Congratulations to DeAnna Johnson, Miss Georgia USA 2017 and Taylor Ward, Miss Georgia Teen USA 2017!  Both were competing in their pageant for the first time, although DeAnna was a contestant on The Voice so is no stranger to the limelight.  She is the first Miss Georgia USA with no previous experience since 2012.  In contrast, Taylor is the ninth MUO newcomer to win the Georgia Teen title in the past decade.

First runner-up in the Miss pageant was Brenda Smith-Lezama, who started her pageant career placing second runner-up at Miss GA Teen USA 2012 before winning Miss Missouri Teen USA 2013 while a freshman at the University of Missouri.  She went on to place in the top fifteen at Miss Teen USA.  Second runner-up was newcomer Bailey Rogers and third runner-up was another newcomer, Dala Hufstetler.  Fourth runner-up went to 2016 semi-finalist Erin O'Sullivan.

The top fifteen included 2016 second runner-up Mackenzie Blair Griffith, three-time Florida Teen runner-up Olivia Caputo, and past semi-finalists Sara LaChapelle and Brittany Deaville.  

In the Teen competition, 2016 semi-finalist Hollyn Adams was the first runner-up.  Newcomers Emmakate Few and Emmaline Farmer (what are the olds off such similar names?!) placed second and third runner-up respectively.  Fourth runner-up went to last year's 1RU, Karson Pennington (2016 second runner-up Kelly Hutchinson placed 1RU in Alabama just before the Georgia pageant).  The only returning contestant among the rest of the semi-finalists was 2015 SF Hunter Maddox.  

​Miss Georgia USA & Teen USA 2017 will be crowned on Saturday, with Teen finals starting at 3pm and Miss finals commencing at 7.30pm, both webcast at http://www.pageantvision.com.  Contestant photos can be found here - in total there are almost 30 more than last year.

The new titleholders will have big heels to fill after Miss GA USA 2016 Emanii Davis placed second runner-up at Miss USA and Miss GA Teen USA Bentley Wright was a semi-finalist at Miss Teen USA!

Miss Missouri Teen USA 2013 Bren Smith-Lezama, who was also a semi-finalist at Miss Teen USA, has returned to her home state to compete for the Miss title.  She was a runner-up at Miss Georgia Teen USA 2012 before heading to Missouri for college.  

There is only one returning 2016 runner-up in each competition.  In Miss, second runner-up Mackenzie Blair-Griffith, (who was also fourth runner-up at Miss GA Teen USA 2015) is back and in Teen, first runner-up Karsyn Pennington is returning (second runner-up Kelly Hutchison made the top 10 at Miss AL USA a couple of weekends ago).  Kayla Booth, a Miss semi-finalist last year and fourth runner-up at Miss GA USA 2015 is the only other runner-up back in Miss.  Three-time Florida Teen semi-finalist Olivia Caputo has moved to GA and is competing in her first Miss pageant.

Other returning Miss semi-finalists are Brittany Deaville, Dia Davis (who started her pageant career in California), Sara LaChapelle, Erin O'Sullivan and 2013 Alabama top ten semi-finalist Melanie Newman.

​In Teen, Jairyn Honore and Hollyn Adams from 2016 and Hunter Maddox from 2015 are the only other returning semi-finalists. 

Congratulations to Emanii Davis Miss Georgia USA 2016 and Bentley Wright Miss Georgia Teen USA 2016!  Emanii was fourth runner-up in 2014 but did not compete last year.  Past runners-up have now won Miss GA  USA for six of the past seven years.  Bentley was competing in the USA system for the first time but has previously competed at Miss Georgia's Outstanding Teen.

In 2014 Emanii competed with Sibahn Doxey, Miss Montana Teen USA 2011 who was a semi-finalist at Miss GA USA 2014 & 2015.  Sibahn won the Miss Montana USA 2016 title earlier this year so the two will compete together for a second time!

Keila Diaz placed first runner-up in Miss for the third consecutive year.  To be a repeat first runner-up is a fate I wouldn't wish on anyone, and three times in a row is even harder - thank goodness we have Heather Elwell's example that you can experience that disappointment then come out on top (1st runner-up in Maine from 2012-2014 then won in 2015).  

Second runner-up went to Makenzie Blair-Griffith, fourth runner-up in last year's Teen pageant.  Third runner-up was newcomer Marianny Egurrola and Miss Georgia Teen USA 2011 Kristen Robinson placed fourth runner-up.

Among the semi-finalists were 2015 second runner-up Indya Smith and fourth runner-up Kayla Booth.

​In the Teen division first runner-up was first-time contestant Karson Pennington.  Last year's first runner-up and former Miss GA's Outstanding Teen Kelly Hutchinson placed second runner-up.  Third runner-up went to 2015 semi-finalist Katerina Rozmajzl and 2015 non-finalist Ariana Blaize​ was fourth runner-up.

Miss Georgia USA 2016: Emanii Davis (4RU 14) 
1RU: Keila Diaz (1RU 15, 1RU 14) 
2RU: McKenzie Blair-Griffith (4RU GA TUSA 15, SF 14) 
3RU: Marianny Egurrola
4RU: Kristen Robinson (SF 14, GA TUSA 11)

Semi-finalists:
Ariel Anderson
Kayla Booth (4RU 15, SF GA TUSA 09)
Shanti Danes 
Brittany Deaville (SF 15)
Dia Davis (T10 CA USA 15, T10 CA USA 14, NF  CA USA 13)
Tatum Harmon (SF 14)
Erin O'Sullivan 
Alexis Sellers 
Indya Smith (2RU 15)
Lindsay Walker  

Miss Georgia Teen USA 2016: Bentley Wright
1RU: Karson Pennington
2RU: Kelly Hutchinson (1RU 15, GA's OT 13)
3RU: Katerina Rozmajzl (SF 15)
4RU: Ariana Blaize (NF 15)

Semi-finalists:
Hollyn Adams 
McCall Allen
Morgan Bowen
Yasmeen Furman
Jairyn Honore
Sabrina Lewis (NF 14)
Morgan Mullis
Madeline Niersbach 
Caroline Puri (NF 15)
Macy Wilbanks
Carrington Wilkes 

Congeniality: Cassie Cothern
Photogenic: Carrington Wilkes

UPDATE! Congratulations to Miss GA USA 2016 Emanii Davis & Miss GA Teen USA Bentley Wright.  More details here.  Click their names to view their titleholder profiles.

Miss Georgia USA & Teen USA 2016 will be crowned this Saturday evening in McDonough.

Three of last year's Miss runners-up are competing again this year, including two-time first runner-up Keila Diaz.  The others are Indya Smith (2nd runner-up) and Kayla Booth (4th runner-up).  2014's fourth runner-up Emanii Davis is back, after sitting out 2015.  Last year's Teen fourth runner-up Mackenzie Blair-Griffith is also competing in the Miss competition this year.  Miss Georgia Teen USA 2011 Kristen Robinson, a semi-finalist in 2014, is having her second attempt at the Miss title.

Three of the Miss contestants, Kayla Booth, Karen Kagha and Maggie Hiers were semi-finalists at Miss Georgia Teen USA 2009 alongside current Miss GA USA Brooke Fletcher.  Karen last competed in Miss Tennessee USA in 2011 and Maggie is competing in Miss for the first time.

California contestant Dia Davis, top ten in 2014 and 2015, is competing in Georgia this year.

In Teen, first runner-up and former Miss Georgia's Outstanding Teen Kelly Hutchinson is back this year, as is 2014 first runner-up Ansley McGhee, who was a semi-finalist last year.  Returning semi-finalists are Madison Laprade, Anna Beth Toole and Katerina Rozmajzl.

* indicates contestant is competing in Miss in 2016 | ^ indicates contestant is competing in Teen

See also:
Miss Georgia USA & Teen USA Titleholder History | Georgia state pageant results 

Click 'read more' or scroll down to view the full list of contestants.