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The Dominican Republic has claimed the Miss World 2026 crown, while Nigeria’s representative, Tamunosoye Karibi-George, finished among the competition’s Top 12 contestants.
Joheirry Mola Dominguez was crowned at the grand finale held on Saturday at April 2 Square in Nha Trang, Vietnam, defeating contestants from 72 other countries to become the second woman from the Dominican Republic to win the title.
Her victory came 44 years after Mariasela Álvarez became the first Dominican woman to win Miss World in 1982.
Spain’s Elisabeth Reynés Alabern was named first runner-up, while Malaysia’s Taanusiya Chetty took the second runner-up position. Chetty also received the Beauty with a Purpose award.
Karibi-George, popularly known as Soye, made a strong run through the competition but could not secure a place in the final six after reaching the Top 12.
Her progress had begun with a major breakthrough at the Vietnam Beauty Fashion Fest, where she won the Africa Top Model title. The victory earned her an automatic place in the Top 40, ahead of representatives from Botswana, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya and South Africa.
The Nigerian contestant subsequently advanced to the Top 20 before making the Top 12 alongside representatives from Brazil, France, the Philippines, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The six contestants who eventually made the final stage were Dominguez of the Dominican Republic, Spain’s Reynés Alabern, Malaysia’s Chetty, Vietnam’s Lê Nguyễn Bảo Ngọc, South Africa’s Romanda Hombir and Eritrea’s Snit Habteab Tewoldemedhin.
Dominguez, 24, combines modelling with teaching, journalism and community advocacy. She studied Business Management and Administration at Universidad Iberoamericana and established Voices of Tomorrow, an initiative aimed at improving access to English education for vulnerable children.
Karibi-George, 26, hails from Port Harcourt and represented Bayelsa State at the national pageant before emerging as Miss World Nigeria 2026 in June. She was crowned at Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, succeeding Joy Mojisola Raimi, who reached the Top 20 at the 2025 edition.
Beyond pageantry, Karibi-George works as a communications professional, model, actress, voice-over artist, event host and scriptwriter. She is also the founder of Beyond Labels, an initiative promoting inclusion, dignity, education and empowerment for children with disabilities, people with special needs and neurodivergent individuals.
She featured in the Head-to-Head and Talent competitions during the pageant, where she performed Sia’s “Opportunity”.
Her appearances also highlighted Nigeria’s cultural identity, particularly the heritage of the Niger Delta. Among her notable presentations was the “Amazon of the Mangrove” costume, while she wore a green-and-white evening gown reflecting Nigeria’s national colours.
The 2026 contest, which featured 111 contestants, marked the first time Vietnam hosted Miss World and coincided with celebrations of the pageant’s 75th anniversary.
Eritrea, French Guiana, Maldives, Mozambique and Pakistan also made their first appearances at the competition.
The next Miss World contest is scheduled to hold in Tanzania in 2027.
