Ava Weeks Crowned Miss Arkansas
- Jun 14
- 2 min read
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Ava Weeks was crowned Miss Arkansas 2026 on Saturday evening at the historic Robinson Center in downtown Little Rock. Weeks competed as Miss Southwest Arkansas and emerged victorious from a field of outstanding young women representing communities and colleges across the state.
A 21-year-old native of Conway, Arkansas, Weeks is a student at Ouachita Baptist University, where she is pursuing a degree in Secondary English Education. Throughout the week of competition, she distinguished herself with her vocal talent and strong stage presence.
In addition to capturing the title of Miss Arkansas 2026, Weeks earned several of the competition’s most prestigious honors, including:
Overall Talent
Overall On-Stage Conversation
The Jessie Bennett Leadership Award
Miss Arkansas 2026, a $30,000 scholarship sponsored by the Ted and Shannon Skokos Foundation
As Miss Arkansas 2026, Weeks will spend the coming year serving as the state’s official goodwill ambassador while promoting her community service initiatives, educational goals, and the mission of the Miss America Organization. Weeks’ community service initiative is “Every Seat. Every Ride. Buckle Up.” emphasizing the importance of seat belt safety.
Weeks succeeds Kennedy Holland and will represent Arkansas at the upcoming Miss America 2027 competition in West Palm Beach Florida on September 6.
Top 5 Finalists:
Miss Arkansas 2026 - Miss Southwest Arkansas, Ava Weeks
1st Runner Up - Miss Dogwood, LilliAnn Nunley
2nd Runner Up - Miss Southeast Arkansas, Hagan Hord
3rd Runner Up - Miss White River, Camryn Ross
4th Runner Up - Miss Greater Jacksonville, Jada Simpson
The Miss Arkansas Scholarship Organization is part of the Miss America Organization, one of the nation’s leading providers of scholarship assistance for young women. During the week, the competition awarded over $320,000 in scholarships.