Miss Universe 2016 special awards were not included during the Coronation Night last January 30, 2017, at Mall of Asia (MOA) The two awards that beauty pageant fans were waiting to be declared during the show were Miss Congeniality and Miss Photogenic.
Miss Universe Organization grants special awards to candidates
According to Miss Universe Organization President, Paula Shugart, they have limited time to include the announcement during the Coronation Night.
“Honestly, we didn’t have time… There was so much that we wanted to fit into the show,” Shugart explained during a short interview with ABS-CBN.
Even though they were not able to announce the winners during the event, the Miss Universe Organization was still able to choose from the 86 candidates the recipients of the said special awards.
Miss Korea Jenny Kim won Miss Congeniality for the Miss Universe 2016. She was voted by her fellow candidates to win this award. Miss Albania Lindita Idrizi, on the other hand, won Miss Photogenic.
Kim, 23, is currently taking International Office Administration and English Language and Literature at the Ewha Woman’s University. Idrizi, 20, is a student of Social Science at the AAB College in Pristina, Kosovo.
Here is the list of other special awards and their recipients:
| Special Award | Winner | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Best National Costume | Htet Htet Htun | Myanmar |
| Miss Flawless of the Universe | Mirriam Habach | Venezuela |
| Miss Phoenix Elegant | Mariam Habach | Venezuela |
| Miss Phoenix Jewel | Maxine Medina | Philippines |
| Miss Phoenix Smile | Kezia Warouw | Indonesia |
All of the winners of the special awards were able to receive $1,000 cash prize each from the Miss Universe Organization.
The new Miss Universe is Miss France, Iris Mittenaere. While 1st Runner-up to Miss Universe is Miss Haiti, Raquel Pelissier and 2nd Runner-up to Miss Universe is Miss Colombia, Andrea Tovar.
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Source: ABS-CBN, The Summit Express, Yibada
