Victoria Velasquez Vincent was crowned Miss Universe New Zealand in September. Photo / Miss Universe New Zealand
Victoria Velasquez Vincent was crowned Miss Universe New Zealand in September. Photo / Miss Universe New Zealand
Victoria Velasquez Vincent was crowned Miss Universe New Zealand in September this year – but other contestants have questioned her win, sparking the beauty queen to defend her right to the title.
Vincent, 29, an architect of Kiwi-Filipino heritage who grew up in Whitford, is “honoured” to have won the Miss Universe New Zealand title.
“Representing the country where I was born and raised, and the country that has significantly shaped who I am today, is something I’m really excited for. I hope I bring a sense of pride to our people through this competition,” she said.
Vincent completed her double master’s degree in architecture and heritage conservation at the University of Auckland in 2019. Since then, she’s worked in the construction industry in New Zealand and Australia and as a model, volunteer and speaker in the Philippines.
She was 25 when she entered her first pageant, going on to win Miss Universe Philippines Charity in 2021. She also competed in the Miss Universe Philippines pageant this year, finishing in the top 10.
A newly-crowned Vincent told the Herald that she is aware of the questions raised over her eligibility to compete.
Having represented both the Philippines and Aotearoa on the Miss Universe stage, she says, “I hope we reach a time where there is more understanding and acceptance of those who are biracial or mixed race.
“As a Kiwi-Filipino, I honour both my father’s heritage and my mother’s heritage in every way I can. Being Filipino doesn’t dilute the fact that I am a proud Kiwi, and vice versa. I’ve learned to lean into my mix of cultures rather than being torn between them.”
But a contestant who took part in the Miss Universe New Zealand pageant this year contacted the Herald, believing Vincent may have been unfairly advantaged.
The contestant, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Herald she believed Vincent was “encouraged” to take part in the pageant by the organisers.
“It’s a lot of people’s big dream to have that opportunity ... however, I did not want to join if she was joining, because she does have a big fan base and she is highly trained. She trained every day for a very long time in the Philippines and they’re like the pageant powerhouse,” she claims.
But organisers reportedly told the contestant they couldn’t reveal who was taking part and encouraged the anonymous contestant to join anyway – so she did.
The pageant took place across just one month from registration to the grand final in Auckland in September. The contestant says “every single one” of the 16 women who took part were “lovely”, though she says the experience itself was “very full on and it was quite stressful” and costly.
Victoria Velasquez Vincent, who previously competed in Miss Universe Philippines, is this year's Miss Universe New Zealand. Photo / Miss Universe New Zealand
But her personal opinion was that the organisers and judges “favoured” Vincent rather than “a Kiwi who actually wants to represent New Zealand and is with the people here”.
Vincent was born in Aotearoa and is a New Zealand citizen, though she has also spent time living and working in the Philippines.
In previous years, contestants had to have lived in New Zealand for 12 months before and following the finals.
This year’s pageant took place for the first time since 2019, under new ownership, with the licence to run the competition recently purchased by Maria Siayngco and Dwaye Mallo.
“Maria [Siayngco] said, ‘As you all know, Victoria does not live here’. Then she said that she does have an address here ... but we all knew that she didn’t live here,” the contestant claims.
In response to a request for comment from the Herald, organisers Siayngco and Mallo said of this year’s pageant, “The finalists came from different backgrounds as Miss Universe embraces inclusivity and diversity.
“The entry requirements are also based on the international criteria, namely 18 years old and above, a candidate should be a NZ citizen [with a NZ passport] ora NZ resident [a permanent resident, stayed in NZ for at least 6 months] to meet the eligibility to join MUNZ national pageant.
“We uphold the statement that ‘Miss Universe serves humanity with equality and without distinction by celebrating diversity and inclusion’. We have Māori candidates who joined MUNZ 2024 too and we are proud to say that all cultures are welcome and united thus also embracing Māori participation.”
As winner, Vincent will go on to represent New Zealand in the Miss Universe competition in Mexico on November 16.
