Miss World 1981
Encyclopedia
Miss World 1981, the 31st Miss World
pageant. was held on November 12, 1981 in the Royal Albert Hall
, London
, UK. The winner was Pilín León
from Venezuela, the first titleholder from her country since 1955
. Another Venezuelan, Irene Sáez, had been crowned Miss Universe 1981
in July, making Venezuela one of the very few countries to hold both major international titles (Miss Universe
and Miss World
) in the same year.
Miss World
The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...
pageant. was held on November 12, 1981 in the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK. The winner was Pilín León
Pilin Leon
Pilín León won the 1981 Miss World pageant, held in London, United Kingdom, representing Venezuela....
from Venezuela, the first titleholder from her country since 1955
Miss World 1955
Miss World 1955, the fifth annual Miss World pageant, was held on October 20, 1955 at Lyceum Theatre, London, United Kingdom. 21 contestants competed for the Miss World. The winner was Susana Duijm, represented Venezuela...
. Another Venezuelan, Irene Sáez, had been crowned Miss Universe 1981
Miss Universe 1981
Miss Universe 1981, the 30th Miss Universe pageant, was held at Minskoff Theater, New York City, New York, USA on July 20, 1981. 19-year-old Irene Sáez of Venezuela was crowned as Miss Universe 1981. There were 77 contestants competing for the crown, but Miss Mauritius got homesick and withdrew....
in July, making Venezuela one of the very few countries to hold both major international titles (Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
and Miss World
Miss World
The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...
) in the same year.
Results
| Final results | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss World 1981 |
|
| 1st Runner-up |
 Colombia - Nini Johanna Soto |
| 2nd Runner-up |
 Jamaica - Sandra Cunningham |
| 3rd Runner-up |
 Brazil - Maristela Grazzia |
| 4th Runner-up |
 United Kingdom - Michelle Donnelly |
| 5th Runner-up |
 Australia - Melissa HannanMelissa Hannan Melissa Hannan was Miss Australia in 1981. She was also in the Miss World 1981 held in London where she won Miss Oceania and by the Worlds Press.-After Miss World:... |
| 6th Runner-up |
 United States - Lisa Lynn Moss |
| Top 15 Semifinalists |
 Argentina - Ana Natali Belgium - Dominique van Eeckhoudt Canada - Earla Stewart Republic of Ireland - Geraldine McGrory Japan - Naomi Kishi Mexico - Doris Pontvianne Zimbabwe - Juliet Nyathi |
Special awards
- Personality: Doris Pontvianne (MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
), - Photogenic: Melissa HannanMelissa HannanMelissa Hannan was Miss Australia in 1981. She was also in the Miss World 1981 held in London where she won Miss Oceania and by the Worlds Press.-After Miss World:...
(AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
)
Continental Queens
- Africa: Juliet Nyathi - Zimbabwe
- Americas: Pilín LeónPilin LeonPilín León won the 1981 Miss World pageant, held in London, United Kingdom, representing Venezuela....
- Venezuela - Asia: Naomi Kishi - Japan
- Europe: Michele Donnelly - United Kingdom
- Oceania: Melissa HannanMelissa HannanMelissa Hannan was Miss Australia in 1981. She was also in the Miss World 1981 held in London where she won Miss Oceania and by the Worlds Press.-After Miss World:...
- Australia
Order of Semifinalists
- 1. Belgium
- 2. Ireland
- 3. United Kingdom
- 4. Australia
- 5. Japan
- 6. Zimbabwe
- 7. Argentina
- 8. Brazil
- 9. Canada
- 10. Colombia
- 11. Jamaica
- 12. Mexico
- 13. Trinidad & Tobago
- 14. United States
- 15. Venezuela
Order of Finalists
- 1. Brazil
- 2. Colombia
- 3. United Kingdom
- 4. Venezuela
- 5. United States
- 6. Australia
- 7. Jamaica
67 Contestants
| EUROPE | ||
| Contestant Number |
Nation | Contestant |
| 01 |  Austria |
Beatrix Kopf |
| 02 | Belgium |
Dominique van Eeckhoudt |
| 03 |  Cyprus |
Elena Andreou |
| 04 |  Denmark |
Tina Brandstrup |
| 05 |  Finland |
Pia Irmeli Ann-Marie Nieminen |
| 06 |  Early Modern France |
Isabelle Sophie Benárd |
| 07 |  Germany |
Barbara Reimund |
| 08 |  Gibraltar |
Yvette Maria Bellido |
| 09 |  Greece |
Maria Argirocastritou |
| 10 | ' | Saskia Lemmens |
| 11 |  Iceland |
Åsdis Eva Hannesdóttir |
| 12 | Republic of Ireland |
Geraldine Mary McGrory |
| 13 |  Isle of Man |
Nicola Jane Grainger |
| 14 |  Italy |
Marisa Tutone |
| 15 |  Jersey |
Elizabeth Sarah Walmsley |
| 16 |  Malta |
Elizabeth Mary Fenech |
| 17 |  Norway |
Anita Nesbø |
| 18 |  Spain |
Cristina Perez Cottrell |
| 19 |  Sweden |
Carita Gustafsson |
| 20 |  Switzerland |
Margit Kilchoer |
| 21 |  Turkey |
Aydan Şener Aydan Sener Aydan Şener is a Turkish film and television actress of Tatar descent, former model, Miss Turkey 1981 and a beauty contestant in Miss World 1981.-Biography:... |
| 22 | United Kingdom |
Michelle Donnelly |
| OCEANIA | ||
| Contestant Number |
Nation | Contestant |
| 23 | Australia |
Melissa Hannan Melissa Hannan Melissa Hannan was Miss Australia in 1981. She was also in the Miss World 1981 held in London where she won Miss Oceania and by the Worlds Press.-After Miss World:... |
| 24 |  Guam |
Rebecca Arroyo |
| 25 |  New ZealandNew Zealand at Miss World New Zealand has contested 46 Miss World pageants since that pageant's inception in 1951. No New Zealander has won the Miss World title, although two have placed first runner-up.... |
Raewyn Patricia Marcroft |
| 26 |  Papua New Guinea |
Jennfer Abaijah |
| 27 |  French Polynesia |
Maimiti Kinnander |
| 28 |  Samoa |
Julianna Curry |
| ASIA & AFRICA | ||
| Contestant Number |
Nation | Contestant |
| 29 | ' | Winnie Chin Wei-Yee |
| 30 |  IndiaMiss India Miss India or Femina Miss India is a national beauty pageant in India, one of the most recognized contests to produce international beauty queens in the 90s, which annually selects three winners to compete globally. It is organized by Femina, a women's magazine published by Bennett, Coleman & Co... |
Deepti Divakar |
| 31 |  Israel |
Ninnette Asur |
| 32 | Japan |
Naomi Kishi |
| 33 | ' | Lee Han-na |
| 34 |  Lebanon |
Zeina Joseph Challita |
| 35 |  Malaysia |
Cynthia Geraldine de Castro |
| 36 |  PhilippinesBinibining Pilipinas Binibining Pilipinas is the organization responsible for sponsoring the annual national beauty pageant which selects representatives of the Philippines to Miss Universe and Miss International, among others.-History:... |
Suzette Nicolas |
| 37 |  Singapore |
Sushil Kaur Sandhu |
| 38 |  Sri Lanka |
Sonya Elizabeth Tucker |
| 39 |  Thailand |
Massupha Karbprapun |
| 40 |  Lesotho |
Palesa Joyce Kalele |
| 41 | Zimbabwe |
Juliet Nyathi |
| THE AMERICAS | ||
| Contestant Number |
Nation | Contestant |
| 42 | Argentina |
Ana Helen Natali |
| 43 |  Aruba |
Gerarda Hendrine Jantiene Reopel |
| 44 |  The Bahamas |
Monique Ferguson |
| 45 |  Bermuda |
Cymone Florie Tucker |
| 46 |  Bolivia |
Carolina Diaz Mansour |
| 47 | Brazil |
Maristela Silvia Grazzia |
| 48 | Canada |
Earla Stewart |
| 49 |  Cayman Islands |
Donna Marie Myrie |
| 50 |  Chile |
Susanna Bravo Indo |
| 51 | Colombia |
Nini Johanna Soto González |
| 52 |  Costa Rica |
Sucetty Salas Quintanilla |
| 53 |  Curaçao |
Mylene Mariela Gerard |
| 54 |  Dominican Republic |
Josefina Maria Cuello Perez |
| 55 |  Ecuador |
Lucia Isabel Vinueza Urjelles |
| 56 |  El Salvador |
Martha Alicia Ortiz |
| 57 |  Guatemala |
Beatriz Bojorquez Palacios |
| 58 |  Honduras |
Xiomara Sikaffy Mena |
| 59 | Jamaica |
Sandra Angela Cunningham |
| 60 | Mexico Miss Mexico Miss Mexico may refer to:*Nuestra Belleza México , beauty pageant that chooses Mexico's representatives to Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss International, among others.... |
Doris Pontvianne Espinoza |
| 61 |  Peru |
Olga Roxana Zumaran Burga |
| 62 |  Puerto Rico |
Andrenira Ruiz Saenz |
| 63 |  Suriname |
Joan Boldewijn |
| 64 | ' | Rachel Ann Thomas |
| 65 | United States Miss USA The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA... |
Lisa Lynn Moss |
| 66 |  Uruguay |
Silia Marianela Bas Carrese |
| 67 |  VenezuelaMiss Venezuela The Miss Venezuela contest is the national beauty pageant of Venezuela and has been held since 1952. It is responsible for selecting the country's representatives to the Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Earth and Miss International pageants .Under the direction of Osmel Sousa, Venezuela has... |
Carmen Josefina (Pilín) León Crespo Pilin Leon Pilín León won the 1981 Miss World pageant, held in London, United Kingdom, representing Venezuela.... |
Returning Countries and Debuts
- Suriname last competed in 1966.
- Chile, El Salvador, Iceland, and Tahiti last competed in 1979Miss World 1979Miss World 1979, the 29th Miss World pageant, was held on November 15, 1979 in the Royal Albert Hall, London, UK. The winner was Gina Swainson from Bermuda...
.
Withdrawals and Nations not competing
- Panama, Paraguay, and Swaziland did not attend the Miss World.
- Portugal (Paula Dos Santos) who had a dual citizenship, won the Miss Portugal contest held in Johannesburg, South Africa. She flew to London, only to be told by Eric Morley that any girl from South Africa cannot participate, and that the contest has to be held in the country of the girl's origin.
Miss Universe
- Miss Universe 1978Miss Universe 1978Miss Universe 1978, the 27th Miss Universe pageant, was held at Centro de Convenciones de Acapulco, Acapulco, Mexico on July 24, 1978. Seventy-five contestants competed in the event....
: Peru (semi-finalist) - Miss Universe 1980Miss Universe 1980Miss Universe 1980 was held at Sejong Cultural Center, Seoul, South Korea on July 8, 1980. 20-year-old Shawn Weatherly of USA was crowned as Miss Universe 1980...
: Switzerland - Miss Universe 1981Miss Universe 1981Miss Universe 1981, the 30th Miss Universe pageant, was held at Minskoff Theater, New York City, New York, USA on July 20, 1981. 19-year-old Irene Sáez of Venezuela was crowned as Miss Universe 1981. There were 77 contestants competing for the crown, but Miss Mauritius got homesick and withdrew....
: Belgium (4th runner-up), Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Denmark (Miss Photogenic), Ecuador (semi-finalist), France and Thailand - Miss Universe 1982Miss Universe 1982Miss Universe 1982, the 31st annual Miss Universe pageant, was held at Coliseo Amauta in Lima, Peru on July 26, 1982. 77 contestants competed in the pageant and 18-year-old Karen Dianne Baldwin of Canada was crowned Miss Universe 1982.-Placements:...
: Ireland, Spain and United Kingdom (represented as Wales)
Miss International
- Miss International 1981Miss International 1981Miss International 1981, the 21st Miss International pageant, was won by Jenny Annette Derek of Australia. It took place on 6 September 1981 in Kobe, Japan.-Final Results:- Special Awards :*Best National Costume: - Dominique Van Eeckhoudt...
: Belgium (semi-finalist), Denmark, Germany (semi-finalist) and Tahiti
Other Notes
- The Continental Queen of Beauty awards were handed out for the very first time.
- United States, Lisa Lynn Moss, was the first woman to compete in Miss World under the Miss USA franchise. She placed as 2nd runner-up in Miss USA, representing Miss Louisiana USA.
- Cayman Islands and New Zealand sent their first black delegates to Miss World.
- This is the first time that there were only two runners-up and Miss World during the crowning ceremony.
- This is also the first time that the award winners for Miss Personality and Miss Photogenic had made into the semi-finals in Miss World since 1973.
- 10 out of 15 countries which made it into the semifinals, were not in the semifinals last year: Belgium (1962), Canada (1967), Colombia (1968), Japan (1974), Ireland (1976), Argentina (1978), and Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Trinidad & Tobago (1979).