UNCASVILLE, CONN. (December 13, 2021) -- Miss Illinois Isabelle Hanson was named the talent winner from preliminary night two Monday at the 100th Miss America competition, where 50 candidates are vying the crown of Miss America and a $100,000 college scholarship.
Hanson, who played Czardas, a rhapsodical concert piece by the Italian composer Vittorio Monti on her violin, was awarded a $2,500 scholarship courtesy of Kawai Piano.
“Winning this award is a critical step in making the semi-finals at Miss America.” says Ashley Hatfield, Director of the Miss Illinois Organization and a former Miss Illinois. “Talent is worth 50% of the score in prelims. We are so proud of all of Isabelle’s hard work. The state of Illinois has not won a talent prelim in 21 years, so we are ecstatic to say the least.”
Hanson graduated Cum Laude from Miami University of Ohio in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, Bachelor of Arts in Music, and marketing minor. She currently works as an on-air news anchor and reporter at KFVS12, a CBS-affiliate news station that covers Southern Illinois, southeast Missouri, and western Kentucky.
Hanson, originally from Glen Ellyn, started formal violin training at the age of 4 and has played as a principal violinist with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras and Southeast Missouri State University Orchestra. She served as Miss Illinois’ Outstanding Teen in 2013. During her time competing with the Miss Illinois Scholarship Organization and Miss America Organization, she has earned $23,700 in scholarships.
Fifty outstanding women are competing for the job of Miss America 2022, and more than $435,500 in scholarships this week, including a record $100,000 scholarship for the winner. The final night of the 100th Anniversary Miss America competition will air live on NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, Dec. 16. The competition is being held at 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena. This year’s competition returns with a new and enhanced format allowing audiences to stream the event live across all time zones for the first time ever.
Isabelle Hanson was crowned
Miss Illinois on June 19, 2021 on the stage of the Marion Cultural and Civic Center in Marion, Illinois.
