Master Rulebook

This page is the public summary of the Uplift Tri-State Gulf Coast USA Master Rulebook for Year One (2026). Complete rules are provided to all accepted contestants in their welcome packet.

1. Pageant Structure

Uplift Tri-State Gulf Coast USA is a four-level advancement competition:

1. Virtual Directional County — Miss [Direction] [County] Uplift
2. Virtual County — Miss [County] Uplift
3. Live State Championship — Miss Florida / Alabama / Mississippi Uplift
4. Live Gulf Coast Tri-State Finals — Miss Uplift Tri-State Gulf Coast USA

2. Coverage

Year One coverage is limited to Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. No city titles. No regional competitions. No national competition. Future regional expansion is planned for Year Two or later, only after the Gulf Coast model is proven and stable.

3. Age Divisions

14 divisions, applied at every level:

• Tiny Spark Division (0–11 Months)
• Little Light Division (1–2 Years)
• Rising Star Division (3–4 Years)
• Bright Bloom Division (5–6 Years)
• Dream Builder Division (7–9 Years)
• Young Visionary Division (10–12 Years)
• Trailblazer Division (13–15 Years)
• Changemaker Division (16–18 Years)
• Emerging Leader Division (19–24 Years)
• Luminary Division (25–34 Years)
• Legacy Leader Division (35–49 Years)
• Golden Impact Division (50–64 Years)
• Timeless Inspiration Division (65–79 Years)
• Living Legacy Division (80–100+)

4. Open Titles

15 open titles run alongside main divisions. No additional entry fee. Contestants may enter every open title they qualify for. Open Title winners auto-advance to the next level regardless of overall placement. With the exception of Miss Kindness and Miss Inspiration (see below), open titles are not separately voted: at the Directional and County levels, each open title is awarded to the entrant who earned the highest Main Title result among those who entered that title; at State and the Tri-State Finals, open titles are decided by the same in-person judging as the Main Title.

• Miss Black Uplift
• Miss Hispanic Uplift
• Miss Asian Uplift
• Miss Indigenous Uplift
• Miss Multicultural Uplift
• Miss Disabled Uplift
• Miss Adaptive Uplift
• Miss Caregiver Uplift
• Miss Survivor Uplift
• Miss Military Family Uplift
• Miss Entrepreneur Uplift
• Miss Community Hero Uplift
• Miss Leadership Uplift
• Miss Kindness Uplift (open to all)
• Miss Inspiration Uplift (open to all)

Miss Kindness and Miss Inspiration — contestant peer vote. These two open titles are decided differently from all other titles: by a vote of the contestants themselves, cast within each age division. The following terms apply:

• Who votes: Only the contestants entered in the same age division vote for that division's Miss Kindness and Miss Inspiration. Each contestant casts one vote per title, and a contestant may vote for herself.
• When and how: The peer vote is held at every level. At the in-person levels (State and the Tri-State Finals) it is conducted the day of the event. At the virtual levels (Directional and County) it is conducted through a contestant-only voting window announced for that round.
• Single entrant: If an age division has only one contestant at a given level, that contestant receives Miss Kindness and Miss Inspiration for that division by default.
• Advancement: The Miss Kindness and Miss Inspiration winners auto-advance to the next level like other open titles, where they are voted again by that level's contestants in their age division.
• Not sponsorship voting: This peer vote is a contestant recognition only. It is not public voting and is not open to paid votes, free AMOE votes, or any form of sponsorship voting. No purchase affects it in any way.

Nominations and letters of support. Any person may nominate a prospective contestant, and a contestant competing for an experience-based open title (Caregiver, Survivor, Military Family, Entrepreneur, Community Hero, or Leadership) may name someone to provide a letter of support on their behalf. The following terms govern all nominations and letters of support:

• A nomination is an invitation, not an entry. Submitting a nomination does not register, enter, or obligate the nominee in any way. The nominee chooses whether to apply, and no entry is created without the nominee's knowledge and consent.
• For any nominee under the age of 18, a parent or legal guardian must complete and authorize the application. Uplift will not enroll a minor on the basis of a nomination alone.
• Letters of support are optional, are never scored, and are never required for any contestant to enter or win any title. A contestant's own self-identification or self-attestation is always sufficient. Letters do not factor into voting, judging, or placement and confer no competitive advantage.
• Identity-based open titles never require any letter, proof, or third-party verification; self-identification is sufficient and is accepted as submitted.
• Nominations and letters may be submitted online or on the official paper Nomination Form by email or postal mail. Uplift may decline to act on, or may remove, any nomination or letter that is inaccurate, abusive, fraudulent, or submitted without the subject's consent.

5. Add-On Categories & Awards

Eight paid add-on categories are available at $25 each, with unlimited entries permitted: Photogenic, Cover Model, Best Smile, Best Eyes, Best Hair, Best Style, Best Dressed, and Congeniality. These are judged recognitions, not championships, and are evaluated by the judging panel at every level.

Eight free awards require no entry fee. People's Choice is decided by public voting (paid votes and free AMOE votes carry equal weight) and every approved contestant is automatically eligible. The remaining seven are recognition awards that cannot be purchased or voted on. Director's Choice, Judge's Choice, and Rising Uplifter are chosen at the discretion of the director or judging panel. Spirit of Uplift, Volunteer Excellence, the Community Service Award, and the Uplift Project Award are decided on the basis of materials a contestant submits during the season — such as documented service hours, completed-project write-ups, and similar evidence. Submission instructions and deadlines are provided to accepted contestants in their welcome packet.

Public voting decides the Main Title (age-division placement) and the Open Titles at the Directional and County levels, and People's Choice at all four levels. (Miss Kindness and Miss Inspiration are the exception among open titles: they are decided by a contestant peer vote within each age division, not by public voting — see Section 4.) People's Choice is the only public-voting award that continues after Main Title voting ends; at State and the Tri-State Finals the Main Title and the other Open Titles are decided by in-person judging while People's Choice voting continues. All other awards are judged or recognition-based. See the Divisions & Titles page for full definitions of each award.

6. Closet Challenge

The Uplift Closet Challenge is a free, standalone competition track. Participation does not require entry into the main pageant.

• No entry fee at any level (Directional, County, State, Tri-State)
• Scoring: Total pounds collected. Item count is the tiebreaker.
• Carry forward: Pounds accumulate across all four levels of competition.
• Verification: Collection photos, scale photos, item counts, collection event photos, receipts as applicable.
• Accepted items: Children's clothing, teen clothing, adult clothing, professional attire, formal wear, pageant attire, shoes, accessories, coats, new hygiene items.
• Disposition: Items may be used to build future Uplift Closet inventory, support future contestants, support future Uplift initiatives, be donated to nonprofit partners, or transition into future programs.

7. Submission Packages

Directional Round (Virtual)

• Headshot
• Casual photo
• Formal photo
• 30–60 second introduction video
• Questionnaire
• Community involvement form

County Round (Virtual)

• Updated headshot
• Casual photo
• Formal photo
• Updated introduction video
• Questionnaire
• Community involvement form
• NEW: My Uplift Story — 2–3 minute video on who you are, what shaped you, how you uplift others, and how you hope to impact your community

State Championship (Live)

• Opening introductions
• Casual wear walk
• Formal wear walk
• Short stage question
• Crowning

Tri-State Finals (Live, 2–3 Day Weekend)

• Day 1: Registration, photos, interviews, meet and greet, rehearsals
• Day 2: Preliminary competition, entertainment, recognition events
• Day 3: Finals, open title crowning, Closet Champion crowning, Gulf Coast crowning

8. Advancement

9. Scoring Model

The following applies to the Main Title and to Open Titles (each open title is decided among its own entrants), except for Miss Kindness and Miss Inspiration, which are decided by a contestant peer vote within each age division (see Section 4):

• Directional: 100% paid community voting
• County: 75% paid community voting + 25% judges' scoring (5 judges, 1–10 scale on overall presentation, averaged)
• State and Tri-State Finals: 100% in-person judges' scoring

People's Choice is the exception: it is decided by public voting at all four levels, including State and the Tri-State Finals, and continues after Main Title voting has closed.

A free voting option (Alternate Method of Entry) is available throughout each voting window. See Sweepstakes / AMOE Rules.

10. Fees

• Directional entry: Free
• County entry: Free for Top 5 Directional advancers
• State entry (cascading): 1st place County advancer: Free. 2nd place: $50. 3rd place: $75. 4th place: $100.
• Tri-State Finals: Free for all advancers
• Paid add-ons: $25 each, unlimited (8 categories). The 8 free awards, including People's Choice, carry no fee.
• Closet Challenge: Free at every level

11. Wardrobe

All contestants compete in thrifted, secondhand, or back-of-closet attire. We are actively seeking a Founding Sustainability Partner; once secured, a Required-Shop Wardrobe Rule may apply that asks contestants to source from the partner's stores. Budget caps:

• $50 maximum per outfit
• $100 maximum per gown

Receipt verification is required at State level and above. Honor system applies at Directional and County.

12. Titleholder Commitments

All Uplift titleholders agree to a minimum of one appearance per year. Suggested 2–4 appearances when opportunities exist. Appearances may include parades, festivals, sponsor events, school events, community events, and future Uplift events. Titleholders represent the mission: Community First. Crown Second.

13. Code of Conduct

All participants are bound by our Code of Conduct. Violations may result in disqualification, removal, or loss of titleholder status.

14. The Founding Class

Every Year One winner — at every level, in every category — carries the Founding Class of 2026 designation. Permanent. Historical. Never re-earnable.

15. Disputes

Any dispute regarding application of these rules is decided by the Uplift Director Panel, whose decision is final. Disputes must be submitted in writing within 72 hours of the event in question. See our Terms of Service for legal dispute resolution provisions.

16. Full Rulebook

The complete Master Rulebook (28 sections) is provided to all accepted contestants in their welcome packet. Sections not summarized above include detailed judging criteria, point-allocation tables, tiebreaker procedures, social media guidelines, sponsor exclusivity rules, parent/guardian conduct, volunteer responsibilities, vendor agreements, photography and media credentialing, accessibility accommodations, accommodations for medical needs, force majeure procedures, and trademark licensing.

Questions about specific rules: info@galaglitteratigroup.com