Nina Davuluri, Miss New York, was crowned Miss America in Atlantic City, New Jersey Sunday night in the first ceremony there since it moved to Las Vegas in 2006
Davuluri, 24, performed a classic Bollywood dance as her talent at Boardwalk Hall.
New Jersey signed a contract with the pageant that agrees to keep it in Atlantic City for the next three years, while they give the pageant free and discounted hotel rooms, free use of Boardwalk Hall, and over $7 million to help pay production costs.
According to CBS, whoever is crowned Miss America will become a spokesperson for the resort and make promotional appearances for Atlantic City as part of the contract agreement.
Sam Haskell, the CEO of Miss America, is happy about the pageant’s return to it’s original home.
"This is where we belong," Haskell said, Associated Press reports. "This is the home of Miss America, and this is where we're going to stay."
Miss Mississippi, Miss Oklahoma, and Miss Georgia were preliminary winners of the swimsuit competition earlier this week. Miss New Hampshire, Miss Minnesota, and Miss Florida were the preliminary winners of the talent competition.
Davuluri is the first woman of Indian heritage to win the annual Miss America pageant.