Sheynnis Palacios, 23, from Nicaragua, was crowned Miss Universe 2023 on Saturday night in San Salvador, El Salvador.
She is the first woman from her country to win the prestigious title.
MISS UNIVERSE 2023 IS @Sheynnispalacios_of !!!! 👑 🇳🇮@mouawad #72ndMISSUNIVERSE #MissUniverse2023 pic.twitter.com/cSHgnTKNL2
— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) November 19, 2023
Palacios is a mental health activist and an audiovisual producer. She holds a degree in mass communications from the Universidad Centroamericana.
She loves producing and editing video content, according to her Miss Universe bio.
Sheynnis Palacios beat 83 other contestants from around the world, including the first runner-up, Anntonia Porsild from Thailand, and the second runner-up, Moraya Wilson from Australia.
It was the final question on the contest that made Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua win the pageant. The final question asked to all the top three contestants was, “If you could live one year in another woman’s shoes, who would you choose and why?”.
Sheynnis replied, “I would choose Mary Wollstonecraft because she opened the gap and gave an opportunity to many women. I would want that gap to open up so that more women could work in any area they choose to work in because there is no area where women could not work in.”
Well done Nicaragua! @Sheynnispalacios_of#72ndMISSUNIVERSE #MissUniverse2023 @TheRokuChannel pic.twitter.com/wMgOLM84Px
— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) November 19, 2023
The Miss Universe 2023 pageant was hailed as the most inclusive one ever, with mothers, married women, LGBTQ+ members, and a plus-size model among the participants.
Miss Portugal Marina Machete and Miss Netherlands Rikkie Kollé became the first transgender participants in the pageant, and Camila Avella from Columbia created history by becoming the first mother to reach the top 10 at the Miss Universe contest.
The top 20 contestants to reach the semi-finals at Miss Universe 2023
1. Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua
2. Athenea Pérez from Spain
3. Karla Guilfú from Puerto Rico
4. Jameela Uiras from Namibia
5. Diana Silva from Venezuela
6. Shweta Sharda from India
7. Anntonia Porsild from Thailand
8. Celeste Viel from Chile
9. Jordanne Levy from Jamaica
10. Noelia Voigt from USA
11. Jane Dipika Garrett from Nepal
12. Camila Escribens from Peru
13. Issie Princesse from Cameroon
14. Camila Avella from Columbia
15. Erica Robin from Pakistan
16. Moraya Wilson from Australia
17. Michelle Dee from the Philippines
18. Marina Machete from Portugal
19. Bryoni Govender from South Africa
20. Isabella García-Manzo from El Salvador
Top 10 contestants to reach the evening gown round at Miss Universe 2023
1. Karla Guilfú from Puerto Rico
2. Anntonia Porsild from Thailand
3. Camila Escribens from Peru
4. Camila Avella from Columbia
5. Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua
6. Michelle Dee from the Philippines
7. Isabella García-Manzo from El Salvador
8. Diana Silva from Venezuela
9. Moraya Wilson from Australia
10. Athenea Pérez from Spain
Top 5 contestants to reach the question round at Miss Universe 2023
1. Moraya Wilson from Australia
2. Karla Guilfú from Puerto Rico
3. Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua
4. Anntonia Porsild from Thailand
5. Camila Avella from Columbia
Top 3 contestants of Miss Universe 2023
1. Anntonia Porsild from Thailand
2. Moraya Wilson from Australia
3. Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua
— Sheynnis Palacios (@sheynnispalacio) November 19, 2023
