her home country]. Ecuavisa (in Spanish). 30 October 2024. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ↑ Mohamed, Mizna (30 October 2024). "Govt condemns Maldives miss universe participation". byline. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "Mariyam Shaina Naseem to Represent Maldives in Miss Universe 2024". Maldives Matters. 30 October 2024. Archived from the original on 30 October 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "Govt condemns Maldivian model's participation in Miss Universe pageant". SunOnline International. 30 October 2024. Archived from the original on 11 November 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ↑ "Maldives Gov't Condemns 21-year-old Maldivian Girl's Participation in Miss Universe". MV+. 30 October 2024. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ↑ Rasheed, Zain (15 November 2024). "Shaina Makes History as First Maldivian to Compete in Miss Universe". Sukun. Archived from the original on 28 June 2026. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Valdez, Cynthia (7 November 2025). "Miss Universe 2025: Las candidatas que quedaron fuera de la competencia y por qué" [Miss Universe 2025: The candidates who were eliminated from the competition and why]. ¡Hola! (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 November 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
- ↑ "ලංකාවේ මෙච්චර කාලෙකට දැකපු නැති ලොකුම පැජන්ට් එක! Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2026" [The biggest pageant Sri Lanka has ever seen! Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2026]. Lakvahini (in Sinhala). 23 June 2026. Archived from the original on 24 June 2026. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- 1 2 Prima, Berkat (25 June 2026). Wahyu Kurniawan (ed.). "Maladewa Bakal Comeback di Miss Universe 2026, Wakilnya Berhijab!" [The Maldives Will Make a Comeback at Miss Universe 2026, with a Hijab-Worshipping Representative!]. IDN Times (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 24 June 2026. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- ↑ Mohamed, Mariyath (30 October 2024). "Maldives to participate in Miss Universe for the first time". The Edition. Archived from the original on 8 November 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ↑ "Social media users decry government's condemnation of Maldives' first Miss Universe contestant". Adhadhu. 30 October 2024. Archived from the original on 2 August 2025. Retrieved 2 August 2025.