Miss Bahamas Universe or Miss Universe Bahamas is a national beauty pageant that selects The Bahamas representative to the Miss Universe pageant.
History
Miss Universe Bahamas was established in 2008 by Tom Youth and Andy Odenbach in the Bahamas.[1][2] The Miss Universe representatives from the Bahamas were previously selected by the Miss Bahamas pageant.[3]
Organizers
The Miss Bahamas Committee ran the pageant for 40 years. In 2002, the franchise for the Miss Universe pageant was awarded to Theophilus Fritz and Gaynell Rolle who ran it until 2009. In 2010, the Miss Bahamas Organization (MBO) headed by journalist Michelle Malcolm was awarded the franchise for Miss Universe. At the time, MBO, which was formed in 2006, and had produced the Miss World Bahamas pageant since the year 2007.
After receiving the Miss Universe franchise, MBO combined the Miss World and Miss Universe systems into one local pageant, crowning one winner who would compete in both pageants. This was the first time in The Bahamas that the license for both Miss Universe and Miss World were held by the same organization. Braneka Bassett competed in Miss Universe in 2010 and went unplaced. She then competed in Miss World that same year and advanced to the semifinals. The following year, MBO crowned two winners - Anastagia Pierre for Miss Universe and Sasha Joyce for Miss World. Runners up went to Miss Supranational and Miss Intercontinental. In 2012, due to a change in date of Miss World, Daronique Young, first runner up to Sasha Joyce in 2011, represented The Bahamas at Miss World where she was unplaced. Celeste Marshall who was crowned Miss Universe Bahamas in 2012, competed at Miss Universe in 2012. De'Andra Bannister who was crowned Miss Bahamas, competed at Miss World 2013 and was unplaced.
In 2013 MBO underwent a major restructuring, and separated the two national pageants into separate events; Miss Universe Bahamas and Miss World Bahamas. In 2014 MBO sent Tomacina "Tomii" Culmer to Miss Universe, and was the last competition wher MBO held the Miss Universe franchise for The Bahamas.
In 2015, 2016 and 2017 the franchise as Miss Universe Bahamas was operated by Albany Resort and Ivy Lane Ltd. Michelle Collie and Loretta Thomas were national directors. In 2015, Toria Nichole Penn represented The Bahamas at Miss Universe, with Cherell Williamson in 2016, and Yasmine Cooke in 2017. This was the last time Albany Resort and Ivy Lane Ltd. would hold the franchise.
In 2018 the franchise was operated by Westpoint Media Global Ltd, who changed the name back to Miss Bahamas Universe. At the time, they had produced the Miss Teen Bahamas Scholar pageant since 2016, and Miss Teen Bahamas International from 2012 to 2015.
On September 16, 2018 Danielle Simone Grant was selected as Miss Bahamas Universe and represented The Bahamas in Bangkok, Thailand at Miss Universe on December 16, 2018.
At Miss Universe, Brian wore The Bahamas sash and this is for the first time after many years Bahamas changed its sash name from Bahamas to The Bahamas.
There was no pageant in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Miller, a runner-up of 2019 was appointed as Miss Bahamas Universe 2020 by the MBU Organization.
