Toni-Ann Singh (born February 1996) is a Jamaican beauty queen who won Miss World 2019. She was previously crowned Miss Jamaica World 2019 and is the fourth woman from Jamaica to win

Miss World Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Miss ...

. She is also the longest-reigning Miss World in the history of the pageant.

Early life and education

Singh was born in Morant Bay, Jamaica. She is of

Dougla Dougla people (plural ''Douglas'') are Caribbean people who are of mixed African and Indian descent. The word ''Dougla'' (also Dugla or Dogla) is used throughout the Dutch and English-speaking Caribbean. Definition The word ''Dougla'' origi ...

heritage, with her mother being of

Afro-Jamaican Afro-Jamaicans are Jamaicans of predominant Sub-Saharan African descent. They represent the largest ethnic group in the country. Most Jamaicans of mixed-race descent self-report as just Jamaican. The ethnogenesis of the Black Jamaican people ...

descent, and her father being of Indo-Jamaican descent. Her family immigrated to the United States when Singh was aged nine, settling in

Florida Florida is a U.S. state, state located in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia (U.S. state), Geo ...

. She attended

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the s ...

Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...

, where she graduated with a degree in

women's studies Women's studies is an academic field that draws on feminist and interdisciplinary methods to place women's lives and experiences at the center of study, while examining social and cultural constructs of gender; systems of privilege and oppres ...

and psychology.

Career

Miss Jamaica World 2019

In 2019, Singh competed in the Miss Jamaica World 2019 competition, where she ultimately won the title. Afterwards, Singh was given the right to represent Jamaica at Miss World 2019.

Miss World 2019

Singh left for

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in November 2019, to participate in the Miss World pre-pageant activities. Singh placed in the top 40 of the Top Model competition and won the talent competition, which granted her direct entry into the top 40 semifinals. Finals night was held on 14 December at

ExCeL London ExCeL London (an abbreviation for Exhibition Centre London) is an exhibition centre, international convention centre and former hospital in the Custom House area of Newham, East London. It is situated on a site on the northern quay of the Roy ...

, where Singh advanced from the top 40 to the top 12, and ultimately to the top five. During the top 5 question and answer round, she was asked by

Piers Morgan Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan (; né O'Meara; born 30 March 1965) is a British broadcaster, journalist, writer, and television personality. He began his Fleet Street career in 1988 at '' The Sun''. In 1994, aged 29, he was appointed editor of th ...

- "Why should you win the title of Miss World 2019?" Toni went onto answer the question by saying:

''"I think I represent something special...a generation of women who are pushing forward to change the world. I don't consider myself better than any other girls on the stage, but I will say that my passion for women and making sure that they have had the same opportunities that I have had, is something that sets me apart."''

She was subsequently asked, "Who is the most inspiring woman in the world for you?" to which she expressed:

''"The most inspiring woman to me is my mother. Now I must say, if my mother and my father are the roots, and I'm the tree, then really, any work that I do, anything that I'm able to change in the world...It is the fruits of their labor and I watched her pour everything into me, even at the sacrifice of her own wants and her needs, and that's why I am able to sit before you today."''

At the end of the event, she was eventually crowned as Miss World 2019 by the outgoing title holder Vanessa Ponce of Mexico, besting first runner-up Ophély Mézino of France and second runner-up Suman Rao of India. With her win, Singh became the fourth Jamaican woman to hold the title, with the last being Lisa Hanna who was crowned Miss World 1993, and the first black woman to win Miss World since

Agbani Darego Chief Ibiagbanidokibubo Asenite 'Agbani' Darego, MFR (born 22 December 1982) is a Nigerian model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World in 2001. She was the first black African to win Miss World. Early life Abonnema-native Darego was born ...

of Nigeria won Miss World 2001. Her win also made 2019 the first ever year that black women won the two of the Big Four most prestigious beauty pageant titles in the world, after Zozibini Tunzi became

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

's first black woman to have won the Miss Universe title.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Toni-Ann 1996 births Florida State University alumni 21st-century Jamaican women singers Jamaican beauty pageant winners Jamaican emigrants to the United States Living people Miss Jamaica World winners Miss World 2019 delegates Miss World winners People from Saint Thomas Parish, Jamaica Jamaican people of Indian descent