A young woman from the Cook Islands has been crowned Miss World Oceania for 2026, becoming only the second Cook Islander ever to win the title. Tiare Henry-Anguna won the honour at the Miss World finals, held in Vietnam on 5 September 2026.
More than 111 contestants from around the world took part in the month-long pageant. The Cook Islands is a small nation in the Pacific Ocean, home to only around 15,000 people, and Henry-Anguna said she could hardly believe her win.
“I feel so extremely blessed and grateful, coming from a small nation of 15,000 people,” she said. She dedicated the win to her family and to her late father, saying she saw it as an achievement for the whole Pacific region, not just her own country.
Henry-Anguna was mentored by Tajiya Sahay, the first Cook Islander to win the Oceania title, back in 2019. Sahay helped her practise interview skills, public speaking and stage presence ahead of the competition.
Jasmine Stringer, the previous Miss World Oceania from Australia, said she was proud to pass the crown on to Henry-Anguna, and expected her to have “an incredible and impactful year ahead.”
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