All The Miss Universe 2019 Updates As They Happen

Miss Universe 2019 is finally happening now! The pageant has kicked off at the Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, and once again, comedian Steve Harvey is onstage as the host making some of the most heart-stopping announcements from the prestigious pageant.  

It's the day Filipinos find out if the Philippines will make pageant history as a nation with a back-to-back Miss Universe win with Gazini Ganados.

Before this glitzy night, 90 of the participating countries' candidates showed off their best in the national costume and swimsuit segments, and tonight, the highly-awaited evening gown competitions and Q&A portion are set to captivate the pageant's audiences from around the globe. 

The pageant is currently announcing its top 20 candidates. Here are the ladies who are now a step closer to winning the crown!

From Asia and the Pacific:

Miss Universe -  South Africa Zozibini Tunzi

Miss Universe - Indonesia Frederika Alexis Cull 

Miss Universe - Vietnam Thuy Hoang

Miss Universe - Nigeria Olutosin Araromi

Miss Universe - Thailand Paweensuda Drouin

From Europe:

Miss Universe - Albania Cindy Marina

Miss Universe - Croatia Mia Rkman

Miss Universe - France Maëva Coucke

Miss Universe - Portugal Sylvie Silva

Miss Universe - Iceland Birta Abiba Þórhallsdóttir

From the Americas:

Miss Universe - Puerto Rico Madison Anderson

Miss Universe - Peru Kelin Rivera

Miss Universe - Dominican Republic Clauvid Dály

Miss Universe Mexico - Sofía Aragón

Miss Universe - USA Cheslie Kryst

The five wild cards:

Miss Universe - Philippines Gazini Ganados

Miss Universe - Venezuela Thalía Olvino

Miss Universe - India Vartika Singh

Miss Universe - Brazil Júlia Horta

Miss Universe - Colombia Gabriela Tafur

As the Top 20 are given a chance to make an impression on the Miss Universe judges with 15-second introduction of their chosen charities and advocacies, only 10 of them will be chosen.

Below are the lucky 10 advancing to the next round!

Miss Universe - USA Cheslie Kryst

Miss Universe - Colombia Gabriela Tafur

Miss Universe - Puerto Rico Madison Anderson

Miss Universe -  South Africa Zozibini Tunzi

Miss Universe - Peru Kelin Rivera

Miss Universe - Iceland Birta Abiba Þórhallsdóttir

Miss Universe - France Maëva Coucke

Miss Universe - Indonesia Frederika Alexis Cull 

Miss Universe - Thailand Paweensuda Drouin

Miss Universe - Mexico Sofía Aragón

Miss Universe Philippines 2019 Gazini Ganados bowed out of the competition with a finish in the Top 20.

The 23-year-old, however, is coming home with a special award for winning best in national costume. Inspired by the Philippine Eagle and created by Cebu-based designer Cary Santiago, Gazini owned the stage with a bedazzled number in silver decked out in oversized feathers and two eagles perched on her shoulders. 

"Unforgettable, life-changing, purposeful"—these are the words that reigning queen and Filipina beauty Catriona Gray used to describe her time as a Miss Universe titleholder as she gave a speech before the evening gown segment.

After a year of traveling around the world and attending to the causes she's most passionate about, Catriona found herself back on the pageant stage, this time, passing on advice to the women hoping to win the crown. More so, she looked back at how the pageant had allowed her to amplify her voice and shine the spotlight on her advocacy: making quality education accessible to Filipino children, the future of society. 

The pageant has now gone on to announce its top 5:

Miss Universe -  South Africa Zozibini Tunzi

Miss Universe - Thailand Paweensuda Drouin

Miss Universe - Mexico Sofía Aragón

Miss Universe - Colombia Gabriela Tafur

Miss Universe - Puerto Rico Madison Anderson

As the Q&A section wrapped up, the pageant's Top 3 candidates were announced:

Miss Universe -  South Africa Zozibini Tunzi

Miss Universe - Puerto Rico Madison Anderson

Miss Universe - Mexico Sofía Aragón

To help determine the winner, each of the women were asked the same question: What is the most important thing we should be teaching young girls today? 

Mexico's Sofía Aragón focused on the importance of authenticity and teaching girls their true value. South Africa's Zozibini Tunzi spoke about leadership and the need for more female leaders. Madison Anderson of Puerto Rico emphasized the significance of young girls knowing how to just be themselves and find happiness in their own skin.

In the end, South Africa's Zozibini Tunzi was crowned Miss Universe 2019 and will take over Catriona's reign. She was the first Miss Universe winner to wear the Mouawad-made "Power of Unity Crown", a stunning piece amounting to five million dollars.

The last time South Africa had a Miss Universe titleholder was in 2017, when Demi Leigh Nel-Peters won over Jamaica's Davina Bennett and Colombia's Laura González.

Zozibini is the third South African woman to be crowned Miss Universe. 

Photos from Miss Universe | Gallery cover image by Patrick Prather and gallery images by Alex Mertz