BANGKOK — Nguyễn Thúc Thùy Tiên has been crowned Miss Grand International 2021 - beating off models from 59 countries from across the globe.

The 23-year-old is the first-ever Vietnamese beauty queen to win  the title of Miss Grand International.

She won the top spot after the final round of the competition in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday night. 

"I have to be honest that I didn’t think I would be standing here. I’m very nervous right now. I just want to say that I’m ready to work. I’m ready to be in Thailand for one year," the Vietnamese beauty answered.

Nguyễn Thúc Thùy Tiên is the first-ever Vietnamese beauty queen to win an international pageant.  — Photo courtesy of the organiser

Earlier that night, she had been asked: "With the current world situation there are many problems such as those related to human rights and economy, if you choose one person to discuss the problem in order to make the change, who will you choose and why?"

Thùy Tiên said she chose to meet Prof. Sarah Gilbert, the inventor of the Astra Zeneca vaccine, to spread gratitude to her for creating a great vaccine without profit.

Her answer was appreciated by the judges and the audience for its intelligence and humanity.

During the contest, she was constantly praised by beauty experts for having a bright smile, outstanding beauty, and for being a formidable candidate for the crown of Miss Grand International 2021. 

The Vietnamese beauty received the crown of Miss Grand International 2021 from her predecessor, Evelyn Abena Appiah of the US. — Photo courtesy of the organiser

Nguyễn Thúc Thùy Tiên was born in Hồ Chí Minh City. She attended HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities and can speak many languages such as English, French, and Thai.

Prior to competing in Miss Grand International, the Vietnamese took part in the Miss Southern Việt Nam 2017 pageant where she was named as first runner-up.

Tiên also placed in the Top 5 during Miss Việt Nam 2018 and went on to represent the country at Miss International 2018. However, she was unplaced.

Miss Grand International was founded in 2013. It’s one of the six major global beauty contests held annually, the others being: Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International, Miss Earth, and Miss Supranational.

The scale of this year's contest was narrowed in both the number of contestants and side activities because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the contestants were praised for their uniform beauty and the organisation was highly appreciated. On the final night, the organiser of the contest also announced that Miss Grand International 2022 will be held in Indonesia. — VNS