Press

She landed the crown.

Madison Marsh, 22, became the first active-duty Air Force officer to be named Miss America when she soared into first place in the annual competition on Sunday.

History was made Sunday night at the 2024 Miss America pageant.

Miss Colorado Madison Marsh was crowned Miss America, becoming the first active-duty military service member to win the title in the pageant’s nearly 100-year history, according to the U.S. Air Force.

The newly minted Miss America is the competition’s first active-duty Air Force officer.

Miss Colorado Madison Marsh was crowned Miss America during the Sunday night ceremony in Orlando. Marsh is a 2023 alum of the Air Force Academy with a degree in physics and a graduate student at the Harvard Kennedy School.

When Grace Stanke was studying nuclear engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she became frustrated at what she saw as a shortage of appreciation among the general public at the role that zero-carbon nuclear power plays in powering America. Stanke made nuclear advocacy her cause.

Miss America has revealed Jovani as its official fashion partner for 2024. The partnership will debut Jan. 12, when the pageant organization will host the Miss America Goes Red Gala in Orlando, Fla. The event, organized to promote the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign, will feature women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia wearing red dresses designed by Jovani.

Grace Stanke, also known as Miss America 2023, will be on one of the many floats in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.