Amaliya Shakirova (born 1995) is an Uzbekistan model, singer, advocate, ambassador, and beauty pageant titleholder best known for winning the title of Miss Uzbekistan 2023. After winning the national competition, Shakirova competed at Miss Grand International 2023, becoming the first Uzbek queen to participate in the pageant.[1]
Early life and education
Amaliya Shakirova was born and raised in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, in a family with mixed racial and religious backgrounds. She grew up with her mother, grandmother, and grandfather. From a young age, Shakirova was passionate about performing, often standing on a chair to give performances for her family. She also engaged in tennis and professional swimming classes during her childhood. By the age of thirteen, Amaliya began traveling as a model, living independently, and graduated from the Professional College of Design.[2][3]
Career
Modeling career
Amaliya's modeling career started at the age of 13 when she was scouted by Figaro Agency, which was formerly based in Uzbekistan and is currently located in Malaysia.[3] She moved to Malaysia to pursue modeling at the age of 16.[4] In addition to modeling, Shakirova enjoys dancing, singing, scuba-diving, jet-skiing, ice-skating, and traveling.[5] She is a student in an English program and aims to become multilingual, including learning the Malay language. Shakirova works as a part-time model and has walked the runway for major fashion brands in countries such as Japan and Italy.[6] She currently resides in Manila, Philippines.[5]
Entrepreneurial Ventures
In Malaysia, Shakirova launched "Amaliya Atelier," a fashion brand that fuses Uzbekistani and Malaysian cultures. The brand was inaugurated in the presence of distinguished guests, including the Ambassador-Designate of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Malaysia. Shakirova expressed her admiration for Malaysian culture, which inspired the creation of the cross-cultural fashion brand.[7]
Media Appearances
Shakirova has expanded her career by appearing in a music video by the group Bojalar[8] and modeling for Bridalwear in Bohol I Do in 2024.[9] Additionally, she has modeled for fashion designer Paul Cabral, featured in Philippine Tatler in 2024.[10] Amaliya gained significant media attention in the Philippines after singing a Tagalog song.[11] She works as a commercial and fashion model.[citation needed]
Humanitarian Work
Amaliya Shakirova is deeply involved in humanitarian efforts. She is an ambassador for Amal THZ, a charity organization working with orphans in Malaysia. She is also an advocate for Ocean Hero Conservation. Amaliya is committed to being a role model in advocating and volunteering for the “Stop the War and Violence” campaign.[5][12]
Pageantry
Miss CosmoWorld 2022
Shakirova's journey into the world of pageantry began in 2022. Despite having only two weeks to prepare, she secured the first runner-up position at Miss CosmoWorld and won the Best Creativity award, sponsored by Carrie Friend, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Shakirova shared her experiences leading up to Miss CosmoWorld 2022:[13][14][15][16]
"It was very exciting for me, and at the same time, I was proud of my country, Uzbekistan. The judges of the competition included representatives from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Colombia, and Japan. After I made it to the top five, I started to get more excited because there were questions from the jury, which were crucial moments," she added. "In the near future, I want to bring the Miss CosmoWorld competition to Uzbekistan and prepare our Uzbek girls for world competitions. I think that a beauty pageant is not only a way to showcase oneself but also to introduce your country to the world, thereby attracting foreign tourists and investors. Thanks to this, the economy of our country will grow. Uzbekistan is my homeland."
Miss Grand International 2023
By winning the Miss Grand Uzbekistan 2023 pageant, Shakirova earned the right to compete in the eleventh edition of Miss Grand International 2023, representing her country. She competed in Miss Grand International held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on October 25, where she ended her journey in the pageant placing in the Top 20 out of sixty-nine contestants.[1][17][18]
