Edi Umoh
Joheirry Mola Dominguez of the Dominican Republic was crowned Miss World 2026 on Saturday at the grand finale of the 73rd edition of the pageant held at the April 2 Square in Nha Trang, Vietnam.
This was after Nigeria’s representative , Tamunosoye Karibi-George, bowed out of the 2026 Miss World pageant after reaching the Top 12.
The victory marked the second time the Dominican Republic has produced a Miss World, 44 years after Mariasela Álvarez won the title in 1982.
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Mola succeeded Thailand’s Suchata “Opal” Chuangsri, who won the 2025 edition and crowned her successor at the finale.
Spain’s Elisabeth Reynés Alabern emerged first runner-up, while Malaysia’s Taanusiya Chetty was named second runner-up.
Chetty also won the Beauty with a Purpose award for her social impact work.
Karibi-George, popularly known as Soye, made it to the Top 12 after progressing through several stages of the competition but failed to advance to the final Top Six.
The Nigerian beauty queen had earlier secured an automatic place in the Top 40 after winning the Africa Top Model title at the Vietnam Beauty Fashion Fest.
She defeated contestants from Botswana, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya and South Africa to win the continental modelling title.
Karibi-George subsequently advanced to the Top 20 and Top 12, before her journey ended at the latter stage.
Her Top 12 finish came alongside contestants from Brazil, France, the Philippines, Zambia and Zimbabwe, who also failed to make the final six.
The final six contestants were Mola of the Dominican Republic, Reynés of Spain, Chetty of Malaysia, Lê Nguyễn Bảo Ngọc of Vietnam, Romanda Hombir of South Africa and Snit Habteab Tewoldemedhin of Eritrea.
Mola, 24, is a literature and social studies teacher, professional model, news correspondent and community advocate.
She holds a degree in Business Management and Administration from Universidad Iberoamericana and founded Voices of Tomorrow, an initiative focused on providing English-language education to children and young people in vulnerable communities.
Her advocacy for access to education featured prominently during the competition, particularly in the final stage.
Mola had earlier won the Americas and Caribbean Top Model title, which secured her place in the Top 40.
Her victory also continued the pageant’s “Beauty with a Purpose” philosophy, which places emphasis on social impact and community advocacy alongside beauty and modelling.
For Nigeria, Karibi-George’s performance represented another strong showing at the international pageant.
The 26-year-old, who hails from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, represented Bayelsa State at the national pageant.
She was crowned Miss World Nigeria 2026 in June at the Balmoral Hall of the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, succeeding Joy Mojisola Raimi, who reached the Top 20 at the 2025 Miss World pageant.
Karibi-George is a communications professional, model, actress, voice-over artist, event host and scriptwriter.
She is also the founder of Beyond Labels, an initiative focused on inclusion, dignity, education and empowerment for children with disabilities, special needs and neurodivergent individuals.
During the Miss World competition, she participated in the Head-to-Head Challenge and Talent Competition, where she performed “Opportunity” by Sia.
She also used her appearances at the pageant to showcase Nigerian culture, with some of her outfits highlighting the Niger Delta and its environmental and cultural heritage.
One of her notable looks, the “Amazon of the Mangrove” costume, was designed to highlight environmental resilience and women’s strength, while she also appeared in a green-white-green evening gown inspired by Nigeria’s national colours.
The 2026 Miss World pageant featured 111 contestants divided into four continental groups: Africa, the Americas and Caribbean, Europe, and Asia and Oceania.
The contestants progressed through several stages, including fast-track challenges and the Top 40, Top 20, Top 12 and Top Six rounds before the winner and runners-up were selected.
The 2026 edition was the first time Vietnam hosted the Miss World competition and also marked the organisation’s 75th anniversary.
The pageant featured contestants from several countries making their debut, including Eritrea, French Guiana, the Maldives, Mozambique and Pakistan.
Following the crowning of Mola, the 74th edition of the Miss World pageant is scheduled to be held in Tanzania in 2027.
