Miss Universe 2016 is now less than a month away.
Yeah, you read that right, I said Miss Universe 2016, who will likely just be called the 65th Miss Universe.
Like in 2014 when negotiations fell through to hold the pageant in the actual calendar year of the titleholder, 2016's contest ended up continuing to be postponed until the Philippines (home of the reigning Miss Universe) could be secured. So likely, 2017 will end up like 2015 and there will be two Miss Universe pageants within a 12-month period.
Regardless of the calendar year it is being held in, the Miss Universe Pageant always attracts hundreds of millions of viewers, especially in Latin American countries and the Philippines, where titleholders are revered and treated like true royalty.
To that end, the top 15 is usually dominated by Latinas and Miss Philippines. In fact 6 of the last 10 Miss Universe winners have come from Latin America countries and 10 of 20 have hailed from that region. Five of the past six Filipino winners have made the top five. Will they continue to dominate?
Despite IMG acquiring the pageant from Donald Trump last year and supposedly going in a different direction regarding winners (reportedly substance over beauty, if last summer's Miss USA Pageant was any indication), look for the top 15 to still have a Latin flair to it.
And since the pageant is being held in pageant-crazy the Philippines, look for their queen to be a major contender.
I actually like this year's Miss Philippines and would place her in my 15 and possibly top 10, but no further.
As usual, here are my pre-arrival picks for contenders. And my picks usually change once the contestants arrive and actually are seen in candids and participate in the preliminary competitions. But, for now, here are the ladies who I think will be major forces to be reckoned with and likely one of these will be your new Miss Universe.
THE CONTENDERS:
If I had to choose just a few who I feel fairly confident will make it to the 10, both Miss Colombia - my current favorite - and Miss Brazil - a close second - would be at the top of the list.
Both are statuesque and beautiful and have that Miss Universe look to them in head shots. Of course, who knows what IMG and the MUO will tell the judges to look for in a winner, but I think both have that 'IT' factor that makes both of them immediately stand out to me. I'd have them 1-2 heading into arrival day in the Philippines.
The same could be said for Miss Curacao, who I think could be the eventual victor and has been solidly in my top five since her crowning. Coming from a non-pageant nation may actually be a plus for her this year, especially if the new owners want to send a message that all nations have an equal chance of winning the international title.
Many are putting Indonesia and Russia solidly in their five, I have them both in my 15, but not the 10 or five.
Right now, I'd round out my contenders with the Misses Australia and Hungary, both are glamorous, but if you look closely, there's a lot going on in their eyes that make them stand out.
Miss Philippines may make it to the top 5, but if she does, surely there will be cries of pageant politics. Come to think of it, there will probably be those same cries if she doesn't make it, too.
STRONG POSSIBILITIES
Others who I'm giving more than a passing glance to right now are: Barbados, the first delegate they've sent in a decade, and who, in my opinion could take it all; Mexico, Ukraine, Sierra Leone, whose short hair will definitely make her stand out; USA, who has grown on me since winning the national crown and definitely has a story courtesy of her serving in the military; and Ukraine.
They would currently round out my top 10.
The rest of those who I think are solid and certainly could be right up there are Belgium, France, Guatemala, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
PRE-ARRIVAL CANDIDATES WITH STRONG POTENTIAL
That would be 14 and I'm almost certain Philippines will be in there and deservedly so, which would then be 15. For pre-arrival consideration though, I'd also have to consider France, the Netherlands, Italy and Thailand.
And while perennial pageant powerhouse Venezuela doesn't do much for me, I'd be foolish not to put her on this list, as well as the aforementioned Indonesia and Russia.
A few dark horses who have caught my eye and who I will be looking at during prelims are Turkey, Argentina and Iceland, who looks just sort of average in her headshot, but in some candids I've seen appears to have a girl next door image that could possibly fit in perfectly with the revised definition of 'Confidently Beautiful,' the official slogan of MUO.
And, of course, as in any pageant, there are sure to be sleepers and surprises and I'll address them in my blog following the preliminary presentation show next month.
For now, though, I'd be surprised if one of the young women mentioned in my pre-arrival blog isn't crowned the 65th Miss Universe when the pageant is televised on Fox on Sunday, January 29.
For photos of the contestants and more coverage, go to www.MissUniverse.com
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