Audrey Eckert of Nebraska was crowned Miss USA 2025 on October 24 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. The 23-year-old’s win marks Nebraska’s second victory in the national pageant, following Sarah Rose Summers’ win in 2018.
Eckert stood out among 50 contestants representing every U.S. state. The competition featured segments including the state costume showcase, preliminary round, and final interviews. With co-hosts Emmanuel Acho and Olivia Jordan leading the event, judges Nia Sanchez, Jade Tolbert, Sasha Farber, Kenneth Barlis, and Hannah Edwards selected Eckert as the winner after she earned the highest overall score.
As the newly crowned Miss USA, Eckert will represent the United States at Miss Universe 2025, which takes place this November in Thailand.
This year’s coronation also came with unexpected drama. Hours before the final show, Miss USA 2024, Alma Cooper, announced that she would not attend the event to pass down her title.
“After much consideration, I’ve made the extremely difficult decision not to attend this year’s Miss USA pageant and crowning ceremony,” Cooper shared on Instagram. “As I close this chapter, I do so with the knowledge that I finished what I started with integrity and my self-worth held high, just like the crown I was honored to wear.”
Miss USA CEO and President Thom Brodeur later confirmed that organizers had extended an invitation to Cooper, hoping she would join the event in whatever capacity felt right. “Our dream was to warmly welcome Alma to participate in the 2025 competition in whatever way she was most comfortable,” Brodeur wrote on Instagram Stories. “Our invitation still stands, and we hope to provide her the dignified end to her reign that she deserves.”
Though Cooper ultimately chose not to attend, Brodeur emphasized that her decision does not diminish her legacy. “We honor you, Alma,” he wrote. “You are a queen. You are our queen even if we didn’t start this journey with you. And you are forever our Miss USA 2024.”
With grace, confidence, and the pride of her home state, Audrey Eckert now carries the torch as the next face of Miss USA, representing a new era of empowerment and elegance on the global stage.
