The annual Miss Chicago and Miss Chicago’s Teen Scholarship Competition is back. As the official local preliminary competition for Miss Illinois, the 2026 competition will take place on Sunday, January 11 at The Mayfair Theater – Irish American Heritage Center, located at 4625 N. Knox Ave., Chicago, IL.
The winners will advance to the Miss Illinois Scholarship Competition, taking place in June 2026, at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center. Contestants will compete for the following coveted titles:
- Miss Chicago
- Miss Chicago’s Teen
- Miss Windy City
- Miss Windy City’s Teen
- Miss Cook County
- Miss Cook County’s Teen
A Legacy of Excellence
As part of the Miss America organization, the Miss Chicago competition is one of Illinois’ oldest and most prestigious pageants, with its origins dating back to 1922. This year marks the 104th Miss Chicago competition, following in the footsteps of recent titleholders:
- Miss Chicago 2022 – Makalyn Heaslett, who celebrated the 100th anniversary
- Miss Chicago 2023 – Elise O’Connell
- Miss Chicago 2024 – Melanie Zhang
- Miss Chicago 2025 – Rhiannon Graham
2025 Miss Chicago and Miss Chicago’s Teen Scholarship Competition Winners
- Miss Chicago 2025: Rhiannon Graham
- Miss Windy City 2025: Nitsaniyah Fitch (currently Miss Illinois 2025)
- Miss Cook County 2025: Mbayi Aben
- Miss Chicago’s Teen 2025: Alyssia Duda
- Miss WIndy City’s Teen 2025: Kerry Korenteng
- Miss Cook County’s Teen 2025: Alessia Shaw
For more information, visit MissChicago.org.
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