Emma Terry is the new Miss Alabama.

Terry, 22, was crowned Saturday night at Samford University’s Wright Center in Birmingham. She competed as Miss Hoover, besting 42 other contestants for the 2025 state title. Terry will move on to represent Alabama at the Miss America competition.

Terry takes over the role of Miss Alabama from Abbie Stockard, the 2024 winner. Stockard moved on to become Miss America earlier this year and continues her reign as the national titleholder. Stockard crowned her successor at the Wright Center on Saturday and presented Terry with a bouquet of roses.

Terry, from Leeds, is a UAB graduate who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting. She was the runner-up for Miss Alabama in 2023 and 2024, and named Miss Alabama’s Teen 2021. (Terry initially was first runner-up to Marcelle LeBlanc in the teen competition, which is linked to the Miss Alabama organization. She took over the state title when LeBlanc moved on to win Miss America’s Teen.)

The yearlong reign of the new Miss Alabama starts immediately. She’ll make public appearances, do charity work, speak to community groups, motivate students and more. Terry’s community service initiative is Stomping Out ALS Once Step at a Time.

Terry was one of 13 semifinalists chosen at the pageant finals on Saturday, competing in segments that focused on talent, on-stage interview, evening gown and heath and fitness. For talent, she performed a ballet en pointe routine to “Flashdance.”

“To share the stage with so many incredible, talented, and kind-hearted women has been an honor I will never forget,” Terry said in an Instagram post on Saturday, just a few hours before the finals. “I’m so thankful for the people who have poured into me, prayed over me, and supported me every step of the way.”

Three rounds of preliminary contests for Miss Alabama 2025 took place Wednesday through Friday at the Wright Center, giving all 43 contestants a chance to strut their stuff in talent, evening gown, health and fitness and on-stage interview segments. The contestants also chatted with the judges this week during off-stage interviews and showcased their community service initiatives.

Terry won two preliminary awards this week, earning the top scores in the evening gown preliminary on Wednesday and the talent preliminary on Friday.

Scores received in the preliminaries were used to create a composite score that was considered by the judges on Saturday, and weighted as 30 percent of each contestant’s score in the finals. This was added to Saturday scores in talent, evening gown and health and fitness (each weighted as 20 percent) and on-stage question (10 percent).

Miss Alabama, like the Miss America organization, no longer has a swimsuit competition. It was eliminated at Miss America in 2018, and Miss Alabama followed suit in 2019. However, a health and fitness segment was added, and contestants model activewear designed for the Miss America organization.

Also, this year’s People’s Choice Contest allowed the pubic to vote online for their favorite contestants in advance of the Miss Alabama finals. Each vote cost $1. The contestant with the most votes earned a spot among the top 13 semifinalists on Saturday.

The top 13 semifinalists this year were:

• Chloe Yates, Miss Birmingham
• Rylie Dewley, Miss Eastern Shore
• Jada Winston, Miss Iron City
• Hannah Adams, Miss Phenix City
• Emily Morring, Miss Marshall County
• Abby Sosa, Miss Hidden River
• Lauren Vance, Miss Tennessee Valley
• Emma Terry, Miss Hoover
• Ruby Tilghman, Miss University of Alabama
• Evie Smith, Miss Vestavia Hills
• Jayla Duncan, Miss Samford
• Reagan Hanson, Miss Trussville
• Emma Walters, Miss West Alabama

Later on Saturday, the list of finalists was trimmed to the top five. They were:

• Emma Terry, Miss Hoover (winner)
• Hannah Adams, Miss Phenix City (first runner-up)
• Ruby Tilghman, Miss University of Alabama (second runner-up)
• Lauren Vance, Miss Tennessee Valley (third runner-up)
• Abby Sosa, Miss Hidden River (fourth runner-up)

Although glitzy on-stage activity is the most public aspect of the Miss Alabama pageant, there’s significant scholarship money at stake behind the scenes. Cash scholarships in various categories are awarded to contestants during competition week, totaling $142,670 this year, according to the Miss Alabama pageant guide.

The title of Miss Alabama comes with a $15,000 scholarship. The first runner-up receives $5,000; the second runner-up receives $3,000; the third runner-up gets $2,500; the fourth-runner up receives $2,000, all in scholarship money.

Other semi-finalists receive $1,750 each in scholarship money. The remaining contestants receive $1,500 each for competing in the pageant. More than 50 other cash scholarships, in sums of $100-$5,000, are awarded by the pageant’s scholarship committee and various donors.

This week’s preliminary talent winners will receive $500 each in scholarship money, according to the pageant guide. Winners in the evening gown preliminaries will receive $300 each in scholarship money.

Several colleges and universities in the state also offer in-kind scholarships to the winner and other contestants, paying tuition, fees and other expenses.

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

Courtney Porter Orazine, Miss Alabama 2011, was the emcee for Saturday’s program. The agenda included appearances by Stockard and production numbers featuring Tammy Little Haynes, Miss Alabama 1984, and this year’s contestants. Songs on the agenda included “Celebration,” “I’m So Excited” and “Born to Fly.”

Miss Alabama’s Teen 2025, Addison Shoemaker, performed at the finals, as well. Tiara Pennington, Miss Alabama 2019-2020, sang the national anthem.