New Bahamian Queens for 2015

PHOTO CREDIT: MISS BAHAMAS ORGANIZATION

The Miss Bahamas Organization (MBO) crowned three new Bahamian queens for 2015 on Sunday night, September 13, at the Atlantis Paradise Theatre in Nassau.  Proclaimed Miss World Bahamas 2015 was Chantel O'Brian, 21, who will represent the Bahamas in 2015 Miss World pageant in Sanya, China on December 19.  Miss Universe Bahamas 2015 is  Toria Penn, 27, who will compete in the next edition of Miss Universe whose date and venue have not been confirmed.  And Miss Earth Bahamas 2015 is Darronique Young, 25, who will compete in 2015 Miss Earth pageant to be held in Vienna, Austria on December 5.  O'Brian was crowned by 2014 Miss World Bahamas, Rosetta Cartwright. Young was crowned by 2014 Miss Earth Bahamas Vandia Sands. Penn was crowned by MBO President Michelle Malcolm. 

PHOTO CREDIT: MISS BAHAMAS ORGANIZATION

Sienna Evans, 18 (farthest left) was named first runner-up for Miss Universe Bahamas, while Tavette Darville, 25 (farthest right) was named first runner-up for Miss World Bahamas. The new queens were crowned in two separate shows. The winner of Miss Earth Bahamas 2015 was chosen from the five contestants competing for Miss Universe Bahamas 2015.  Darronique Young is the first Miss Earth Bahamas to be crowned under the tutelage of Miss Bahamas Organization (MBO) which recently acquired the franchise. This year is also special because it marks MBO's tenth anniversary.

Critical Beauty director Rafa Delfin was part of the judging panel for Miss World Bahamas 2015. He presented the Miss Critical Beauty Bahamas 2015 award to the contestant who best demonstrated the perfect balance of style and substance. The lucky winner was Chantel O'Brian, Miss World Grand Bahama.

The four other judges for Miss World Bahamas included Loleta Dixon, Miss Commonwealth Bahamas 1995 and represented the Bahamas in Miss World 1995; Carol Barnett, events and sponsorship manager for BTC (Bahamas Telecommunications Company); Pia Rolle, president of PTG Marketing and Modeling Agency; and Walter Greene, a New York-based international journalist, editor, author, fashion coordinator and consultant. Barnett, Rolle and Green repeated their judging responsibility for Miss Universe Bahamas 2015, and they were joined by Asha Jackson, a Superior Court Judge based in Atlanta, Georgia; and by Sharon Ferguson, Miss Bahamas 1975 who represented her country in Miss Universe 1976.

Six young women competed in this year's Miss World Bahamas pageant. Besides O'Brian and Darville, the rest included Angenique Smith (who placed second runner-up), Reyneisha McIntosh, Alvina Rolle, and Analicia Thompson. Five young women competed in this year's Miss Universe Bahamas pageant. Besides Penn, Young and Evans, the remaining two were Jade Bastian and Michelle McIntosh.

TORIA PENN - MISS UNIVERSE BAHAMAS 2015

CHANTEL O'BRIAN - MISS WORLD BAHAMAS 2015

DARRONIQUE YOUNG - MISS EARTH BAHAMAS 2015

PHOTO CREDIT: CELESTIALLY CREATED FROM FACEBOOK

One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of Celeste Marshall, Miss Universe Bahamas 2012, who had just won 1st runner-up in the recently concluded Top Model of The World 2015 contest. In the photo above, Celeste is cheered by the crowd as she is interviewed by co-hosts Leslia Brice and Jerome Sawyer. 

This was my first time to judge the Miss World Bahamas pageant, but my second visit in the Bahamas (I judged Miss Universe Bahamas in 2013). I would like to express my deepest and sincerest gratitude to the entire staff of the Miss Bahamas Organization, specially to its formidable and beautiful president, Michelle Malcolm, for inviting me to serve in the judging panel. Lastly, I also wish them a very happy tenth anniversary and all the best of luck in their future pageants!

By Rafa Delfin, 9/14/2015