Miss Kentucky USA 2021 Ellen Elizabeth “Elle” Smith, 22, of Germantown, Kentucky, United States will crown her successor at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset, Kentucky on March 26, 2022. It is the 68th edition of the state-level beauty pageant that selects Kentucky’s candidate for Miss USA, which selects the Miss Universe candidate of the U.S.

Kentucky currently has 16 Miss USA placements including the coronation of Tara Conner in 2006 and Smith in 2021. Conner was Miss Universe 2006 fourth runner-up while Smith finished in the Top 10 at Miss Universe 2021.

Representing Germantown, Smith was crowned Miss Kentucky USA 2021 at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset on May 22, 2021. Runner-up to Smith is Veronica Chisholm of Owenton while the respective second, third and fourth runners-up are Rebecca Cook of Capital City, India Marks of Churchill Downs and Kristen Bach of Walton.

There are 36 women competing for the Miss Kentucky USA 2022 title. Here is the list of candidates:

1. Cadie Hall (Ashland)
2. Kristen Saunders (Bardstown)
3. Michaela Arnold (Belle of Louisville)
4. Alexis Batovsky (Bluegrass State)
5. Fee Diaz (Cane Run)
6. Morgan Luster (Central Lexington)
7. Shantay Chandler (Churchill Downs)
8. Brianna Agosto (Corbin)
9. Sophia Meinhart (Crescent Hill Township)
10. Nimrit Singh (East Louisville)
11. Rebecca Cook (Frankfort)
12. Kristen Bach (Georgetown)
13. Lizzy Neutz (Greater Louisville)
14. Brooklynn Case (Harrodsburg Case)
15. Savanah Burke (Heart of Kentucky)
16. Brooke Bugg (Henderson)
17. Shay Collett (Hyden)
18. Ariel Thompson (Jefferson County)
19. Hailey Lynne (Keeneland)
20. Rabiya Syed (Lansdowne)
21. Kaitlyn Ramey (London)
22. India Marks (Louisville)
23. Beatrice Parks (Madison County)
24. Emma Buchanan (Mercer County)
25. Tia Lee (Middletown)
26. Conley Moore (Morgantown)
27. Courtney Rager (Muhlenberg County)
28. Kirstin Spellman (Newport)
29. Veronica Chisholm (Owen County)
30. Meredith Ellis (Oxmoor Woods)
31. Katie Campbell (Pikeville)
32. Attiah Hicks (Plainview Township)
33. Lexie Meade (Red River Gorge)
34. Kyra Evans-Hughes (South Lexington)
35. Grace Wagner (Walton)
36. Lanisha Porter (West Louisville)