Akéma Carty has been crowned Miss Anguilla 2026 after impressing judges with her talent, poise and confidence during a spectacular night of pageantry.
The final part of the annual competition took place at the Landsome Bowl Cultural Centre on Wednesday, 5 August, and featured the performing talent, evening wear and interview segments.
It followed the opening night on 26 July, when contestants delivered introductory speeches and competed in the swimwear and ambassadorial wear segments.
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Along with winning the coveted crown against a strong field of competitors, Carty received the sashes for Best Interview and Best Evening Wear Presentation.
Kishante Connor-Carty was named first runner-up and won Best Ambassadorial Wear, Best Swimwear, Miss Congeniality and Miss Photogenic.
Amelia Olivacce received the title of second runner-up along with the award for Best Introductory Speech, while Sharianne Francis won the sash for Best Performing Talent.
Also competing for the crown in the ‘Once Upon a Queen’ pageant was Ashelly Derich, who despite not winning a segment, performed well across the competition.
In a Facebook post, the Anguilla Summer Festival team said the event was “one of the most phenomenal pageant showcases ever, leaving the audience captivated from beginning to end”.
On congratulating Carty, they said: “Your hard work, determination, grace and poise have earned you this incredible achievement and we wish you every success as you embark on your reign.”
The team added: “To all of this year’s contestants, congratulations on making this one of the strongest and most competitive Miss Anguilla pageants in recent memory.
“Each of you brought beauty, confidence, intelligence and elegance to the stage, making Once Upon a Queen a truly unforgettable experience.”
Akéma Carty succeeds Miss Anguilla 2025 Jasmin Ruan as titleholder.
See the full schedule of the Anguilla Summer Festival events here.
