The eyes of the world are on the 71st edition of Miss Universe, set to take place tonight, January 14th, 2023, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States.

Dubbed “The Greatest Celebration of Women,” over eighty women will compete in the international beauty pageant to secure the multimillion-dollar crown designed by Mouawad Jewelry.

©Mouawad

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Named “Mouawad Force for Good Crown,” the second-generation piece holds 110 carats of blue sapphires, 48 carats of white diamonds, and a 45.14-carat royal blue sapphire at its center. It is valued at approximately $5.75 million.

Two weeks before the show’s night, the beauty pageants have been competing in preliminary competitions, including the national costume and the swimsuit contest, where they tapped into their creativity to design a blank Liva Fluid Fashion cape in collaboration with a local artist.

Each piece had to include a drawing or quote representing the cause they proudly serve. Each beauty queen showed their talent, charisma, and compassion while securely parading to convince the judges that they have what it takes to become the next Miss Universe.

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The Miss Universe organization selected an all-female committee for the pageant. A group of women outstanding in various industries, including sports, beauty, and music. HOLA! USA had the exclusive opportunity to speak with sports journalist Emily Austin about what the 2023 committee is considering to crown the new Miss Universe.

Find below what the reporter, social media influencer, and activist says.

©Miss Universe / Emily Austin

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Only some people can say they have had the life experience of selecting a Miss Universe. How did you become a judge?

About two weeks ago, I got a call from a random number asking, “is this still Emily Austin?” I said, “yes.” She said, “Do you want to be part of the selection committee for Miss Universe?” I said, “of course.” She was a producer I had worked with when I was 18 on a celebrity boxing fight and remembered me after all the years. I was very flattered!

Being a judge of one of the most-watched beauty pageants in the world must be exciting and nerve-wracking. How are you feeling tonight?

I’m super excited! I know it is going to be fast-paced, and I have to keep up with scoring while ensuring every woman gets 100% of my attention.

The weight of the world is on the committee’s shoulders during the 71st edition of Miss Universe. What are the judges contemplating to select our new beauty queen?

I can summarize it as follows:

Confidence

Elegance

A woman who is well spoken

Friendly

Keeps you engaged in a conversation

Motivated

Strength. It’s going to be a long year!

You have met all the contestants. Have you learned anything special from them, their dreams, and their causes?

I learned that every person has something in common despite being from all over the world. Literally, everyone can find something to relate to, no matter where you’re from. Many of these women have similar causes they care for, similar struggles, similar childhood experiences, and even something like taste in music. It shows if people bothered to spend a few minutes getting to know one another, you would find something in common.

©Miss Universe / Emily Austin

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Do you already have a favorite to win the crown, or are you still conflicted? What would be decisive for you tonight?

I have a few favorites so far. I told myself, “if any of them win, I’d be content.” But then again, the final scoring hasn’t been done yet, so let’s see how tonight goes.

At this point, a few have already caught my attention. How they answer the questions makes or breaks their scoring.

The 2023 Miss Universe will be held on Saturday, January 14, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT., live from the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The Miss Universe pageant will be aired on the Roku channel. To access the broadcasting, you can visit Roku.com, Roku TVs, Roku Streaming Stick, Fire TV Stick 4K, or use similar devices, Amazon Fire TVs, Apple TV, and Samsung TVs. You can also download the Roku app for Android and iOS devices.

Telemundo will begin their Spanish-language broadcasting at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. You can secure a free trial from FuboTV and DirecTV Stream if you live in the United States or use ExpressVPN to stream internationally.