Ms. Universe® 2025–2026

This is not a traditional interview, yet it reads like one— because Annastasia Mason speaks through her journey as clearly as anyone can see through Caribbean waters. Crowned Ms. Universe® 2025-2026, Mason represents a modern archetype of leadership: experienced, self-aware, resilient, and deeply purposeful. Her reign is not centered on perfection, but on presence-showing up fully, honestly, and with intention.

On the woman behind the crown

Ask Annastasia Mason who she is, and the answer does not begin with a title. She identifies first as a mother, a creator, and a mentor-roles she considers foundational. Pageantry, in her world, is not an endpoint but a platform.

She often reflects on her early exposure to modeling and the arts, recalling how creativity shaped her confidence long before crowns entered the picture. Dance, music, design, artful expression and performance were not about being seen, she explains, but about learning how to express her truths. That grounding would later become essential as she navigated both public success and private hardship.

On adversity as a turning point

A few years before claiming the Ms. Universe® title, Mason experienced a serious accident that left visible injuries and invisible scars. It dramatically interrupted her life in every sense-physically, emotionally, and professionally. Instead of minimizing that chapter, she speaks of it as the moment everything changed and as a catalyst for redirection and clarity.

She has described that season as stripping away illusions— forcing her to confront identity beyond appearance. Something that she still deals with through her own healing. She is still healing, growing and surgically fixing the lasting injuries. Her dental trauma, as a result of the accident, (in her eyes) being the biggest hurdle in her recovery so far and truly all of it has been a long, hard journey. She hopes to be afforded the ability to finish the needed work. In her words, all of this challenged her to decide whether beauty was something she possessed, or something she embodied. That question became the seed of her philosophy: beauty as courage, healing, and service.

On why Ms. Universe® matters

The Ms. Universe® title as a platform is distinct in the pageant world. It celebrates women with lived experience-leaders, mothers, professionals, and survivors. For Mason, this alignment felt natural. She has said the title did not change who she was; it amplified who she already had become.

Her reign emphasizes maturity and meaning in action. She speaks openly about actions with intentions of guiding the redefining of pageantry as a space where wisdom is valued as much as poise, and where titles carry responsibility-not entitlement.

On leadership beyond the sash

Unusually, Annastasia’s influence extends behind the scenes. During her reign, she stepped into executive leadership within the Universe International® organization, helping shape programming, mentorship pathways, and the future vision of the brand. Her goal is not reinvention for novelty’s sake, but evolution with integrity.

She views leadership as stewardship— ensuring the platform and all titles remain relevant, ethical, and empowering for generations of women to come.

On empowerment as action, not language

Empowerment, Mason insists, is not a slogan. It is practical. It is measurable. Through her initiatives, workshops, and coaching programs, she focuses on tools-confidence building, self-worth restoration, and boundary setting— especially for women navigating trauma or transition.

She often says empowerment begins when a woman remembers her value without needing permission. That belief informs every project she touches, from community outreach to global speaking engagements.

On beauty as a living principle

Mason’s guiding message, often summarized as “Beauty is Universal™️,” is not about inclusivity as trend but about humanity as truth. She challenges narrow standards not by rejecting beauty, but by expanding it.

To her, beauty lives in resilience, in kindness under pressure, in leadership with empathy. The crown, she suggests, is symbolic-but character is permanent.

On motherhood and balance

Amid global appearances and organizational leadership, Annastasia remains deeply anchored in the love of family. She speaks of motherhood as her greatest teacher-one that refined her patience, deepened her compassion, and sharpened her sense of purpose even through adversity.

Balance, she admits, is not static. It is a constant negotiation -but one she approaches with grace rather than guilt.

On legacy

When asked-directly or indirectly-how she hopes her reign will be remembered, Annastasia does not list achievements. Instead, she speaks of impact. Of women who found their voice. Of systems that became more humane. Of a pageant culture that evolved from toxic display to elegance and dignity.

Her legacy, she suggests, will not be defined by the year on her banner, but by the lives influenced long after her crown is set down.

Annastasia Mason’s story is not one of arrival, but of alignment. As Ms. Universe® 2025–2026, she embodies a new narrative—one where beauty is lived, leadership is earned, and purpose is the true crown.