Nandita Banna, Mohana Prabha, Bernadette belle ong + Miss Singapore

Nandita Banna, 21, is Singapore’s Miss Universe 2021

The pandemic couldn’t keep the competitors from turning up for the 2021 Miss Universe Singapore.

With their passion, energy and strength, eight finalists appeared for the first time in a digital format as part of www.thefrontrow.style, last Friday, 17 September 2021 at 9pm, and the winner was chosen.

Congratulations to Ms Nandita Banna, 21, the new Miss Universe Singapore 2021.

Following closely, the first runner up was 21-year-old student Kalynskye Adrian, the second runner up was Lila Tan, 18, and the third runner up was 22-year-old Mardhiah Azizan. Ms Banna will now represent Singapore for the December event, the 70th Miss Universe international competition in Eilat, Israel.

According to Ms Banna, “the Miss Universe Singapore competition showcases the diverse people and beauty of Singapore, while giving talented women a global platform to share their views and to stand up for what they believe in”.

Ms Banna is currently in her third year as a double degree student, majoring in Business Management and Information Systems (Business Analytics) at Singapore Management University.

She says that she is “passionate about leveraging technology to create a more sustainable future”. Ms Banna is also a passionate volunteer who mentors primary students in interpersonal and life skills.

Miss Universe Singapore

Miss Universe Singapore is a national beauty pageant in Singapore and organised by Miss Universe Singapore Organisation to select the country’s representative to the Miss Universe pageant.

(previously called Miss Singapore)

Titleholders

2009 Rachel Janice Kum
2010 Tania Lim Kim Suan
2011 Valerie Lim
2012 Lynn Tan
2013 Shi Lim
2014 Rathi Menon
2015 Lisa Marie White
2016 Cheryl Chou
2017 Manuela Bruntraeger
2018 Zahra Khanum
2019 Mohana Prabha
2020 Bernadette Belle Ong
2021 Nandita Banna

Singapore has been sending representatives to Miss Universe contest as early as 1954.

The title of the first Miss Singapore ever was won by the Siti Mariam binti Ismail in 1951. The city-state republic has been represented at Miss Universe every year since 1966. The country had its first semi finalist when Kathie Lee Lee Beng secured the 8th position, the highest ever placement Singapore attained when the pageant was held in St. Louis in 1983. In 1987 when Singapore played host to the Miss Universe pageant, home favourite Marion Nicole Teo came in at the 9th place.

Between 2001 and 2007, the contest was telecast ‘live’ by the local television station Mediacorp’s Channel 5. Miss Universe Singapore Organisation holds the license to oversee and produce the Miss Universe Singapore pageant (2015). Prior to 2015, the contest was organised by Derrol Stepenny Promotions.

Miss Universe Singapore 2021 is more than just a pretty face

Miss Universe Singapore hopes to use her position to push racial harmony agenda

Winning a pageant takes more than surface-level beauty, and the newly crowned winner of Miss Universe Singapore (MUS) 2021 is testament to that.

Miss Nandita Banna backs up her victory with strong education credentials, high career ambitions and a deep sense of social justice.

She attended Raffles Girls’ School and Raffles Institution and is currently a third-year double degree student at Singapore Management University, majoring in business management and information systems (business analytics).

The 21-year-old undergrad told The New Paper that it is important not to pigeonhole women, saying: “Just because someone is beautiful does not mean she is not going to be smart, or if she goes to a good school that she will not focus on interests outside of it.”

She added: “Most women nowadays are well-rounded individuals, and we are interested in our education and furthering our careers, but we also have creative outlets.

“For me, it is modelling and dance. For others, it could be music or painting. We are multi-faceted individuals and we shouldn’t be judged on only the one or two things we are seen doing.”

Miss Nandita, who is 1.76m tall and has been modelling professionally since 2017, never harboured any ambitions on joining a pageant but did so at the urging of her modelling agent.

“The typical image of a pageant girl – great smile, beautiful hair – I didn’t think I had any of that,” she said.

“But I signed up to push myself, try something new and build my confidence.”

She juggled preparing for MUS with school and an internship with a data analytics firm. Her efforts culminated in her crowning moment on Sept 17.

Miss Nandita, who hopes to have a career in a field that combines data analytics and urban planning, said she felt honoured to be bestowed the MUS title.

“It is easy to assume a pageant is just about beautiful girls in swimsuits and to write it off. But Miss Universe has come a long way from that, and it now embraces people of various colours and body shapes and also transgender women.

“It gives the platform for participants to change the perception of what beauty can be and an opportunity for us to stand up for causes we believe in.”

One of those causes for Miss Nandita is racial harmony in Singapore.

Miss Universe 2021 – Contestant (Singapore – Nandita Banna)

Telugu Girl Nandita Crowned With Miss Universe Singapore 2021 | Nandita Banna News

Who Is Nandita Banna? Andhra Pradesh Girl Crowned Miss Universe Singapore 2021

A 21-year-old with roots in Andhra Pradesh, Nandita Banna was crowned Miss Universe Singapore 2021 recently, shooting to wide fame on social media. A model, social worker and television actor, Banna picked the coveted title defeating seven other competitors.

The national beauty pageant event held virtually on September 17 was backed by Singapore’s Front Row fashion festival and is one of the most prominent of its kind in the country. Runners-up to Banna’s victory this year were Kalynskye Adrian and Lila Tan.

In an Instagram post that marks her crowning, Banna called the experience “one of the most exciting but nerve-wracking days” of her life. “It’s really been an amazing journey… A special thank you to my finalists for all the love you’ve given me and I hope great things come your way,” she wrote, alongside pictures of herself, donning a pink gown and her crown, at the National Museum Singapore.

Know Who Is Nandita Banna, A Young Star In The Making

Banna is currently a student at Singapore Management University where she is pursuing Bachelors in business management and science, according to her social profiles. She keeps an interest in the field of data analysis with some work experience in the same. Reports from Andhra Pradesh suggest her parents originally hail from Srikakulam and settled in Singapore some two decades ago.

As a model, she has previously been featured on Vogue Singapore and walked the ramp for Louis Vuitton for their spring-summer women’s collection 2021.

Nandita Banna biography: 13 things about Miss Universe Singapore 2021

Nandita Banna is a Singaporean model and beauty queen.

Here are 13 more things about her: She is of Indian descent. She likes to skate, dance and cook. She enjoys learning new skills like coding. She is passionate about leveraging technology to create a more sustainable future.

Miss Universe Singapore 2021: Get To Know The 8 Finalists

The much-anticipated annual beauty pageant has landed once again in our sunny island and these eight finalists are gearing up to bring the heat at the Singapore finals for a coveted chance to compete at the Miss Universe 2021 that will be held in Israel

The wait is over for all beauty pageant fans out there as the crowning of the next Miss Universe Singapore is finally drawing near and it will be Singapore’s first digital Miss Universe competition to be held in a livestream event on September 17, 2021 as part of virtual fashion festival The Front Row.

In the lead-up to the Singapore finals, the top eight finalists have gone through a rigorous selection process which involved a series of training for the competition and modelling for fashion films and photoshoots across a myriad of Singapore locales, and you can certainly expect a showcase that is nothing short of stellar by this group of finalists.

At the end of the day, one of these finalists will have the privilege of donning the stunning sustainable crown—known as The Better Crown—which was designed by veteran bespoke jewellery designer Marilyn Tan of Marilyn Tan Jewellery to herald a new way onward into the future, where the fusion of technology and beauty seeks to empower and inspire the next generation in this era of sustainable and conscious fashion.

Without further ado, let’s get to know the finalists in the running to become the next Miss Universe Singapore who will then go on to represent the country at the international finals in Eilat, Israel this December.

Cate Lin Loo

Cate Lin is passionate about healthcare access to all in her pursuit of a degree in medicine after learning of her mother’s rare genetic disorder. This 19-year-old medical student was also a competitive rhythmic gymnast who has obtained gold and silver medals in national events. She also comes from a family of pageant queens with her mother as Miss World Singapore 1994 and her sister being a finalist in Miss Universe Singapore 2018.

Kalynskye Adrian

This NUS Sociology scholar is the first in her family to attend university; as an advocate of equal pay and gender equality, she wishes for a future where young women can live and be themselves without fear, unlike how she previously felt as a child of a minority race. She is also an animal lover who has adopted cats and hopes that her adaptability will give her an edge in the competition.

Lila Tan

This French-Singaporean Chinese finalist is a football player on the national team and has been awarded most valuable player several times. Tan is also fluent in English, Mandarin and French and previously lived abroad in Shanghai. Having suffered from body dysmorphia, she hopes to be an inspiration to young girls to feel active, empowered and comfortable in their bodies.

Mardhiah Azizan

As a Green Building and Sustainability graduate, Mardhiah is passionate about building design for sustainability and she works closely with clients to implement a more effective design that incorporates technology to benefit the building’s energy use. She aspires to further her studies in architecture and be a certified architect so that she can design efficient and sustainable buildings. She also volunteers at green organisations like Clean and Green Singapore to advocate the importance of sustainability.

Nandita Banna

Having a double degree in Business Management and Information Systems, Nandita is zealous about leveraging technology to create a more sustainable future. She is also an active volunteer at Care Corner Singapore where she mentors primary school students to develop interpersonal communication and life skills. She loves to learn new skills like coding and hopes to bring awareness of social issues to the competition.

Rachel Jumeidi Alexander

Alexander is a biochemistry student and competitive swimmer for more than 10 years now. She is also captain of her university’s swim team and had a wide cultural exposure growing up having lived in many different countries like Turkmenistan, and considers herself to have gained resilience through this experience. Her aim is to empower women by creating a safe and supportive space.

Serena Jane McNeill

Armed with a diploma in accounting, McNeill (who is of mixed parentage) is also passionate about mindful consumption and humane treatment of animals. As an animal lover, she has been vegan for four years and has volunteered at the SPCA. She also volunteered at Pink Dot in 2019 and considers one of her strengths to have empathy for others.

Sharon Auxilia

Auxilia is an advocate for children’s equal rights to education and is currently studying for a degree in Biomedical Science. Before the pandemic, she conducted free tutoring sessions regularly for children from underprivileged homes, which have now evolved into online sessions. In five years, she wishes to start a tuition centre and offer programmes to those in need. She is also actively involved in church activities and dabbles in acting including a prominent role in a Vasantham drama.

Bernadette Ong

Bernadette Belle Wu Ong is a Singaporean actress, emcee, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who was appointed as Miss Universe Singapore 2020. She will represent Singapore at Miss Universe 2020.

Miss Universe Singapore 2019 Finalist: MOHANA PRABHA

Mohana Prabha, Indian-origin beauty, crowned Miss Universe Singapore 2019

Miss Universe Singapore 2019 finale, which was held tonight at Zouk, Singapore, concluded with the crowning of Mohana Prabha as the new Miss Universe Singapore. She succeeds and was crowned by her predecessor, Zahra Khanum, Miss Universe Singapore 2018 and will now represent Singapore in Miss Universe 2019 international beauty pageant. Pia Wurtzbach of Philippines, Miss Universe 2015, graced the finale of Miss Universe Singapore 2019 as special guest and judge.

Mohana Prabha, who is currently a student of Biomedical Science, was also a Top 5 finalist in Miss Universe Singapore 2018 contest. She has previously volunteered for food donation drives and charity events both locally and internationally over the years, and actively campaigns on her social media platforms about environmental issues.