History
First Miss SVG (1986) - Mandy Haydock
Pageantry in St. Vincent and the Grenadines started amidst an ara that was crucial to the society's development. The first pageant was held in 1951 and the first Queen was Audrey Hazel. During this period Adult suffrage came into being and revolutionized the society. This transformation was becoming of a new people, and this brought about changes, one of which was a celebration of the African and Caribbean cultures, known as the peoples festival or carnival.
At this time the winner was given the title "Queen of Carnival". This title was carried on until 1985, when carnival was moved from February to July. During this period contestants were expected to not only display carnival costumes but were to be judged in this segment; this cemented the title of the pageant then.
However in 1986 this category was relinquished and a new title - "Miss SVG" would continue the tradition of empowering young Vincentian women. This new thrust was done to give the pageant mass appeal and was also geared at reflecting the country itself rather than the focus of mas. This was inkeeping with international standards and meant that the costume segment would now be out of the picture.
Mandy Haydock - Miss SVG 1986, has the honour of being crowned the first Miss SVG. This change however was not short of controversy. Many persons argued against the removal of the costume segment, since it was truly reflective of the culture of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
After three years of its absence, the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) reintroduced the costume segment to the pageant in 1989. However, the quality and standard of the the costumes were decreased, due the rising cost of living. As a result during the period 1991 to 1995 the CDC decided to remove the show itself from the carnival activities which was now called "Vincy Mas".
The impact that this show had made over the years to Vincentians and visitors was tremendous and in 1997, the CDC was obliged to embrace this prestigeous pageant once more. This year proved to be a success for pageantry, and with the celebration of 20 years of Vincy Mas, Miss Georgian Richards - the protegee of former Miss SVG Nicole Hadaway walked away with the Miss SVG 1997 title. This fresh return on the scene for pageantry sparked a new era for pageantry in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The expectations of the show are great, and the CDC has officially placed the Beauty Shows Committee to set precedence on the activities surrounding the show. As a means of encouraging competition and longevity of the pageant the CDC has introduced a three year scholarship to the winner, apart from the crown, $8000 in cash, other prizes. This move seeks to ensure that intelligence and beauty are two fundamental ingredients of the "Miss SVG" title holder.