FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – August 19, 2026 – Asian America Foundation and the Miss Asian Global (MAG) Pageant sincerely apologize for the inaccurate scoring and tabulations that occurred during the Pageant on August 15, 2026. MAG takes full responsibility and accountability for this incident and is committed to total transparency as we correct the error and honor our rightful titleholders.
Following the Pageant, MAG retained Jaynry W. Mak, Esq., to serve as an independent third-party fact-finder to audit the scoring tabulations and investigate the incident. The investigation confirmed that the tabulation error was strictly unintentional. As a completely volunteer-run organization operating with no paid staff, administrative challenges can occasionally occur during live events; however, we recognize that this does not excuse the oversight, and we are dedicated to protecting the integrity and fairness of the Pageant moving forward.
The administrative error took place when a timekeeper provided an index card containing time values for the “Self-Introduction in Cultural Attire” segment to our official tabulators, Mah & Associates, a certified public accounting firm. These time values were intended to be used for deductions, but they were incorrectly entered as “Delegate Integrity” scores instead.
To protect the integrity of the Pageant and ensure this type of error never takes place again, MAG has instituted new mandatory procedural updates. First, because Delegate Integrity scores are strictly determined by the MAG team, not the judges, these scores will now be fully inputted into the tabulation spreadsheet before the document is handed over to the official tabulators. Secondly, we are implementing additional final tabulation verification procedures to ensure all results are independently verified prior to any public announcement.
With the independent audit concluded and the scores properly calculated, we proudly recognize the correct 2026 titleholders:
- Miss Asian Global: Lily Tao
- Miss Asian 1st Princess / Miss Asian California: Jiwon Kim
- Miss Asian 2nd Princess / Miss Asian San Francisco: Lucy Wang
- Miss Asian 3rd Princess / Miss Asian Teen: Samantha Tom
- Miss Asian 4th Princess: Enerel Erica Gombodorj
Every delegate was informed personally prior to this announcement, and we have extended our deepest apologies to each of them directly.
The Miss Asian Global Pageant has an established reputation of integrity built over forty-one years. We are fully committed to earning back the community’s confidence and protecting the legacy of this platform.
Media Inquiries:
info@missasianglobal.com
