Georgia Waddington, 24, will represent New Zealand in an international beauty pageant for the third time. She is the country’s representative in the 74th edition of Miss Universe.
Currently, Miss Universe is based in Samut Prakan, Thailand and New York City, New York, United States. It is owned by JKN Global Group and Legacy Holding Group USA Inc.
From Miss New Zealand to Miss Charm
On June 18, 2023, Waddington and 16 other Miss New Zealand 2023 candidates competed for four titles at the Bruce Mason Centre in Auckland, New Zealand. She ranked first and was crowned Miss International New Zealand 2023.
On October 26, 2023, Waddington represented New Zealand at Miss International 2023 and competed against 69 other candidates at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. She was unplaced but she won the Miss Photogenic award.
On December 21, 2024, Waddington represented New Zealand at Miss Charm 2024 and competed against 35 other candidates at the Nguyen Du Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She finished in the Top 20 and won the Best Face award.
Miss Universe 2026
Representing New Zealand, Abby Sturgin was unplaced at Miss Universe 2025 at the Impact Challenger Hall in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi, Thailand on November 21, 2025. She competed against 117 other candidates including Fatima Bosch of Mexico, who won the title.
On July 28, 2026, Waddington competed against 14 other Miss Universe New Zealand 2026 candidates at the SkyCity Theatre in Auckland. She won the title and was crowned by Sturgin.
On November 24, 2026, Bosch will crown her successor at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA. This marks the first time Uganda is participating in the international beauty pageant that started in 1952.
Including Waddington, more than 120 other women will competing for the Miss Universe 2026 crown. Here are some of her fellow candidates:
- Jogersa Beqiri, 24, Albania
- Wanderleia Rodrigues, 23, Angola
- Tamara Rogouski, 28, Argentina
- Caroline Porras, 24, Bonaire
- Dabilo Moses, 26, Botswana
- Anna Babau, 33, Bulgaria
- Audrey Black, 30, Cameroon
- Juliana May Myers, 21, Cayman Islands
- Weiyi Chen, 22, China
- Mariale Acosta, 24, Costa Rica
- Antea Mršić, 24, Croatia
- Sophia Osako, 22, Czech Republic
- Jessi Kalambayi, 27, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Sofia Cordova, 27, El Salvador
- Angela Pitao Aumonier, 25, Great Britain
- Chloé Deher, 31, Guadeloupe
- Kiss Kamila, 25, Hungary
- Sigríður Hrafnkelsdóttir, 27, Iceland
- Aideen Howard, 22, Ireland
- Danielle Sophie Yablonka, 25, Israel
- Sayuki Ito, 26, Japan
- Alina Ekaterinecheva, 22, Kazakhstan
- Jean Ojiro, 27, Kenya
- Evisa Pacolli, 21, Kosovo
- Medina Ermekova, 24, Kyrgyzstan
- Aminath Yuin Mohamed,18, Maldives
- Francesca Mercieca, 26, Malta
- Maëva Toumbou Dani, 33, Mayotte
- Aleksandra Ivezaj, 22, Montenegro
- May Grace Parry, 31, Myanmar
- Melissa Bottema, 26, Netherlands
- Gretha Matiauda, 25, Paraguay
- Luren Leticia Márquez Canales, 27, Peru
- Beatrice Rebecca “Bea” Millan Windorski, 24, Philippines
- Jennifer Barretto, 27, Puerto Rico
- Bernella Velinor, 33, Saint Lucia
- Katti Fofanah, Sierra Leone
- Anna Lickova, 25, Slovakia
- Bajabulise Thela, 23, South Africa
- Susana Medina, 27, Spain
- Nimhara Sasindi, 25, Sri Lanka
- Sarrah Brahmi, 33, Tunisia
- Anna Nikonova, 22, Ukraine
- Jenna-Monét Queeley, United States Virgin Islands
- Lucía Piñeyro, 35, Uruguay
- Clara Federica Vegas Goetz, 23, Venezuela
- Mubanga Hatyoka, 24, Zambia
- Roseanna Hall, 34, Zimbabwe
From Christchurch to San Juan
From 2015 to 2019, Waddington attended Rangi Ruru Girls’ School in Christchurch. From 2020 to 2022, she was a customer experience, contracts and office manager at Williams Corporation in Christchurch.
Though sitting on opposite sides of the Pacific basin, San Juan and Christchurch share a connection rooted in their identity as coastal hubs. Both cities act as major economic and cultural gateways for their respective island regions, shaped by a powerful relationship with the ocean and a distinct blend of heritage and modern reinvention.
San Juan connects travelers to the Caribbean through its historic port, bustling maritime trade, and centuries-old Spanish architecture. Across the ocean, Christchurch stands as an international gateway to Antarctica and the rugged South Island, combining rich English heritage with progressive urban design.
Beyond their roles as regional centers, both cities have demonstrated extraordinary civic resilience in the face of major natural disasters—rebuilding after severe hurricanes in San Juan and major earthquakes in Christchurch. Though their daily rhythms differ—San Juan vibrant with tropical energy and Spanish-colonial tradition, Christchurch grounded in green spaces and southern-ocean cool—both communities are united by a shared spirit of coastal adaptation, cultural pride, and welcoming local traditions.
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