Concepcion de La Vega municipality candidate, 28-year-old Melissa Núñez was crowned Miss Universe Dominican Republic 2026 on the evening of Thursday, 30 July 2026, at a gala hosted at the Eduardo Brito National Theater in Santo Domingo and broadcast live on Color Visión, Channel 9. The reigning Miss Universe, Fátima Bosch of Mexico placed the crown on the new Miss Dominican Republic.Núñez triumphed over a field of 30 contestants. Valentina Campion, representing Samaná province, who had earlier won the Miss Popularity award, finished as first runner-up (second place). Spectators and pageant observers speculated that the panel of judges ultimately favored Núñez following her strong performance during the Q&A round.The remaining top finalists included second runner-up Floralba Caba (Monseñor Nouel), third runner-up Camila Issa Svelti (Santo Domingo de Guzmán), fourth...