Caption: Anna-Lise Nanton. Photo: Miss World T&T
By Faith Edwards
MISS World Trinidad and Tobago 2025 Anna-Lise Nanton has made history as the first from this country to win a continental Head-to-Head Challenge.
Her advancement comes after she won the Americas and Caribbean segment of the Head-to-Head Challenge, making her one of four continental winners who have automatically secured a place in the Top 40 of Miss World 2025.
She is placed in the quarterfinals of the competition with the final night scheduled for May 31.
The other winners are:
· Team Africa: Miss Zambia – Faith Bwalya
· Team Asia and Oceania: Miss Turkey – Idil Bilgen
· Team Europe: Miss Wales – Millie-mae Adams
Nanton’s advancement also marks the fourth consecutive placement for Trinidad and Tobago at Miss World, the country’s longest active streak at the competition.
The queens behind this historic run are:
· 2019: Tya-Janè Ramey – Top 40 / Miss World Caribbean
· 2021: Jeanine Brandt – Top 40
· 2024: Aché Abrahams – 2nd Runner-Up / Miss World Caribbean
· 2025: Anna-Lise Nanton – Top 40 (final placement to be confirmed at the finale)
Nanton via Instagram said Friday, “I am so excited and honoured to be announced as the continental winner of the head to head challenge. I found out today that it’s the first time that Trinidad and Tobago has been a continental winner at this challenge, so I feel very proud to be putting our little islands on the map and showing the world that we may be small but we are very mighty.”
She added, “I just want to thank you all for supporting me so far. I really do feel your love and your warmth here in India and it’s what’s been driving me, keeping me pushing.”
The Head- to-Head Challenge is a crucial part of the competition in which the contestants show their speaking and presentation skills as well as their thinking and intelligence highlighting global concerns.
In a heartfelt letter to the nation from Telangana, India, via the Miss World Trinidad and Tobago media release on Friday, Nanton also described Telangana as a place “where heritage walks hand in hand with innovation,” comparing it to Trinidad and Tobago’s own advancement, including “Project Lara”, the Caribbean’s largest solar farm.
Nanton highlighted the role of women in both societies, noting her visit to Telangana’s Command and Control Centre, which ensures “safe mobility of women,” and linking it to her work with The Shelter in T&T. She added, “In Trinidad and Tobago, the top three national offices are held by women… This was not just representation, it’s inspiration.”
The 26-year-old also pointed to shared values, from spirituality and celebrations to a deep love for cricket. She said, “The people of Telangana cheer Brian Lara and Dwayne Bravo with unmatched passion.”
Nanton praised Telangana’s advances in education, comparing its tech-enabled classrooms to T&T’s new national laptop programme for school children. She said the experience in India has “opened my mind, filled my heart and expanded my dreams.”
Encouraging citizens to visit, Nanton wrote, “Telangana will forever hold a special place in my heart and I know it will in yours, too.”
Nanton, crowned Miss World Trinidad and Tobago in 2024, is currently representing the nation at the 72nd Miss World pageant in India.
A geotechnical engineer by profession, Nanton holds a first-class honours degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Bath. She began her career with an internship at Arup United Kingdom and now works at Earth Investigation Systems Limited, a leading Caribbean geotechnical consultancy.
Beyond engineering, Nanton is the founder of Sisters Strong, a non-profit promoting women’s empowerment and physical activity through sports.
Her community projects, including Pads-on-a-Roll and AI Tutor, have impacted over 2,000 children and received Ministry of Education approval.
Her Miss World journey highlights her commitment to “Beauty with a Purpose.”
The 72nd Miss World pageant continues to run until May 31, with activities taking place across various locations in the Indian state of Telangana.
