Miss Nicaragua Wins Miss Universe Crown—The First Win for the Country

At the José Adolfo Pineda Arena in San Salvador, El Salvador, Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua made Miss Universe history by snagging the crown, becoming the first Nicaraguan to do so.

Sheynnis Palacios’ Historic Win

Palacios made history by being the first Nicaraguan to grab the Miss Universe title, and it’s the fifth time Nicaragua’s rocked the semifinals. She hit up X (formerly known as Twitter) to share news of her big win, dropping pics of her rocking the new crown and hitting us with a “Hello Universe” vibe in English!

Interestingly, the pageant was hosted by Miss Universe 2012, Olivia Culpo, and TV stars Jeannie Mai Jenkins and Maria Menounos, making this the first time ever that the whole show was led by an all-female crew.

From Volleyball to Miss Universe

Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua totally slayed the beauty pageant scene, winning Miss Teen Nicaragua and then rocking Miss World Nicaragua, even making it to the top 40 in Miss World 2021.

Back in 2016, Palacios owned the stage and took home the crown for Miss Teen Nicaragua, and then, fast forward to 2020, she took the Miss World Nicaragua title. She’s also not just a beauty queen—Palacios has a degree in mass communications and is a varsity volleyball player.

Palacios’s Power Move

The finalists went through the ultimate showdown in four rounds – from evening gowns to swimwear, dropping personal statements, and getting some in-depth interview Q&A. Palacios was asked: “If you could be another woman for a year, who’s your pick and why?” And guess what? She went all in, choosing 18th-century British writer and women’s rights activist Mary Wollstonecraft. What a pick!

Palacios said she would follow in Mary Wollstonecraft’s footsteps and challenge the income gap, letting women rule any field they want. Big up the new Miss Universe.