Three Pacific women celebrate major beauty pageant wins
Beauty pageants remain an important part of cultural and social life in many Pacific Island countries, although their significance vary across the region.
Pageants such as Miss Pacific Islands, Miss Samoa, Miss Heilala (Tonga), Miss Hibiscus (Fiji) and Miss Cook Islands, provide young Pacific women with a platform to advocate on issues they are passionate about.
Three Pacific women are celebrating major beauty pageant victories – domestically and internationally – after being crowned over the weekend.
Miss World Cook Islands: Tiare Henry-Anguna
Tiare Henry-Anguna, who represented the Cook Islands, was crowned Miss World Oceania 2026 after reaching the Top 20 at the 73rd Miss World competition in Vietnam.
Henry-Anguna was among 111 contestants who spent a month competing in various categories. The overall winner was Dominican Republic’s Johierry Mola, with the six continental queens announced alongside her.
- Read more: Cook Islander crowned Miss Oceania for the second time at Miss World
Miss Samoa (2026-27): Poumau Astes Ah Lam Tiufea Va’a
In Samoa, Poumau Astesclanalesusi Ah Lam Tiufea Va’a was crowned the new Miss Samoa.
This year’s pageant saw eight contestants in the running for the national title under the theme “Ua Tālā Measina“, or opening Samoa’s cultural treasures.
On the night, Tiufea Va’a also won the Best Sarong and Best Siva Samoa categories.
Her family aren’t new to pageantry, with her older sister Philomena Tiufea Va’a finishing as second runner-up in the Miss Samoa 2011 pageant and her other sister Barbara Tiufea Va’a crowned Miss Samoa Fa’afafine in 2018.
After being crowned, Tiufea Va’a told local reporters that she is looking forward to serving Samoa. She will be vying for the Miss Pacific Islands title, which will take place in Samoa early next year.
Miss Hibiscus (2026-27): Sala Korosaya
In Fiji, Sala Korosaya took out the Miss Hibiscus title.
The 23-year-old, who is studying law and commerce at the University of the South Pacific, emerged as the winner out of 11 contestants at the 70th Hibiscus Festival in Suva.
Speaking to the crowd, Korosaya said she initially didn’t feel good enough to compete in the pageant.
Miss Hibiscus will represent Suva City in the upcoming Miss Fiji pageant, to be held later in the year.
Other titleholders
Across the Pacific, other national queens have also been crowned.
In Tonga, Silia Sitoafa Matelau was crowned Miss Heilala 2026-27 in July.
Leia Diard was crowned Miss Tahiti 2026 in June, while American Samoa crowned Tilomai Tauilili as its new national queen in June.
The regional Miss Pacific Islands crown is currently held by Fiji’s Ailava Samuels, who was crowned in February.
