Purple was the prevailing color of the 17th Miss Supranational pageant, which took place in Nowy Sacz, Poland last July 31. More than its association with royalty, it also happens to be the color of the stunning new Fioletowa crown, which was first unveiledduring the Preliminaries.

The updated crown purportedly marks a new chapter for the system, which recently expanded its age limit to 33. Following its counterparts’ leads, the contest will soon open its doors to mothers and divorced women. Additionally, non-winning candidates may also vie for a shot to compete again after a minimum of two years.

The show was hosted by Polish actress Ida Nowakowska and Mr. Supranational 2024, South Africa’s Dr. Fezile Mkhize. It was a lively tandem, although Nowakowska would noticeably flub more in the male contest. Serving as backstage commentators were two notable alumnae – last year’s host delegate and Top 24 placer Kasandra Zawal and 2024 2nd Runner-Up, Czech Republic’s Justyna Zednikova, who proved to be quite humorous.  

Prevailing color palette aside, there was not much departure in tone from previous productions. It’s still catwalk-driven spectacle set to pop song covers, peppered with the occasional local performer.

Once again, the delegation fell short of the 70 mark, which will probably remain the case, now that Mr. Supranational is held concurrently. Girls from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Equatorial Guinea (again!) dropped out after Supra Chat, leaving this year’s final count to 67. It was a rather competitive bunch, with no major upset placements.

Notable Shutouts   

There were no jaw-dropping shutouts of the Eshwin Kaur kind, but the parody account, Miss El Tocuyo, did “crown” Paraguay’s Cecilia Romero. Also up for the accolade were two Africans, South Africa’s Shannon Benting and Zambia’s Eutray Simwatachela, this year’s sacrificial Top Model finalist. And rounding up that shortlist were Australia’s Rebecca Shandley, who mirrored her predecessor’s fate, and Canada’s Arshdeep Thind, who stretched the post-Siera Bearchell drought for one more year.  

Talent was never a Fast Track here. But even without that assurance, there was hope Curaçao’s Veronica Pichardo would continue her island’s streak. Sadly, that didn’t materialize, but at least her original song earned airtime. 

Other revelations who fell short were China’s Yuanxi Qi, arguably the Mainland’s best so far, Guatemala’s Elizabeth Blanco, and Finland’s Selja Kolu, whose face card was immaculate. Special mention goes to Polli Cannabis, who represented both Belarus and Russia in a record number of previous pageants. This time, she made history by debuting the United Arab Emirates’ on the Supra-stage. She even toned it down accordingly in swimsuit.  

The Top 24 

The placers were, likewise, hardly shockers. The closest we had to one was Ecuador’s Kika Marques, who at least put her country back in contention after Andrea Aguilera’s win. Dominican Republic’s Nicole Hernandez was always a pick, if not a heavy favorite. She passed muster, but lost the Caribbean Continental title to Jamaica’s vibrant Rasheda Green. 

Africans figured strongly in this round, with Zimbabwe’s Nicole Nyawera; Namibia’s Supra-Chat winner Cassia Sharpley, now vindicated from Universe and Cosmo; and, to some degree, Japan’s Sadia Nagotori, who’s half-Ghanian.  

Cambodia finally made the cut with Supra-Influencer winner Sarytola Hok, while the United States’ Marley Stokes continued her lucky streak from nationals. The South Carolina native placed via From the Ground Up. 

Thailand’s Kanyalak Nookaew made the cut, after almost not even making it to the contest. She at least qualified her country after a year and, to a larger extreme, İlayda Güvenç placed Türkiye after 13. It’s her country’s first placement under its native name. 

There was no doubt Iceland’s Hrafnhildur Haraldsdóttir, would place with ease, if not necessarily outdo her Miss Earth-Air 2024 finish. Even with the latter odds, her journey here ended way too early. Same can be said for Macau’s stunning Supra Model winner Luiyu Li, who scored a breakthrough for the Chinese SAR. It would have been great to see her slay for at least one more round. Then again, a Top 12 slot was already saved for a Fast Track winner. 

The Top 12 

Despite reports of being scolded by staff, Vietnam’s Quynh Mai Ngo beat the odds by winning Supra Fan Vote. With her placement, she also effectively equaled her Miss Charm 2025 feat, and she looks more polished than ever. 

Also making the Top 12 were two early frontrunners. 10 years since Srinidhi Shetty claimed India’s second Supra-victory, Avni Gupta seemed well-equipped to claim a third. Alas, she settled in this tier, together with Spain’s Nelly Mestre. At least the latter’s male counterpart nabbed the kingdom’s second win 24 hours later. 

Tanzania debuted strongly with Tracy Nabukeera, who scored the Continental Title for Africa, while hometown girl Oliwia Mikulska reclaimed Europe’s Continent Title for Poland. Victory remains elusive for Venezuela, whose closest shot was Valeria Vespoli 10 years ago. This year, they settled with The Americas’ Continental Title, thanks to Silvia Maestre. 

Earning Asia and Oceania’s Continental Title for a consecutive year was Indonesia. Prior to the finals, there was clamor for Agnes Rahajeng to secure a sandwich victory for her nation. Little did everyone know, another Southeast Asian was bound to overtake her. 

The Runners-Up

If Preliminary Evaluation were the sole basis, then the Czech Republic’s Karolina Gorylova would be the runaway winner. In fact, hours before the coronation, most fan pages had her as their top choice. 

Then came finals night, where she crossed the line between convincing judges she deserved to win and shining like she won already. She exuded the former and her overlong responses didn’t bolster her cause. She was frustratingly 4th Runner-Up, therefore joining the ranks of other Czech near-misses before her, like Justyna and 2010’s 1st Runner-Up Hana Verna. But, given the new rule, maybe she can take a shot at it again in two years? 

Prior to Eno Ndah, only two Nigerians have made the cut here before – three, if you count last year’s United States representative, Marvelous Anyaolu. This year, history was poised to be made for the Smile of Africa and she pulled just that. She finished 3rd Runner-Up, her country’s highest placement here to date. And considering how she clearly she constructed her answers well below time limit, some say deserved higher. 

With the reigning queen, Eduarda Braum, hailing from Brazil, it was already an uphill climb for Lara Marina. It’s not that back-to-backs never happen, it’s just that, aside from Miss International, this is one tilt where such a feat never occurred. She fought as a potential winner ever could, but her 2nd Runner-Up finish was understandable. Her catharsis was evident as her compatriot bestowed her with her tiara. Just like Czech Republic, perhaps, she can give this another try. 

It was an overdue comeback for France, which last placed and, for that matter, showed up in 2021. Obviously, the fact Swann Lavigne won Mr. Supranational last year made it more than imminent. It’s been a year since Eve Gilles defied norms with her short hair, something still shockingly frowned upon until then, but look how she fared in Miss Universe. Inevitably, she entered this race with expectations amplified and, to no surprise, she sky-rocketed. With her 1st Runner-Up finish, she not only scored the best French placement by a female candidate this decade. She also silenced her critics anew. 

The Winner 

Comparatively speaking, Katrina Llegado’s journey was one Pinoys barely followed. It’s not that fans aren’t aware of her mettle as former Reina Hispanoamericana runner-up. Perhaps, they trusted her enough to continue the streak that’s been in place since Mutya Datul won in 2013 and anticipation has now shifted to her national successor, who’s set to compete in 2027. 

Yet, there were murmurs that the powers-that-be were enamored – that, considering Indonesia was the perceived Asian-to-beat and Czech Republic was the top choice even among Filipinos. The point was, the veteran brought her A Game anyway, and the momentum continued until finals. 

Even in the Interview rounds, long perceived to be her Waterloo, she delivered. The buckles were still there, but her points were more coherent and impactful than ever. The messages came across and, perhaps, that’s what sealed the deal. The Philippines is now the second country to win Miss Supranational more than once. 

It was invigorating news for Filipinos to wake up to, and a welcome surprise at that. 13 years since this pageant entered national consciousness, another Pinay has finally joined the fray, donning a new crown at that. The best part? Hardly anyone obsessed about this journey, much less anticipated the outcome, until it actually came. Granted, it is a fresh new era for the pageant, how timely that a Filipina gets to usher it in, replete with a cover of Prince’s Purple Rain blasting in the background. Suddenly, Allison Hetland has gigantic shoes to fill.