Miss Alabama USA
The Miss Alabama USA, previously known as Miss Alabama Universe, is the beauty pageant that selects the representative for the state of Alabama in the Miss USA pageant and the name of the title held by its winner.
The pageant is directed by RPM Productions, headquartered in Aiken, South Carolina. From 1993 to 2010, it was directed by the Premier Pageants group, and was the first state to be taken under this directorate. Dohn Dye and To Dye For was the Director for the 2010 and 2011 pageants, until RPM Productions took over in August 2011 headed by Paula Miles, a sister of Janice McDonald, Miss South Carolina USA 1979.
Alabama is one of the most successful and consistent states at Miss USA. Although they have had a number of runners-up, finalists, and semi-finalists, they have only had one Miss USA. Even more successfully, Sylvia Hitchcock, Miss USA 1967, went on to win the Miss Universe title. Two Miss Alabama USA titleholders have placed first runner-up to winners from California: Candace Michelle Brown was first runner-up to Shannon Marketic in 1992; Pamela Flowers was first runner-up to Summer Bartholomew in 1975. Miss Alabama USA 2018 Hannah Brown failed to place in Miss USA, although she became famous in the starring role on The Bachelorette.
Four Miss Alabama USA titleholders were former Miss Alabama Teen USAs. Of these four, three placed better in the Miss competition than they did as teens.
Kelly Hutchinson, a native of Marietta, Georgia residing in Auburn, was crowned Miss Alabama USA 2020 on October 5, 2019 at Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center at Auburn University in Auburn. She will represent Alabama for the title of Miss USA 2020 on the spring of 2020.
Gallery of titleholders
Results summary
Placements in Miss USA
- Miss USA: Sylvia Hitchcock
- 1st Runners-Up: Pamela Flowers, Candace Michelle Brown, Michelle Arnette, Mary-Margaret McCord
- 2nd Runners-Up: Doris Edwards, Judith Carlson, Margaret Gordon, Jina Mitchell, Madeline Mitchell
- 3rd Runner-Up: Pamela Rigas
- 4th Runner-Up: Suellen Robinson
- Top 5: Peyton Brown
- Top 10/11/12: JoAnne Henderson, Candy Carley, Autumn Smith, Tara Tucker, Tara Darby, Haleigh Stidham, Audrey Moore, Katherine Webb, Madison Guthrie
- Top 15/20: Pat Sullivan, Dinah Irene Armstrong, Pamela Jean Borgfeldt, Leigh Sanford , Claudia Robinson, Hitsy Parnell, Jesica Ahlberg
Awards
- Miss Congeniality: Peyton Brown
- Miss Photogenic: Pamela Flowers, Rebecca Moore, Audrey Moore
Winners
| Year | Name | Hometown | Age1 | Placement at Miss USA | Special awards at Miss USA | Notes |
| 2020 | Kelly Hutchinson | Auburn | 22 | TBA |
| |
| 2019 | Hannah McMurphy | Tuscaloosa | 20 | |||
| 2018 | Hannah Brown | Northport | 23 | Triple reality TV star | ||
| 2017 | Baylee Smith | Tuscaloosa | 19 | |||
| 2016 | Peyton Brown | Eufaula | 21 | Top 5 | Miss Congeniality | Previously Miss Alabama Teen USA 2012 & Top 16 Miss Teen USA 2012 |
| 2015 | Madison Guthrie | Hoover | 20 | Top 11 | ||
| 2014 | Jesica Ahlberg | Birmingham | 23 | Top 20 | ||
| 2013 | Mary-Margaret McCord | Gadsden | 23 | 1st Runner-Up | ||
| 2012 | Katherine Webb | Phenix City | 22 | Top 10 | Married to AJ McCarron | |
| 2011 | Madeline Mitchell | Russellville | 21 | 2nd Runner-Up | Later Mrs. America 2015 | |
| 2010 | Audrey Moore | Hoover | 20 | Top 10 | Miss Photogenic | |
| 2009 | Rachel Philippona | Dothan | 19 | |||
| 2008 | Keisha Walding | Dothan | 24 | |||
| 2007 | Rebecca Moore | Vestavia Hills | 19 | Miss Photogenic | ||
| 2006 | Haleigh Stidham | Birmingham | 23 | Top 10 | ||
| 2005 | Jessica Tinney | Birmingham | 21 | |||
| 2004 | Tara Darby | Birmingham | 22 | Top 10 | ||
| 2003 | Michelle Arnette | Dothan | 25 | 1st Runner-Up | ||
| 2002 | Tara Tucker | Birmingham | 23 | Top 12 | Previously Miss Alabama Teen USA 1997 | |
| 2001 | Laura Hoffman | Birmingham | 20 | |||
| 2000 | Jina Mitchell | Trussville | 22 | 2nd Runner-Up | ||
| 1999 | Doree Walker | Gardendale | ||||
| 1998 | Paige Brooks | Mobile | ||||
| 1997 | Autumn Smith | Chelsea | 22 | Top 10, finished 8th at Miss USA 1997 | Previously Miss Alabama Teen USA 1993. Daughter of racing driver Stanley Smith. | |
| 1996 | Benita Brooks | Huntsville | 25 | |||
| 1995 | Anna Mingus | Enterprise | Previously Miss Alabama Teen USA 1988, 4th runner up at Miss Teen USA 1988 | |||
| 1994 | Malaea Nelms | Alexandria | ||||
| 1993 | Toni Johnson | Montgomery | 22 | First African-American Miss Alabama USA | ||
| 1992 | Candace Michelle Brown | Auburn | 1st runner-up | |||
| 1991 | Candy Carley | Mobile | Top 11, finishing in 8th place | Had her crown and clothes bought in preparation for the Miss USA pageant stolen from her car prior to the national pageant. | ||
| 1990 | Natalie Moore | Hoover | ||||
| 1989 | Sheri Mooney | Pelham | ||||
| 1988 | Rhonda Mooney | Pelham | ||||
| 1987 | Rhonda Garrett | Birmingham | Former director of Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi pageants under her married name, Rhonda Garrett-Gilliam | |||
| 1986 | Heather Howard | Huntsville | ||||
| 1985 | Allison Sawyer | Birmingham | ||||
| 1984 | Kelly Flowers | Hueytown | ||||
| 1983 | Terri Lane | Birmingham | ||||
| 1982 | Lisa Wheeler | Birmingham | Miss Teen All American 1980 | |||
| 1981 | JoAnne Henderson | Tuscaloosa | Top 12, finishing in 6th place | Top 15 semifinalist in Miss World America 1980 | ||
| 1980 | Pamela Rigas | Troy/Canfield, OH | 3rd runner-up | Later Miss Ohio 1983, 4th runner up at Miss America 1984, Ohio's Junior Miss 1978 | ||
| 1979 | Rose Burch | Mobile | Married to Ken Stabler from 1984-2009 | |||
| 1978 | Eva Stancil | Gadsden | Stancil was arrested in 1977 for possessing cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute. She was fired as head of the New Orleans Saints cheerleading squad in 1978 for failing to disclose this information. | |||
| 1977 | Cheryl Burgess | Alexandria | 18 | |||
| 1976 | Kyle Ellis | Decatur | ||||
| 1975 | Pamela Flowers | Headland | 1st runner-up | Miss Photogenic | ||
| 1974 | Iva Wyna Lavis | Birmingham | ||||
| 1973 | Diane Fouilhe | Enterprise | ||||
| 1972 | Elaine Barnhill | Robertsdale | ||||
| 1971 | Renee Smith | Mobile | ||||
| 1970 | Kathy Bryant | Bay Minette | ||||
| 1969 | Hitsy Parnell | Thomasville | Top 15 | |||
| 1968 | Claudia Robinson | Mobile | Top 15 | |||
| 1967 | Sylvia Hitchcock | Tuscaloosa/Miami, FL | 21 | Miss USA 1967 | Miss Universe 1967 | |
| 1966 | Susan Scott | Clanton | ||||
| 1965 | Leigh Stanford | Montgomery | Top 15 | |||
| 1964 | Pamela Jean Borgfeldt | Anniston | Top 15 | |||
| 1963 | Dinah Irene Armstrong | Montgomery | Top 15 | |||
| 1962 | Jerolyn Ridgeway | Ft. Payne | 1st runner-up in the 1961 Miss Sun Fun USA Pageant | |||
| 1961 | Suellen Robinson | Fairfax | 4th Runner-up | |||
| 1960 | Margaret Gordon | Homewood | 2nd runner-up | Later Miss Alabama World 1960, unplaced at Miss United States 1960. | ||
| 1959 | Pat Sullivan | Birmingham | Top 15 | Competed in the 1960 Miss Dixie Pageant | ||
| 1958 | Judith Lucille Carlson | Birmingham | 2nd runner-up | |||
| 1954-1957 | Did Not Compete | |||||
| 1953 | Doris Edwards | Birmingham | 2nd runner-up | |||
| 1952 | Doris Edwards | Gadsden |