Portland native Celene Hall has been crowned Miss Universe Jamaica 2026, earning the opportunity to represent the island at the Miss Universe finals in Puerto Rico later this year.
The 25-year-old businesswoman, artist and philanthropist captured the national title on Sunday night at the AC Hotel Kingston, emerging from a field of 33 contestants. Medical doctor Tianna McDaniel was named first runner-up, while creative professional, model and singer Kadejah Anderson placed second runner-up.
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Hall’s victory was particularly notable given her strong performance throughout the competition. She collected five sectional awards, Essence of Style, Best in Swimwear, Best in Evening Gown, Most Aware and the Altruism Award, before advancing to the final three alongside McDaniel and Anderson.
Despite her success throughout the night, Hall said she did not expect to hear her name called as the winner.
“I know I received a lot of sectional awards, but honestly, it wasn’t until the crown was placed on my head that I really knew that I was Miss Universe Jamaica 2026,” she told the Jamaica Observer following the coronation.
Hall, who is from Passley Gardens in Port Antonio and attended Titchfield High School, works as an executive manager at ASAP Express Limited in Port Antonio. She entered the Miss Universe Jamaica Portland competition earlier this year and won the parish title before advancing to the national contest.
Her journey from the parish competition to the national crown has been described as one of significant personal development. Portland Parish Director Shanique Rogers said Hall embraced the training process and demonstrated a willingness to grow into the responsibilities associated with the title.
Hall herself acknowledged that the competition pushed her beyond her comfort zone and helped her develop personally and professionally.
Her success was celebrated by a large contingent of family members and supporters who travelled from Portland for the coronation. Her parents, Sonia and Victor Hall, along with her three sisters and two brothers, were present to witness her achievement. The family has supported her interest in modelling and pageantry since childhood, with her mother recalling that Hall began showing an interest in modelling while still in primary school.
The national competition followed a new parish-based format introduced for the 2026 pageant, giving contestants from across Jamaica a more direct route into the national competition. Hall became the only parish titleholder to advance into the final six.
The competition narrowed the field from 33 contestants to 20, followed by the swimwear segment and a Top 14. The evening gown competition produced the final six, after which interviews determined the final three contestants.
Hall will now shift her focus to the international stage, where she will represent Jamaica at the Miss Universe finals in Puerto Rico in November. Her selection adds another chapter to Jamaica’s long-standing presence in the international pageant, where the country has produced several high-placing contestants over the years.
The coronation also carried added significance as outgoing Miss Universe Jamaica Dr. Gabrielle Henry returned to the pageant stage to crown Hall. Henry’s appearance marked an important public milestone following the serious injuries she sustained during the 2025 Miss Universe competition in Thailand.
For Hall, the national crown now represents the beginning of a much larger assignment, taking her experience from Portland and the national competition onto one of the world’s most prominent international pageant stages.
