By Anna Grace Moore
Photo Contributed (Miss America Livestream from Facebook)
She’s beauty, she’s grace and now, reigning over the United States, Vestavia Hills native Abbie Stockard is Miss America. Crowned champion over 51 other competitors–including representatives from Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico–Abbie won the highly coveted title and $50,000 in scholarship money on Sunday, Jan. 5 at the Walt Disney Theater at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida.
An Auburn University nursing student, Abbie, 22, is currently pursuing her doctorate of nurse anesthesia and wants to specialize in pediatrics. Standing on stage holding Miss Texas Annette Addo-Yobo’s hands, Abbie closed her eyes and softly smiled for just a moment as judges paused before announcing the winner.
As soon as she realized her victory, Abbie cried happy tears and hugged Annette before accepting her crown. Other contestants on stage soon crowded round her, hugging her and cheering as confetti rained down.
Abbie is no stranger to the pageant industry and also holds the titles of Miss Trussville 2023, Miss Hoover 2024 and Miss Alabama 2024. As the Miss America competition progressed, she spoke about unemployment as a top 11 contender and the definition of success as a top 5 contender.
While in the top 11, Abbie, along with other contestants, were evaluated on physical fitness, poise, grace and more. She performed a contemporary dance solo to the song, “You Say,” by Lauren Daigle for her talent competition.
A strong contender in the beginning, Abbie’s community service made her stand out from the start. During the Miss America preliminaries, Abbie won one of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Leadership Awards on Wednesday, Jan. 1.
Her community service initiative, Be the Change—Find a Cure: Cystic Fibrosis Awareness, has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). On April 6, 2024, Abbie organized “The Roast of Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis,” which raised more than $190,000 for the CFF.
Notably, Abbie is only the fourth Miss Alabama in history to have won Miss America and the first in 20 years to earn the coveted title. Deidre Downs last represented Alabama and won Miss America in 2005.
The 2025 Miss America competition judges named Miss Texas Annette Addo-Yobo as first runner-up. Miss Tennessee Carley Vogel was named second runner-up, and Miss Florida Casana Fink was named third runner-up. Miss Ohio Stephanie Finoti was named fourth runner-up.
