The Miss Alabama 2025 pageant is heating up this week, with two nights of preliminaries completed before Saturday’s finale.

Three contestants earned special notice at Thursday’s preliminary event, winning in talent and evening gown competitions.

Lauren Vance, Miss Tennessee Valley, and Evie Smith, Miss Vestavia Hills, tied for the top score in talent.

Vance 22, played “Valse Dramatico” on the piano. She’s from Muscle Shoals, studying in a doctor of optometry program at UAB. Her community service initiative is The Two-Hour Challenge: Trading Virtual for Value.

Smith, 18, performed a baton routine to “Cup of Life.” She’s from Slocomb and a student at Auburn University, majoring in rehabilitation and disabilities studies. Her community service initiative is A.C.T. — Advocating for Children of Trauma.

Emma Walters, Miss West Alabama, earned the top score in the evening gown competition. Walters, 20, is from Birmingham. She’s a student at Auburn University, majoring in physician assistant studies. Her community service initiative is Love the Skin You’re In.

A total of 43 women are vying for the state title, along with scholarship money and the chance to move on to the Miss America pageant.

READ: Miss Alabama 2025: Meet 43 women competing for the crown

Preliminary events held this week, Wednesday through Friday at Samford University’s Wright Center, give each contestant a chance to strut her stuff in talent, evening wear, health and fitness and on-stage interview segments. The contestants also chat with the judges this week during off-stage interviews and showcase their community service initiatives.

Preliminaries help to determine the semifinalists who’ll compete on Saturday in the pageant finale.

(See photos from Thursday’s preliminary in the gallery at the top of this post.)

Wednesday’s preliminary winners were:

Rylie Dewley, Miss Eastern Shore, and Abby Sosa, Miss Hidden River, tied for the top score in the talent competition.

Dewley, 21, performed a baton routine to “Thunderstruck.” She’s from Grand Blanc, Michigan, and a student at the University of Alabama, majoring in political science. Her community service initiative is Start Heart Smart.

Sosa, 21, performed a Latin jazz dance to “Bailar/Let’s Get Loud.” She’s from Cullman and a student at the University of Alabama, majoring in communications. Her community service initiative is Bridging the Gap: Inspiring Latina Generational Transformation.

Emma Terry, Miss Hoover, earned the top score in the evening gown competition. Terry, 22, is a UAB graduate from Leeds who majored in accounting. Her community service initiative is Stomping Out ALS Once Step at a Time.

Abbie Stockard, Miss America 2025, will be back in her home state this weekend to crown the new Miss Alabama. Stockard, who won the title of Miss Alabama 2024, became Miss America earlier this year and continues her reign as the national titleholder.

Also, a People’s Choice Contest for Miss Alabama allows the pubic to vote online for their favorite contestants in advance of the finals. Each vote costs $1. The contestant with the most votes will earn a spot among the top 13 finalists on Saturday.

Thursday’s preliminary event included production numbers by former Miss Alabama winners and this year’s contestants, performing to songs such as “Celebration,” “The Truth” and “Born to Fly.” Miss Alabama 2006, Melinda Toole Gunter, was the emcee for Thursday’s event.

Judges for this year are David Blackledge, Cleo Coker Gravitt, Sandy Darby Thompson, Ashley Gibson Barnett, and Darris Waren.

If you go:

The Miss Alabama 2025 competition is set for June 25-28 at Samford University’s Wright Center, 872 Montague Drive in Birmingham. Preliminary competitions are set for Wednesday through Friday, June 25-27, at 7 p.m. The finals are scheduled for Saturday, June 28, at 7 p.m.

Single tickets are $45-$55 for Wednesday through Friday, $63-$75 for Saturday. Season ticket packages (for all four nights) are $130-$160. See the Miss Alabama website or call 205-871-6276 for more info.