Miss USA 2010
Miss USA 2010, the 59th Miss USA pageant, was held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 16, 2010. Kristen Dalton of North Carolina, crowned her successor, Rima Fakih of Michigan as Miss USA 2010 at the end of this event.
Fakih represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2010 pageant in Las Vegas on August 23, 2010 where she did not advance to the semifinals; becoming the fourth Miss USA to do so in Miss Universe history.
Representatives of the 50 states and the District of Columbia competed for the title in the pageant, which was broadcast live on NBC. Fakih's victory, however, was controversial with charges of bias facing the Miss USA pageant after Morgan Elizabeth Woolard, who was runner-up, defended Arizona's anti-illegal immigration bill.
The pageant was co-hosted by Australian celebrity chef Curtis Stone and Today show correspondent Natalie Morales. Color commentary was provided by Joan and Melissa Rivers. Pop rock band Boys Like Girls performed during the swimsuit competition and country music star Trace Adkins performed during the evening gown competition. Stone, Adkins, and both Rivers have all appeared on Donald Trump's television show Celebrity Apprentice.
Kristen Dalton and Chet Buchanan hosted the presentation show. For the first time, the preliminary competition was webcast live via Ustream on May 12, 2010, following a precedent set at the 2009 Miss Universe pageant. The 2010 pageant drew the notice of conservative commentators for releasing a set of "exotic and revealing" promotional photos.
Pageants were held to select the representative for each state between June 2009 and January 2010. During the final show on May 16, the fifteen delegates with the highest average score from the preliminary competition were announced. The top fifteen competed in the swimsuit competition. The top ten delegates from swimsuit competed in evening gown. The top five delegates from the evening gown competition competed in the final question round to determine the winner. The judges' composite score was shown after each round of competition for the fourth time since 2002.
Results
Placements
| Final Results | Contestant |
| Miss USA 2010 |
|
| 1st Runner-Up |  Oklahoma – Morgan Woolard |
| 2nd Runner-Up |  Virginia – Samantha Casey |
| 3rd Runner-Up |  Colorado – Jessica Hartman |
| 4th Runner-Up |  Maine – Katie Whittier |
| Top 10 |  Alabama – Audrey Moore California – Nicole Johnson Mississippi – Breanne Ponder Missouri – Ashley Strohmier Tennessee – Tucker Perry |
| Top 15 |  Arkansas – Adrielle Churchill Kansas – Bethany Gerber Nebraska – Belinda Wright Pennsylvania – Gina Cerilli Wyoming – Claire Schreiner |
Michigan – Rima FakihSpecial awards
Final scores
| State | Swimsuit | Evening Gown |
| Colorado | 9.183 | 9.313 |
| Oklahoma | 9.098 | 9.188 |
| Maine | 9.242 | 8.868 |
| Michigan | 8.325 | 8.845 |
| Virginia | 8.733 | 8.675 |
| Tennessee | 8.965 | 8.650 |
| Alabama | 8.457 | 8.567 |
| Mississippi | 8.312 | 8.475 |
| California | 8.545 | 8.317 |
| Missouri | 8.440 | 8.248 |
| Wyoming | 8.273 | |
| Pennsylvania | 8.160 | |
| Kansas | 8.158 | |
| Nebraska | 8.093 | |
| Arkansas | 7.750 |
Delegates
Judges
Preliminary judges
- Billie Causieestko
- Chip Lightman
- Colleen Grillo
- Guy McCarter
- Leigh Rossini
- Rich Thurber
- Scott Lochmus
Final judges
- Carmelo Anthony - NBA’s Denver Nuggets who is a two-time Olympic medalist.
- Tara Conner - Miss USA 2006 from Kentucky
- Paula Deen - Best-selling author, chef and host of four shows on The Food Network.
- Oscar Nunez - Star of NBC’s hit comedy series, “The Office”.
- Phil Ruffin - American businessman and real estate mogul.
- Suze Yalof-Schwart - Executive Fashion Editor-at-Large of Glamour.
- Melania Trump - Model who has appeared on multiple magazine covers including Vogue and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
- Johnny Weir - Three-time National Champion figure skater and Olympian.
Background music
Preliminary
- Special Performance: "Soundcheck" by Sean Van der Wilt
Telecast
- Contestants Introduction: "Telephone" by Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé and "Tik Tok" by Ke$ha
- Swimsuit Competition: "Heart Heart Heartbreak" by Boys Like Girls
- Evening Gown Competition: "This Ain't No Love Song" by Trace Adkins
Historical significance
- Michigan wins competition for the third time.
- Oklahoma earns the 1st runner-up position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in 1989.
- Virginia earns the 2nd runner-up position for the first time and reaches its highest placement since Patricia Southall in 1994.
- Colorado earns the 3rd runner-up position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in 1963.
- Maine earns the 4th runner-up position for the first time and surpasses its previous highest placement in 1977. Coincidentally, Maine survived three elimination cuts for the first time.
- States that placed in semifinals the previous year were Arkansas, California, Tennessee and Virginia.
- California placed for the sixth consecutive year.
- Tennessee placed for the fifth consecutive year.
- Arkansas and Virginia placed for the second consecutive year.
- Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania last placed in 2008.
- Kansas and Michigan last placed in 2007.
- Alabama and Maine last placed in 2006.
- Colorado last placed in 2000.
- Wyoming last placed in 1986.
- Nebraska last placed in 1980.
- Minnesota breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 2008.
- Utah breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 2007.
- South Carolina breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 2006.
- Texas breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 2001. Ironically, Kandace Krueger won the title in 2001 and the streak began here.
Contestant notes
- Tracy Turnure, Miss Washington USA, was crowned by her twin sister Tara Turnure. This marks the first time that twins have won back-to-back at a Miss USA state pageant.
- Belinda Wright, Miss Nebraska USA, returned home on May 8 after her father was killed in a farming accident. She later returned to Las Vegas prior to the preliminary competition on May 11.
Prize package
Miss Photogenic: The general public voted on www.nbc.com for the contestant who exemplifies beauty through the lens of a camera. She was awarded a $1,000 cash prize as well as a Flip MinoHD Video Camcorder and jewelry from Diamond Nexus Labs.
Miss USA 2010: A custom diamond tiara and jewelry by Diamond Nexus Labs; a shoe collection from Nina Footwear; a one-year scholarship from the New York Film Academy; hair care products and accessories from Farouk Systems; eveningwear wardrobe by Sherri Hill; a Flip MinoHD Video Camcorder; a collection of luggage by Heys USA Inc.; luxury accommodations in a New York City apartment for the duration of her reign, including living expenses; gym membership to Gravity Fitness; hair services from John Barrett Salon; modeling portfolio by photographer Fadil Berisha; dermatology services from Dr. Cheryl Thellman-Karcher; health and nutrition consultation by Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD; dental services by Dr. Jan Linhart, D.D.S.; casting opportunities and professional representation by the Miss Universe Organization; a year-long salary as Miss USA; extensive travel opportunities representing sponsors and charitable partners; year-long consultation with a fashion stylist and access to a personal appearance wardrobe and the opportunity to represent the USA at Miss Universe 2010 this summer in Las Vegas.