June 29, 2008
Anya attended a press conference, which immediately followed the pageant finale. It was then time to celebrate with the new titleholders in the Miss Bahamas World Coronation Party!
June 29, 2008
Following an incredible reign, Anya Watkins crowned her successor Tinnyse Johnson as the nation's newest goodwill ambassador. Thanks Anya for being such an unforgettable queen!
June 29, 2008
The reign of Anya Watkins as Miss Bahamas World 2007 came to a close on the evening of June 29th, 2008 when a new Miss Bahamas World was crowned. Anya performed her final duties, serving as Guest Commentator along with Mizani's Geno Evans for the pageant's television audience. Before passing on her crown, she performed in a sultry dance to the classic Diamonds are Forever.
June 21, 2008
Anya and the contestants took to the streets for the annual Miss Bahamas World float parade. The parade ended at historic Rawson Square with the ladies taking part in a Junkanoo Rush out to Kafe Kalik, where a scrumptious meal awaited them.
June 20, 2008
Anya served as a judge for the 2008 Miss Bahamas World Evening Gown and Talent Competitions.
June 17, 2008
Anya appeared as a feature model in a new Atlantis print ad campaign! She and other models were flown to the Exuma Cays where they shot several scenes for a new ad that is scheduled to appear in magazines this fall.
June 15, 2008
Anya served as a judge for the 2008 Miss Bahamas World Swimsuit Competition, which was held at the Compass Point Resort on West Bay Street.
June 14, 2008
Anya and the contestants enjoyed a fun filled afternoon of shopping at Diamonds International.
June 9, 2008
Anya and the contestants visited Government House, where they paid a courtesy call on His Excellency, the Govenor General Sir Arthur D. Hanna.
June 6, 2008
Anya enjoyed a weekend of sailing fun as she attended the Long Island Regatta!
June 3, 2008
Miss Bahamas World 2007 Anya Watkins becomes the first woman to be given the Critical Beauty Spirit Award by one of the world's leading pageant websites. Rafa Delfin, the director of Critical Beauty, has released this statement: "Critical Beauty is very happy to present the first-ever Critical Beauty Spirit Award to Anya Watkins, Miss Bahamas World 2007. Not only has Anya been an excellent representative of the Bahamas to her countrymen and to the world, but she also exemplifies what a true beauty queen should be - graceful, elegant, personable, intelligent, warm, eloquent, and most of all - humble. Critical Beauty wishes Anya the best of luck in her personal and professional endeavors, and may she inspire many women to strive for excellence, truth, integrity and a beautiful spirit." A surprised Anya was presented with the award during the ceremony to unveil the 2008 Miss Bahamas World contestants to the public.
June 1, 2008
Anya and the Miss Bahamas World contestants worshipped at Zion Baptist Church before enjoying lunch at the Altantis Resort. They then had a blast at the Aquaventure water park.
May 31, 2008
It was a fun filled day for Anya and the contestants. First up, a round of golf at the Cable Beach Resorts Golf Course! After some swings (and misses), the ladies headed to the world famous Straw Market for some heavy duty bargaining. The day concluded with a visit to the beautiful Ardastra Gardens and Zoo.
May 23, 2008
Anya and some of the 2008 Miss Bahamas World contestants were special guests at BTC's reception following a press conference to announce its partnership with Sonus Networks and its partnering firm Calix. BTC has agreed to spend $55 million upgrading its existing, fixed voice network with a view to enhancing reliability, speed, flexibility and security. Miss Bahamas World and the hopefuls served as hostesses of the event.
May 11, 2008
Anya appears on the cover of Critical Beauty! The online pageant magazine features images of Miss Bahamas World 2007 that were taken during her two week stint in Puerto Rico. While there, Anya was shot for the February/March issue of REVISTA EGO magazine, under the heading Golden Girl. Behind the lens was Francisco Parra, and Anya's hair and make-up were by QZ.
May 6, 2008
Anya leaves for Las Vegas, Nevada, where she will spend five days competing in the Miss Hawaiian Tropic Pageant. Good luck Anya!
April 28, 2008
Anya was on hand at the Lynden Pindling International Airport to welcome home the new Miss Teen Continents of the World Shanae Strachan! Shanae succesfully won the title at the competition held in Peru on April 26th. She and her national director Theodore Sealy were met at the aiport by family and friends, and members of the press. Congratulations Shanae on your remarkable accomplishment!
April 23, 2008
Day three... it's more rehearsals, and promoting The Bahamas on PJD2 Radio!
April 22, 2008
On day two of the competition, the contestants attended rehearsals, and got the opportunity to meet the island's tourism officials.
April 21, 2008
Anya spent her first day in St. Maarten getting to know her fellow contestants, and visiting some of the island's attractions.
April 20, 2008
Anya departs for St. Maarten where she will spend the next five days competing in the PJD2 Caribbean Queen Beauty Pageant!
March 29, 2008
Anya got a chance to have some fun while attending the annual Greek Ball. There, she was photographed with the newly crowned Miss Bahamas Universe Sasha Scott.
March 26, 2008
Anya attended a special post Easter service held by St. Margaret's Anglican church for the elderly and shut in residents of the Kemp Road community. As the newly elected head of the church's community outreach arm, Anya helped to serve the area's precious pearls during a luncheon that followed the service. She also used the opportunity to make anohter plea for support for her pet project - the Kemp Road community center. She was interviewed by Island FM/Cable 12 Newsbreak about the much needed service that the center would provide.
March 15, 2008
Taping begins for the new Reality TV show Miss Bahamas World: Backstage Pass! As the host of the show Anya will introduce this year's Miss Bahamas World hopefuls to the Bahamian public. The four part series launches on June 2nd. Stay tuned!
March 4, 2008
Cover girl flex! Anya impresses photographer Donald Knowles with her muscular form during a recent photo shoot. She will soon be gracing a magazine cover for the second time. The photo shoot was to capture an image for a future issue of Caribbean Beauties Magazine!
February 29, 2008
Anya and Miss Bahamas Organization President Michelle Malcolm were interviewed by Island FM's Theo Sealy about the new Reality TV Show Miss Bahamas World: Backstage Pass! and the 2008 Miss Bahamas World contestants drive. The interview gave Anya the opportunity to reminisce with an old friend. She and Theo attended the same high school. You can read more about it in Anya's blog.
February 23, 2008
Beauty and the beach... that's what photographer extraordinaire Donald Knowles captured during a photo shoot with Miss Bahamas World 2007 Anya Watkins! These stunning images of Anya at sunset were taken on Orange Hill Beach. They will be featured on Donald's website in two weeks time. Special thanks to make up artist Italia Williams for her fabulous work. Also on hand for the photo shoot was photographer Farreno Ferguson.
February 21, 2008
Anya is interviewed by ZNS News reporter Giovanni Stuart about the new reality TV show Miss Bahamas World: Backtstage Pass!!! Anya will host the new show, which debuts on June 2nd. The four-part series will chronicle the competition in the weeks leading up the the Miss Bahamas World Grand Finale on June 29th, giving the Bahamian audience an opportunity to learn more about the contestants as they vote to choose a semifinalist.
February 21, 2008
Anya was the keynote speaker during a Zonta Club luncheon held at Graycliff. She addressed the ladies of the Club in an effort to raise awareness of and support for the G.E.M.S. Community Project - an initiave spearheaded by the Miss Bahamas Organization through which its queens perform charity work. She shared her vision for the proposed Kemp Road community project and solicited the support of the elite group of business women. Following her address, she attended a meeting with the Lord Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Most Reverend Drexel Gomez along with Fathers James Palacious, Laish Boyd, and Joseph Mycklewhyte to get the church's blessing for the transformation of the Bishop Donald Knowles building into the Kemp Road Community Center. The Archbishop gave his blessings, clearing the way for work to begin on the building which sits in the heart of Kemp Road on the St. Margaret's Anglican church grounds.
February 3, 2008
Anya was on hand for the crowning of Miss Grand Bahama, a preliminary competition for the Miss Bahamas World pageant. The pageant was won by Miss Seventeen Shop Kerel Pinder, while Tinnyse Johnson and Jillian Russell placed first and second runner up respectively. Twenty-two year old Pinder is an employee of the Ministry of Education. She is a guidance counselor at Lewis Yard Primary and Beacon School. A graduate of Bahama Catholic High, she obtained a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada. She is currently an advisor for the Twenty Pearls programme, an organization focused on grooming high school girls in grades 9-11 into future leaders and a coordinator of the R.I.S.E. organization, a parent support group for parents of special needs children. She is also a member of the Rotaract Club of Freeport, where she serves as community service director, the Toastmasters International Club and the Freeport Players Guild.
January 26, 2008
Anya and Miss Teen Bahamas World Shanae Strachan were on hand to help officially launch the Ministry of Tourism's National Tourism Week. The beauty queens were special guests at a Proclamation Ceremony at Arawak Cay, which immediately followed the Tourism Healthy Lifestyles Fun Run Walk. National Tourism Week is being held under the theme, Tourism: A New Beginning. Special thanks to photographer Derek Smith for the images.
December 22, 2007
As Diamonds International's spokes model, Anya helped to make many a Christmas wish come true as she made special appearances at the store during the last days of the shopping rush. She appeared on several radio remotes, inviting Bahamians to take advantage of the many fantastic deals available at the store.
December 18, 2007
Anya visited the the television studios at the Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas where she recorded a Christmas greeting. Her words of holiday cheer will air on ZNS Tv-13 (Channel 11 on Cable Bahamas) during the remaining days of the festive season. Happy Holidays to all from the Miss Bahamas Orgnization!
December 17, 2007
Anya is featured in Diamonds International's new Wish campaign! As DI's spokesmodel for a year, Anya appears in a series of eye catching ads showing her wishing for a special gift from Diamonds International. Anya also appears in a brochure detailing the Wish concept.
December 15, 2007
Passengers on board the Liberty Cruise ship got a special treat as they docked at Nassau Harbour. Those who ventured into Diamonds International main store got to meet Miss Bahamas World 2007 Anya Watkins! Anya was joined by DI executives as she welcomed the visitors to our shores, and enticed them to take away more than fond memories of The Bahamas!
December 15, 2007
Diamonds International and Miss Bahamas World helped make wishes come true for children of Gambier Village, Rock Crusher Road and Dignity Estates this holiday season. Anya joined Santa Claus as special guests at a Christmas Party for 100 children, organized by the Member of Parliament of the Kilarney Constituency Dr. Hubert Minnis, and Chairman of the Kilarney Constituency Frank Saunders. During the party the children were treated to a variety of games that encourage thinking and mind development given by Diamonds International. The children attending the event had a blast as they enjoyed their gifts, sweet treats, bouncing castles and the opportunity to meet Miss Bahamas World... and Santa of course!
December 1, 2007
In a glittering, star-studded ceremony, Zi Lin Zhang of the People's Republic of China won the highly coveted title of Miss World 2007, defeating 106 beautiful and talented contestants in the process. Her crowning was the culmination of a month long celebration and competition in China. First runner-up was Angola, followed by Mexico as second runner-up. The other two finalists were Trinidad & Tobago and Sweden. Although she failed to make the semifinals, Anya gave a strong showing at the pageant, which was evidenced in her frequent presence on the Miss World website. Anya also received quite a bit of airplay in the video vignettes aired during the pageant which told the story of the contestants' stay in the tropical paradise of Sanya, their activities and sightseeing, as well as their exciting trip to Beijing where they recorded the Olympic Torch Relay Anthem, visited the Great Wall and helped the Red Cross raise over US$5.5m to build new healthcare centres across China. The pageant was broadcast to a worldwide TV audience of over two billion. Congratulations Anya on a job well done in bringing so much attention to The Bahamas!
November 30, 2007
The all important dress rehearsal for the 57th Miss World Beauty Pageant was held at the Beauty Crown Theatre in Sanya, China. National Directors, family, friends, and a Chinese audience watched as the 106 contestants performed on stage, as if it were pageant night. It gave the audience a sneak peak of the spectacular show on tap for Saturday. These photos are courtesty of Miss Canada World National Director Rana Lee; Henrique Fontes of Global Beauties; and missworld.tianya.cn.
November 29, 2007
After spending just under a month in China, all is set for Saturday's big final. The 106 contestants have spent the last few days in intense rehearsals for the show. In between rehearsals, the girls got a chance to relax and posed for photos with some the international media covering the event. These photos are courtesy of Henrique Fontes of Global Beauties and missworld.tianya.cn.
November 26, 2007
After spending weeks competing in China, the contestants got to see some familiar faces from home during a special dinner for family and friends. During the event, the finalists in the Talent competition performed. Emerging the winner was Ghana's Irene Dwomoh who performed a comedy skit and dance and now automatically advances to the semi finals.
November 24, 2007
The dynamic colour and awe-inspiring pageantry of the ancient Chinese Dynasties came to life in a spectacular fashion show at the Crowne Plaza Sanya, to choose the Top Model of the 2007 Miss World Festival. Each of the 106 Miss World contestants first modeled their own designer dress before the main event - the extraordinarily beautiful and elaborate Chinese Dynasties costumes. At the end of the show, the contestants changed back into their own dresses and returned to the stage to await the judges' verdict on Miss World 2007 Top Model. Zi Lin Zhang, representing the People's Republic of China, emerged the winner taking the third Fast Track place into the Miss World Semi-Finals. The costumes and the show were the brainchild Chairman Zhao of the Huayu Group, principal investors in the Crowne Plaza Sanya and sponsors of the evening. The costumes were hand crafted according to the designs of many of the ancient Chinese dynasties.
November 23, 2007
Happy Birthday to you! Anya celebrates her 23rd Birthday today in Sanya, China. The Bahamian hopeful for the Miss World title enjoyed her special day with her new friends from around the world!
November 22, 2007
Anya continues to make waves in the Miss World pageant, and her efforts are being noticed! With just over a week to go before the Miss World finals, she has been named one of the favorites for the title by Critical Beauty online pageant magazine. Congratulations Anya!
November 21, 2007
The 106 Miss World Contestants took part in the Miss World and Red Cross Society of China charity evening, raising over 5.5 million dollars through donations and text messages in the process. This amount is expected to increase after the event is broadcast on CCTV, China's largest broadcaster, to over a billion people, giving them the opportunity to add to this amount by sending a text message. For each text message received the charity will receive a donation. The money raised will be used to build 106 healthcare centers across the country, one for each of this year's contestants. The Miss World and Red Cross Society of China Ball was an evening of stellar entertainment, fundraising and the announcement of the five contestants who advanced to the "Beauty With A Purpose" final, which is one of the five Miss World Fast Track events. The five finalists are Hong Kong, Ecuador, Jamaica, Indonesia, and Sweden. All of the ladies received a warm reception as they entered the stage, 24 of whom were wearing costumes from their home countries to perform a traditional dance. Each contestant brought to the pageant valuable or personal gifts which are used at charity auctions to raise money for children's charities. This year all the proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross Society of China.
November 21, 2007
The Miss World contestants visited one of the Seven New Wonders of the World and the most famous landmark in China, the Great Wall. The beauties were amazed to see the Great Wall, which took over hundreds of years to be constructed. It was built by the Chinese to protect themselves from invading Huns, Mongols and other tribes. Construction began as early as the 7th century BC. The ladies visited the Wall at Badaling, one of the most famous places to visit the 4,160 mile long structure. They joined large numbers of tourists on the climb up to the nearest section of the only man-made structure that is visible from space.
November 20, 2007
The lovely 106 Miss World contestants made an appearance on one of China's most popular television shows! The ladies were split up by regions (the Americas; Africa, Asia, and Europe), and were introduced to a television audience of millions!
November 19, 2007
The contestants in the running for this year's Miss World title arrived in Beijing for the last leg of their charity tour of China. During their four-day stay in Beijing, they will see the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven and other sights. A Miss World media event was held, prompting the Miss World beauties to celebrate the Olympic spirit after receiving Olympic mascots as gifts. The contestants then took part in the production of a music recording and video for an English version of the Olympic Song - Light the Passion, Share the Dream. Composed by renowned musician Chris Babida, the English version of the song will follow the same style as the Chinese version, which debuted on April 26th at the unveiling of the planned Olympic Torch Relay route. The beauties were divided into several groups to take turns for the recording and the music video production.
November 18, 2007
The Miss World contestants visited the famous Pulanna natural herbal cosmetics and pharmaceutical factory, where they were greeted by a rainbow of colour as women dressed in traditional costumes waved white handkerchieves, accompanied by a large and equally colourful band. All the contestants, Julia Morley, the Pulanna chairman and the reigning Miss World posed for a large group photograph before a ceremonial tree planting took place. A tour of the factory followed.
November 17, 2007
The 2007 Miss World contestants were warmly welcomed by the people of Sanya during the colorful Hainan Carnival parade. The contestants were greeted by an explosion of colour along with huge troupes of beautifully attired dancers, acrobats and entertainers. Thousands of people lined the streets or crowded on to the balconies of their apartments to get a bird's eye view. They waved, cheered and took photos as the contestants. The contestants waved back, amazed and excited to be the focus of so much attention. The atmosphere was one of great joy and celebration! When the small trains stopped, some of the contestants got out to meet the public, while at other times the parade encountered bamboo cane dancers and a huge troupe of Tai Chi dancers, ranging in age from around 16 to 70!