Ly Nha Ky talks about the pressure and bias when being the head of the beauty pageant jury

The appearance of Ly Nha Ky as Head of the jury of Miss Cosmo Ho Chi Minh City 2026 attracted media attention. The beauty was delighted to be trusted and elected to this position with her experience in art, business and diplomacy and her status as Honorary Consul of Romania in Vietnam.

Ly Nha Ky expressed her admiration for talented women, especially those who are beautiful in politics , business, art and who convey positive energy and positive life to everyone, especially the youth.

She trusts the all-female judging panel and is assured that the Organizing Committee has transparent and public judging criteria like reality TV so that everyone can see that beauty is not only physical but also intellectual, intellectual, and the courage and stance of women when conquering and discovering their own values.

In a private interview with VietNamNet, with her experience as a judge and her business mindset, Ly Nha Ky is not only looking for a beauty queen for the final night but also looking for a brand ambassador to accompany her long-term with the crown. Beauty is only a necessary condition, not a decisive factor.

"Beauty fades but human values are eternal. I look for lasting values - positive influence and the ability to spread," she said. Character, character and ethics are the foundation.

She uses three assessment methods: One is “informal” observation behind the scenes – how contestants interact with the crew, staff and opponents when they think no one is looking. Two is assessing the ability to handle pressure, when their true nature is most easily revealed. Three is a closed interview round with situational ethical questions. The way contestants structure their answers, their logic and especially their honesty (however clumsy they may be) will reveal all the qualities inside.

Regarding the risk of mixed reactions or accusations of "personal bias" due to connections in the industry, no matter how fair, Ly Nha Ky frankly expressed: "That is inevitable. If you want to hold the scales of justice, you have to accept its weight."

She analyzed that "beauty" is subjective, so the results will never satisfy 100% of the audience. Public pressure is something the head judge must accept.

The responsibility of the head judge is to ensure absolute fairness according to a clear scale. Each judge has an independent scorecard, the result is the sum of the collective, not the decision of an individual.

"The biggest pressure is not public opinion but being fair to the 30-40 contestants who have tried their best. We owe them fair results. When we do that, we can hold our heads high in the face of all reactions. Public opinion may be noisy but time will be the fairest answer," Ly Nha Ky concluded.

In addition to Ly Nha Ky, the judges include Miss Universe Vietnam 2025 Nguyen Hoang Phuong Linh, Miss Ocean Vietnam 2017 Le Au Ngan Anh, Miss Global 2025 Nguyen Dinh Nhu Van...

The contest will accept applications from early November 2025 to early January 2026. The contest criteria have been expanded: contestants do not need to be from Ho Chi Minh City, they only need to have resided in the city for more than 6 months, be between 18 and 33 years old, be over 1.65m tall and unmarried. The organizers explained that Ho Chi Minh City is the "locomotive" that gathers many potential contestants, so expanding the contest to those who are living and working here will improve the quality of the contest.

The final night is scheduled to take place on March 14, 2026, including the following parts: opening dance with a song composed by the contestants, national costume performance (Top 30), swimsuit (Top 20), evening gown with sharing of social projects (Top 10) and behavior (Top 5).

The theme of The New Iconic aims at the faces of the new generation with inner strength, courage, modern beauty, actions to pursue goals and create value for the community. The organizers emphasize that the contest is not only looking for physical beauty but also knowledge, thinking and social contribution, honoring women who know how to seize opportunities and have the spirit of international integration.

Miss Cosmo HCMC 2026 has many new features with 5 activities at Cosmo Camp: Vision Clash (Knowledge), Illuminate (Talent), Slay in Time (Fashion), Impact Trail (Culture) and Overheat (Sports - Pickleball).

Minh Dung
Photo: BTC, video: Meow