Miss Grand International sees franchise shake-ups across countries, Vietnam retains license holder

The latest change came in Ecuador, where Concurso Nacional de Belleza (CNB Ecuador) announced on October 23 that it was ending its seven-year partnership with Miss Grand International.

The announcement followed the 2026 pageant, where Ecuador's Shyare Andrade finished as first runner-up, although CNB did not disclose the reason for its decision.

Miss Grand International president Nawat Itsaragrisil had previously expressed dissatisfaction with CNB over its involvement in organizing Miss Universe Ecuador and its selection of a contestant for Miss Grand International, which he claimed did not comply with the pageant's rules.

Despite ending its partnership with Miss Grand International, CNB will continue holding the national franchises for Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss Supranational.

Miss Grand International has yet to name a new franchise holder in Ecuador.

Franchise disputes in India, Myanmar, other countries

India experienced a shake-up following Miss Grand International 2024, when Rachel Gupta became the country's first winner of the international pageant.

The Miss Grand India organization subsequently ended its partnership with Miss Grand International, with its president Nikhil Anand citing differences in vision and objectives.

Nawat, however, accused the Indian organization of delaying franchise fee payments and failing to support or promote the competition.

The Indian franchise was later transferred to Star Entertainment Production.

The dispute came amid controversy surrounding Gupta, who announced on May 28, 2025 that she was relinquishing her crown.

Miss Grand International subsequently stripped her of the 2024 title, which was taken over by first runner-up Christine Juliane Opiaza of the Philippines.

In Myanmar, another dispute erupted following the 2024 final when second runner-up Thae Su Nyein announced that she was returning her crown because she disagreed with the results.

On October 28, 2024, Miss Grand International formally revoked her title and imposed a ban on Myanmar national director Htoo Ant Lwin.

The organizations holding the pageant's franchises in Cambodia, Honduras, and Indonesia also ended their partnerships with Nawat after the 2024 competition.

New franchise holders have since taken over in those countries and continued sending contestants to the international pageant.

Amid the changes, Miss Grand International issued a call in July 2026 for prospective national franchise holders in several markets, including Colombia, Ghana, Haiti, Turkey, Nicaragua, Egypt, Germany, Bolivia, and Uruguay.

Vietnam retains Miss Grand franchise for 2027

While several countries have experienced changes in franchise ownership, Vietnam's existing franchise holder, Sen Vang Advertising and Trading Co., Ltd., remains in place.

Nawat recently announced that Pham Kim Dung, CEO of Sen Vang, would continue as the official license holder of Miss Grand Vietnam for 2027.

The announcement reaffirmed Sen Vang's position within the pageant's national franchise network, which it joined after signing an agreement to acquire the Miss Grand International franchise rights in Vietnam on April 9, 2021.

The company organized the first Miss Grand Vietnam competition in 2022 and has continued overseeing the selection of Vietnamese representatives for the international event.

However, Vietnam will no longer host Miss Grand International 2027 as initially planned.

The international organization announced in September that the pageant would instead return to Thailand for its 15th-anniversary edition, without publicly explaining the change.

Despite losing the hosting rights, Vietnam retains its national franchise holder for the 2027 competition.