Toni-Ann Singh (born February 1996) is a Jamaican beauty queen who won

Miss World 2019 Miss World 2019, the 69th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 14 December 2019 at the ExCeL London in London, United Kingdom. Vanessa Ponce of Mexico crowned her successor Toni-Ann Singh of Jamaica at the end of the event. Backgroun ...

. She was previously crowned

Miss Jamaica World Miss Jamaica World is a national beauty pageant in Jamaica that selects a contestant to represent the country in the Miss World beauty pageant. History The Miss Jamaica pageant's predecessor, the "Miss Jamaica Contest", dates back to the 1930s. ...

2019 and is the fourth woman from Jamaica to win Miss World. 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'' origin ...

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 ste ...

descent, and her father being of

Indo-Jamaican Indo-Jamaicans are the descendants of people who came from the Indian subcontinent to Jamaica. Indians form the third largest ethnic group in Jamaica after Africans and Multiracials. History Due to deteriorating socioeconomic of conditions in B ...

descent. Her family immigrated to the United States when Singh was aged nine, settling in

Florida Florida is a state located in the 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, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. She attended Florida State University in

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 oppress ...

and psychology.

Career

Miss Jamaica World 2019

In 2019, Singh competed in the

2019 competition, where she ultimately won the title. Afterwards, Singh was given the right to represent Jamaica at

Miss World 2019

Singh left for

London London is the capital and 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 down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

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, Newham, Custom House area of London Borough of Newham, Newham, East London. It is sit ...

, 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 the ...

- "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

by the outgoing title holder

Vanessa Ponce Silvia Vanessa Ponce de León Sánchez (born 7 March 1992), known simply as Vanessa Ponce, is a Mexican model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2018. She is the first Mexican to be crowned as Miss World. In the history of the Miss Wor ...

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 Lisa Rene Shanti Hanna (born August 20, 1975) is a Jamaican politician and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 1993, becoming the third Jamaican to win the title. A member of the opposition People's National Party, Hanna currently serves a ...

who was crowned

Miss World 1993 Miss World 1993, the 43rd edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 27 November 1993 at the Sun City Entertainment Centre in Sun City, South Africa. It was the first time the Miss World pageant was held in the South Africa.The pageant ...

, 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 bo ...

of Nigeria won

Miss World 2001 Miss World 2001, the 51st edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 16 November 2001 at the Super Bowl of Sun City Entertainment Centre in Sun City, South Africa. 93 contestants from all over the world competed for the title. Priyanka C ...

. 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 Zozibini Tunzi (born 18 September 1993), also known as Zozi Tunzi, is a South African model, actress and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe 2019. Tunzi had previously been crowned Miss South Africa 2019. She is the third ...

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 countri ...

'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