Emma Terry Crowned Miss Alabama

News Summary

Emma Terry, a 22-year-old from Leeds, has been crowned Miss Alabama during a ceremony at Samford University. Competing as Miss Hoover, she surpassed 42 contestants to earn the title, which allows her to represent Alabama at Miss America. Terry, who has previous pageant experience, including a title of Miss Alabama’s Teen, also holds degrees in accounting. Her reign will include public appearances and charity work focused on ALS awareness. Notably, she overcame personal health challenges to compete in the pageant, which awarded substantial scholarships to participants.

Birmingham, Alabama — Emma Terry, a 22-year-old from Leeds, has been crowned Miss Alabama 2025 during a ceremony held on June 28, 2025, at Samford University’s Wright Center. Competing as Miss Hoover, Terry surpassed 42 other contestants to earn the prestigious title, which will allow her to represent Alabama at the upcoming Miss America competition.

Terry succeeds the reigning Miss Alabama 2024, Abbie Stockard, who recently became Miss America 2025. During the coronation event, Stockard placed a crown on Terry and presented her with a bouquet of roses, marking a historic moment in her journey. Terry expressed overwhelming excitement about her win, describing the experience as surreal and a dream come true that she has pursued since the age of 14.

The newly crowned Miss Alabama holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). This is not her first venture in pageantry, having previously been the runner-up for Miss Alabama in both 2023 and 2024. In 2021, she also held the title of Miss Alabama’s Teen.

Terry’s reign as Miss Alabama officially begins immediately, and it encompasses numerous public appearances, charity work, and motivational speaking engagements throughout the year. Her community service initiative, “Stomping Out ALS One Step at a Time,” is designed to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease.

During the competition’s talent segment, Terry showcased her skills with an impressive ballet en pointe routine set to “Flashdance.” She also distinguished herself by winning two preliminary awards for excellence in evening gown and talent categories. Interestingly, the Miss Alabama pageant format does not feature a swimsuit competition; instead, there is a health and fitness segment where contestants highlight their activewear.

The People’s Choice Contest, an interactive segment of the pageant, allowed the public to vote for contestants, which helped determine the selection of the top 13 semifinalists. The event’s panel of judges included notable figures such as David Blackledge, Cleo Coker Gravitt, Sandy Darby Thompson, Ashley Gibson Barnett, and Darris Waren.

In addition to her victory, Terry’s competition yielded substantial scholarship awards, with a total of $142,670 distributed among contestants. The title of Miss Alabama entails a scholarship worth $15,000 intended to support her future educational aspirations.

Significantly, Terry overcame personal health challenges to compete in the pageant. She underwent heart surgery in March 2025 due to a health concern but successfully returned to participate in the Miss Alabama competition.

The competition concluded with notable placements, where the first runner-up was Hannah Adams (Miss Phenix City), the second runner-up was Ruby Tilghman (Miss University of Alabama), the third runner-up was Lauren Vance (Miss Tennessee Valley), and the fourth runner-up was Abby Sosa (Miss Hidden River).

Emma Terry’s achievement as Miss Alabama 2025 marks a milestone not just in her own journey, but also for her community, as she commits to being a voice for important causes and showcasing the spirit of Alabama on the national stage.