A new Miss Teen USA has been crowned!
On Thursday, August 1, Miss Mississippi Teen USA Addie Carver was crowned Miss Teen USA 2024 after beating out 50 other competitors in the pageant, which was held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Among the finalists were Ava Colindres of Georgia as the first runner-up and Rachael McLaen of Arizona as the second runner-up.
Townsend Blackwell of Tennessee and Olivia Travis of West Virginia rounded out the top five.
“After countless years of hearing ‘No,’ one month ago today, I finally got the ‘Yes’ that I’ve been dreaming of,” Carver wrote on Instagram after she was crowned Miss Mississippi Teen USA in April. “My journey to this moment has been long, but it’s been so incredibly worth it! There are no words to describe how much achieving this goal means to me, but more than anything, I am grateful and I am READY. Getting the opportunity to serve my state & represent it at Miss Teen USA is truly the biggest honor of my life. TYJ.”
Carver, 17, is a native of Brookhaven, Miss. According to her Miss Mississippi USA bio, after her father died when she was 13, she found a “safe space” in dancing and she hopes to inspire others to find passions that can help them cope with life’s challenges. She is also a varsity cheer leader.
The pageant was hosted by The Bachelorette alum Rachel Lindsay and E! News reporter Justin Sylvester, and featured an array of judges, including actress Francia Raísa, Dancing With the Stars professional dancer Rylee Arnold, influencer Alyssa Carson, Miss Teen USA 2019 Kaliegh Garris, and Miss World 2022 Shree Saini.
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The crowning comes almost two months after former Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava relinquished her title, saying her “personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization” in an impassioned post on Instagram.
Srivastava appeared at a philanthropic event shortly after she announced her resignation and told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that it “definitely was not my first choice [to resign].”
She added, “Unfortunately, I can’t say much more at this time. But I would like to say that it’s a decision that took a lot of careful thinking — and ultimately, I’m excited to see what’s next.”
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At the time, the Miss Teen USA organization wished the high school junior well in an Instagram post that has since been deleted. “We respect and support UmaSofia’s decision to step down from her duties,” the organization wrote. “The well-being of our titleholders is a top priority.”
That same week, former Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt resigned from her title to prioritize her mental health. “In life, I strongly value the importance of making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health,” she wrote in a statement.
She continued, “My journey as Miss USA has been incredibly meaningful, representing Utah with pride, and later the USA at Miss Universe. Sadly, I have made the very tough decision to resign from the title of Miss USA 2023.”
(Voigt, who has not spoken publicly on the specifics of her resignation, has asked the organization to waive her non-disclosure agreement.)
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After Srivastava renounced her title, first runner-up Miss New York Teen USA Stephanie Skinner said she was offered the crown, but told PEOPLE that she declined.
“It was an extremely hard decision to make,” said Skinner, a rising junior at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. “Although this title was a dream of mine, I believe one thing I will never give up is my character.”
Although that role has remained vacant, Savannah Gankiewicz was crowned as Miss USA 2023 in May. Miss USA 2024 will be crowned on Sunday, Aug 4.
