Victoria Oluwakotanmi, a Nigerian-American from San Antonio, Texas, has been crowned Miss Grand USA 2026 after initially finishing as first runner-up. The title was vacated by Mekyla Li, whose reign was terminated by the pageant organisation. Oluwakotanmi will now represent the United States at Miss Grand International 2026.
From First Runner-Up to Crowned Winner
On August 10, Oluwakotanmi stood on stage in Las Vegas, watched another contestant take the crown, and left the competition as the first runner-up. Nine days later, everything changed. Mekyla Li, who had initially been crowned Miss Grand USA, lost the title after the organisation terminated her reign. Reports linked the decision to revelations about Li's previous marriage and an ongoing criminal case over an alleged 2024 hit-and-run. Li has pleaded not guilty to the felony charges.
The unexpected turn of events pushed Oluwakotanmi into the spotlight. On August 21, the Nigerian-American was officially announced as the new Miss Grand USA 2026. The organisation asked that "all dialogue surrounding this transition remain respectful."
A Background of Service and Study
Before pageantry, Oluwakotanmi served in the U.S. Navy Reserve, studied chemical engineering, and won Miss Black San Antonio in 2020. She joined the U.S. Navy Reserve in March 2019 as a Logistics Specialist. A year later, the U.S. Navy's Joint Base San Antonio profiled her after her 2020 pageant win. At the time, she was balancing military service with her studies in chemical engineering at Northwest Vista College.
Seeing other African-American women succeed in pageants gave her the push she needed. "I was like, 'Oh my God. I can do this. Like, I can actually do this,'" she recalled.
Overcoming Setbacks and Building a Legacy
Winning Miss Black San Antonio gave her a taste of pageantry, but bigger crowns did not come immediately. In 2023, she competed in Miss Texas USA, and the following year, she stepped onto the Miss Grand USA stage representing Illinois. She finished as the second runner-up and won the Best in Social Media award. She returned in 2026, this time representing Indiana, and made it to the top as the first runner-up.
Oluwakotanmi was raised in San Antonio by Nigerian immigrant parents. Her father moved to America about three decades ago and worked as a dishwasher before eventually earning a doctorate in nursing. "So he really is the American dream," she shared in a 2023 interview. "My dad inspires me so much to be such a great individual and go for what you want."
During her 2023 Miss Texas USA campaign, she stated, "I feel like that would be a great opportunity to represent not only military women but also Nigerian-American women and Black women." Her ambitions extend beyond the runway. She established Oluwakotanmi's Promise, a youth empowerment initiative created in honour of her late grandmother. As Miss Grand USA 2026, Oluwakotanmi will represent the United States at Miss Grand International, giving her an international platform to continue her community work.
