Nguyen Huong Giang will represent Vietnam at Miss Universe 2025 in Thailand this November.
Miss Universe Vietnam announced the selection on September 24, praising Huong Giang for her resilience and versatility as a singer, actress, model, MC, judge and producer. She produced Miss Universe Vietnam 2024, which the organisers said reaffirmed her drive to take on new challenges.
The announcement surprised many fans, as Nguyen Quynh Anh, first runner-up at Miss Universe Vietnam 2024, had been widely tipped for the role before publicly denying speculation.
Huong Giang, 34, first gained attention after reaching the Top 4 of Vietnam Idol 2012. She later won Miss International Queen 2018 in Thailand, becoming the first Vietnamese transgender woman to achieve an international crown. She has since built a career in music, acting and reality TV production.
Miss Universe, one of the world’s most-followed pageants, has expanded eligibility in recent years to include all women aged over 18, including transgender women, regardless of height, body shape, marital or parental status.
Vietnam’s best result at the competition came in 2018, when H’Hen Nie placed in the Top 5. Last year, Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen finished in the Top 30. The 2024 crown went to Victoria Kjaer Theilvig of Denmark.
