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Miss America 2005
Deidre Downs Gunn pictured in 2008
Date	September 18, 2004
Presenters	Chris Harrison
Venue	Boardwalk Hall,Atlantic City,New Jersey
Broadcaster	ABC
Entrants	52
Placements	10
Debuts	Virgin Islands
Winner	Deidre Downs Alabama
← 2004 2006 →

Miss America 2005, the 78thMiss America pageant, was held inAtlantic City on Saturday, September 18, 2004, following a week of events including the preliminary competition.

The pageant was broadcast live onABC fromBoardwalk Hall inAtlantic City. Although this was not known at the time, this pageant would be the last held in Atlantic City until 2013, as the pageant moved toLas Vegas, Nevada beginning in 2006. It was also the last one to be televised by an over-the-air network until 2011.

At the conclusion of the final night of competition,Ericka Dunlap crownedDeidre Downs ofAlabama as her successor.

All delegates compete in an interview competition with the judges, based on their platform issue, and also in the swimsuit, evening gown and talent competitions.

Prior to the nationally televised competition, the delegates participate in three nights of preliminary competition (accounting for 30% of final night's score), where preliminary award winners are chosen in each category.

During the final telecast, following the announcement of the semi-finalists, the top ten competed in casual wear and swimsuit (each worth 15% and 10% of final night's score, respectively).^[1] The top five went on to compete in evening gown (15% of score) and took part in a quiz show (20% of score) that replaced the onstage question that year.^[1] The final two contestants (Miss Alabama 2004,Deidre Downs andMiss Louisiana 2004, Jennifer Dupont) standing advanced to the first-ever head-to-head talent competition (20% of score), the final event that determined who would become Miss America 2005.^[1]

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• Miss America official website

• Miss America
• 2005 beauty pageants
• 2005 in the United States
• 2004 in New Jersey
• September 2004 in the United States
• Events in Atlantic City, New Jersey

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