Miss USA 2013 was the 62nd Miss USA pageant, held on June 16, 2013 at The AXIS in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 50 states and the District of Columbia competed for the title and the pageant was televised live on NBC. Outgoing titleholder Nana Meriwether of Maryland crowned her successor Erin Brady of Connecticut at the end of the event. This was Connecticut's first ever Miss USA crown. Viewers were able to interact with the pageant via Twitter and Zeebox. Fans were able to vote for their favorite contestant through the Miss USA website, from May 15 to June 15. Jessica Billings, Miss Pennsylvania USA, winner of this fan vote won top 15 placement on the final night. Miss Texas USA, Alexandria Nugent, won the most Twitter votes among the top 10, winning her a place in the top 6. Background Selection of contestants One delegate from each state and the District of Columbia was chosen in state pageants held which began in July 2012 and ended in January 2013. The first state pageant was Florida, held on July 14, 2012 as scheduled. The final pageants were Maine and Nevada, both held on January 27, 2013. Ten delegates are former Miss Teen USA state winners, while two are former Miss America state winners and the other two are also former Miss America's Outstanding Teen state winners. Courtney Gifford became the first former Miss America's Outstanding Teen contestant winning the Miss USA state title. Preliminary round Prior to the final telecast, the delegates competed in the preliminary competition, which involves private interviews with the judges and a presentation show where they compete in swimsuit and evening gown. The preliminary competition took place on June 12, 2013, at 10 pm (ET) hosted by Chet Buchanan and Nana Meriwether, and was broadcast online on the official Miss USA website via stream. Finals During the final competition, the top fifteen competed in swimsuit, while the top ten competed evening gown, and the top six competed in the final question signed up by a panel of judges. The sixth finalist was determined by Twitter vote. Results Placements Voted into Top 15 via Internet § Voted into Top 6 after the evening gown competition via Twitter Special awards Order of announcements Top 15 Top 10 Top 6 Historical significance Connecticut wins competition for the first time and surpasses its previous highest placement in 1966. Also becoming