Antigua and Barbuda’s 2025 Carnival Queen Kia Kirwan has earned the opportunity to represent her home country at the first-ever Miss Afrikana International pageant, scheduled to launch in November 2027.
Kirwan comes into this new competition with a proven track record of success across regional pageantry. Over the course of her current reign as Carnival Queen, she has already represented Antigua and Barbuda at four major regional competitions, claiming a top placement in three of those events. Her most notable achievement to date is securing first runner-up at the 2026 Miss OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States) Pageant hosted in Dominica, where she also took home two individual segment awards for standout performances.
Miss Afrikana International is the brainchild of Abena Akuaba Appiah, a Ghanaian beauty queen, successful entrepreneur, and social advocate who claimed the Miss Grand International title in 2020. Unlike many mainstream global pageants, this new competition was crafted specifically to celebrate women of African descent from across the globe – including those based on the African continent, throughout the Caribbean, and across the wider African diaspora.
Organizers have outlined that the competition will center on six core pillars: beauty, culture, intelligence, leadership, African heritage, and community service. Contestants will be evaluated across a range of competition segments, including cultural presentation, evening gown, talent or creative expression, one-on-one interview, public speaking, and a pre-competition community impact project that showcases each contestant’s commitment to service.
While the inaugural event is locked in for November 11, 2027, organizers have not yet revealed the host city or official venue for the pageant. Kirwan’s selection as Antigua and Barbuda’s representative has been officially confirmed by the Miss Afrikana International organization, and further updates on the competition are available through the pageant’s official online channels.