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Judging Categories and Judges

JUDGING CATEGORIES
In the Mrs. Alabama America Pageant contestants are judged in four categories: beauty, poise and personality, swimsuit and evening gown. Each category counts equally.  If there is an on-stage question it will not count as part of the interview with the judges.

Once all contestants have completed the phases of preliminary competition there will be an intermission.  The judges will go to their room and the Auditor will tally the votes.  During intermission the host will interview each contestant on stage.  The judges are not present so it is a fun time.  After intermission the semi-finalists will be announced.  The contestants will recompete in swimsuit and evening gown portions of the finals. The field is narrowed to the chosen number of finalists who will be interviewed on stage by our host. Topics may come from your Emcee Sheet or may be questions from the judges.

WHO ARE THE JUDGES
The state pageant judging panel volunteer their services and are from various walks of life. They may have backgrounds in any of the following areas: community and business leadership, media, merchandising/design, education, performance, travel, talent management, fashion, casting, arts or sports and previous titleholders. We go to great lengths to ensure the fairness and objectivity of the judging panel. Judges are required to sign documentation verifying that they do not know a contestant, have not coached a contestant and that their decisions will be made in a fair and impartial manner.

CONTACT WITH JUDGES – IMPORTANT
The only contact contestants will have during the pageant day with Pageant Judges will be during the Interview Session. No contestant, member of her family or friends can communicate in any fashion with judges or their guests – whether by phone, correspondence, with gifts or in any manner. When the judges are seated in the theater pageant night, no family member or friend may approach the Judges or the Judges table at any time for any reason. Any contact or communication to the judges by a contestant or in her name may result in the immediate disqualification of the contestant from the pageant in the sole discretion of Rhonda Garrett Gilliam/DBA Mrs. Alabama America.

WHAT THE JUDGES WILL LOOK FOR
The judges will seek the “Total Woman,” someone who:

• Has an attractive, physically fit body
• Has natural beauty, both inside and out
• Has a warm, pleasant personality
• Will be a good state representative throughout the year and at the national pageant
• Is a confident individual who is comfortable with herself
• Is an intelligent woman who will be represent the married women of Alabama well
• Recognizes and appreciates the benefits of becoming a titleholder
• Looks forward to representing her state
• WANTS TO WIN

The judges are not looking for rehearsed answers. Remember to be yourself because the judges want to meet the real you!!!

JUDGE CRITIQUES

Judge critiques will be available to Contestants after the Pageant. No scores will be available…just critiques.  Call the pageant office one week after the pageant and ask for your critiques.

PREVIEW
The Preview is a non-judged event designed to act as an “ice breaker” for both judges and contestants. It gives the contestants an opportunity to appear in front of the judges prior to any official balloting and it gives the judges a basic overall view of the contestants.  After lunch, contestants change into swimsuits for preview and then immediately change into evening gowns for preview. Preview means the contestants will line up on stage alphabetically. The hose will say your name and number and you will step forward.  He watches the judges for a sign that they are ready for the next contestant and you step back in line.   The judges are positioned randomly in the theater and are making notes. After the Previews are completed, contestants will immediately change into interview attire and return to the stage area to continue rehearsing. They will be escorted to the interview room in groups. While one group interviews the remaining contestants continue to rehearse.

INTERVIEW JUDGING
The Interview portion provides contestants an opportunity to speak with each judge individually in a comfortable and conversational atmosphere. The judge and contestant will be seated facing each other for a time period of three to five (3-5) minutes. Traditionally there are five (5) judges and the contestant will rotate until she has spoken with each judge.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Each judge will have your Contestant Profile in front of them. They generally ask questions about the information from your Contestant Form.  Remember, there is no information on this form regarding your AGE!

Other possible topics include: 
• Background: education, goals, family, special training, hobbies, occupation, travel, community involvement
• Likes and Dislikes: people, places, things, sports, music, etc.
• Pageants: why you want to win, what you think the role of pageantry is for married women
• State/Hometown: why someone would want to visit your hometown/what is unique about it
• Personal and Career Goals: what you want to achieve in life, from this pageant, the meaning of success

The judge will consider the personal opinions of the contestant and her communication skills.  Also considered are: personality, charm, self confidence and intelligence. Interviews will take place in the afternoon in an available meeting space in the the theater.

JUST BEFORE INTERVIEW
Check your hair and makeup in the mirror
Check your teeth for lipstick
Make sure the judge can see your face – no hair in face
Check your outfit…..is it twisted?
Check your shoes for scuffs
Pop in a breath mint
Listen to the question the judge asks and answer the question.
Put on your best SMILE and keep it throughout the interview.

ONE PIECE SWIMSUIT
This competition focuses on the beauty of face and figure. The self confidence of a contestant is very important. Also considered are: physical fitness, symmetry of form, tone, body language, poise and grace under pressure. Numerical measurements are not considered.

EVENING GOWN
The evening gown category highlights not only the beauty of face and figure but also overall appearance. Poise, confidence, fashion sense and stage presence are all taken into consideration.

ON-STAGE COMPETITIONS
The Swimsuit and Evening Gown competitions take place on stage during the pageant. Semi-Finalists will be announced, finalists will be announced and finally, Award Winners will be announced. The pageant will culminate with the crowning of the next MRS. ALABAMA AMERICA!