Emma Broyles Crowned Miss America 2022 After Last Year's Competition Was Canceled Due to Pandemic

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Miss America 2022 has been crowned in the competition's 100th annual event!

Emma Broyles, Miss Alaska, was given the title of Miss America 2022 Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Broyles wowed the panel of judges with her impressive answer during the challenge portion of the competition, in which the Top 3 finalists were asked what they would do in a real-life situation.

Lauren Bradford, Miss Alabama, was crowned first runner-up, while Elizabeth Pierre, Miss Massachusetts, rounded out the top three with her second runner-up title.

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While fifty women competed for the title of Miss America 2022, Broyles nabbed the crown Thursday, which was given to her by the most recent Miss America winner, Camille Schrier. Broyles is the recipient of a six-figure salary, plus a record $100,000 in scholarship funds.

The Top 10 finalists included Bradford, Broyles, Andolyn Medina (District of Columbia), Leah Roddenberry (Florida), Isabelle Hanson (Illinois), Pierre, Sydney Park (New York), Abigail Hayes (Oregon), Mallory Fuller (Texas), and Sasha Sloan (Utah), who competed in the talent portion of the competition.

After the Top 10 finalists showed off their impressive talents on stage, Bradford, Park, Pierre, Hayes, and Broyles advanced to the interview portion, in which they spoke candidly about their individual Social Impact Initiatives.

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Forever Miss Americas Nina Davuluri and Ericka Dunlap cohosted the Thursday competition, which featured Forever Miss America panelists Heather French Henry, Katie Stam Irk and Debbye Turner Bell.

"As we planned our 100th Miss America Anniversary competition, we felt who better to honor and celebrate the heritage of this iconic institution than the amazing women who have actually held the title," Shantel Krebs, Miss America Organization Board Chair and Interim President and CEO, said in a Wednesday press release.

Krebs added, "We are excited to have our Forever Miss Americas join us as co-hosts and panelists as they truly understand the hard work and commitment that each of these incredible young women have put in over the past year as they prepare for our final night of competition and the official title of Miss America 2022."

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Miss America Organization Miss America Camille Schrier

Schrier, who won the last Miss America competition, made history as the first woman to reign as Miss America for two years. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Miss America organization postponed the 2021 competition, automatically giving Schrier an extra year in her role.

"I realized now that I'm probably going to be a Jeopardy question," she joked to PEOPLE in June 2020. "It's definitely incredible. As someone who is a nontraditional competitor in the Miss America organization ... it's kind of on-brand for me to do it this way."

Schrier, who is a scientist from Virginia, also made her mark on Miss America by performing the first-ever science demonstration to be featured in the competition's talent portion.

"I'm just kind of embracing that I don't really do anything the regular way, and I think that that's important for young people to see, especially because sometimes we feel like we have to be like everybody else," she told PEOPLE. "Just do your own thing, create your own path."