{{Short description|30th Miss Universe pageant}} {{pp-sock|small=yes}} {{Infobox beauty pageant | photo = File:Miss Universe 1981.jpg | caption = [[Irene Sáez]] | congeniality = Linda Smith (Bahamas) | best national costume = Adriana Alves de Oliveira (Brazil) | photogenic = Tina Brandstrup (Denmark) | date = 20 July 1981 | winner = [[Irene Sáez]] | represented = Venezuela | presenters = [[Bob Barker]], [[Elke Sommer]] | acts = {{Hlist|[[Peter Allen (musician)|Peter Allen]]|Cast of [[42nd Street (musical)|42nd Street]]|US Naval Choir}} | venue = [[Minskoff Theatre]], New York City, New York, United States | broadcaster = {{Hlist|[[CBS]] ([[WCBS-TV]])}} | entrants = 76 | placements = 12 | debuts = {{Hlist|Gibraltar|Namibia|Western Samoa}} | withdraws = {{Hlist|Indonesia|Mauritius|Papua New Guinea|Sint Maarten}} | returns = {{Hlist|Cyprus|Fiji|Martinique|Portugal|South Africa|Saint Kitts|Transkei}} | before = [[Miss Universe 1980|1980]] | next = [[Miss Universe 1982|1982]] }}

'''Miss Universe 1981''' was the 30th anniversary of the [[Miss Universe]] pageant, held at the [[Minskoff Theatre]] in New York City, New York, United States, on 20 July 1981. At the conclusion of the event, [[Irene Sáez]] of Venezuela was crowned by [[Shawn Weatherly]] of the United States. There were 77 contestants competing for the crown, but Miss Mauritius got homesick and withdrew.<ref name="robesonian"/> The pageant originally was scheduled to be held in [[Guatemala City]], Guatemala. However, for financial and political reasons, Miss Universe was moved to New York City.<ref name="buzzle"/>

==Results== [[File:Miss Universe 1981 Map.PNG|thumb|250px|Miss Universe 1981 participating nations and results]]

===Placements=== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;" |- ! Placement !! Contestant |- | Miss Universe 1981 | * {{flagu|Venezuela|1954}} – [[Irene Sáez]] |- | 1st Runner-Up | * {{flagu|Canada}} – Dominique Dufour |- | 2nd Runner-Up | * {{flagu|Sweden}} – [[Eva-Lena Lundgren]] |- | 3rd Runner-Up | * {{flagu|Brazil|1968}} – Adriana Alves de Oliveira |- | 4th Runner-Up | * {{flagu|Belgium}} – Dominique van Eeckhoudt |- | Top 12 | * {{flagu|Ecuador|1900}} – Lucía Vinueza * {{flagu|Holland}} – Ingrid Schouten * {{flagu|New Zealand}} – Donella Thomsen * {{flagu|Norway}} – Mona Olsen * {{flagicon|French Polynesia}} Tahiti – Tatiana Teraiamano * {{flagu|United States}} – [[Kim Seelbrede]] * {{flagu|West Germany}} – Marion Kurz |}<br /> {| style="margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; border: 1px solid #a2a9b1; border-spacing: 3px; background-color: #f8f9fa;" class="floatright" |+ Key |- | {{Color box|#FADADD|border=darkgray}} || Winner |- | {{Color box|#eadafd|border=darkgray}} || First runner-up |- | {{Color box|#ccff99|border=darkgray}} || Second runner-up |- | {{Color box|#d9eefb|border=darkgray}} || Third runner-up |- | {{Color box|#ffff99|border=darkgray}} || Fourth runner-up |- | (#) || Rank in each round of competition |}

====Final Scores==== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%" ! width="25%" |Country/Territory !Preliminary Average ! width="15%" |Interview ! width="15%" |Swimsuit ! width="15%" |Evening Gown ! width="15%" |Semifinal Average |- style="background-color:#FADADD;" |'''{{flag|Venezuela|1954}}'''<ref name=scores>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HzdQVbxHDM|title=Miss Universe 1981 - Full Show|work=tttpageant|via=[[YouTube]]|date=March 10, 2013|access-date=July 6, 2025}}</ref> |8.575 (1) |8.966 (1) |9.024 (1) |8.887 (1) |8.959 (1) |- |- style="background-color:#eadafd;" |'''{{flag|Canada}}'''<ref name=scores/> |7.913 (12) |8.167 (6) |8.133 (5) |8.508 (2) |8.269 (4) |- |- style="background-color:#ccff99;" |'''{{flag|Sweden}}'''<ref name=scores/> |7.967 (9) |8.658 (2) |8.050 (6) |8.179 (4) |8.296 (3) |- |- style="background-color:#d9eefb;" |'''{{flag|Brazil|1968}}'''<ref name=scores/> |8.330 (4) |8.191 (5) |8.416 (3) |7.824 (7) |8.144 (5) |- |- style="background-color:#ffff99;" |'''{{flag|Belgium}}'''<ref name=scores/> |8.223 (6) |8.529 (3) |8.881 (2) |8.268 (3) |8.559 (2) |- |- |'''{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Tahiti]]'''<ref name=scores/> |7.940 (11) |8.149 (7) |8.137 (4) |7.962 (5) |8.082 (6) |- |- |'''{{flag|Norway}}'''<ref name=scores/> |8.259 (5) |8.435 (4) |7.717 (8) |7.838 (6) |7.997 (7) |- |- |'''{{flag|Germany}}'''<ref name=scores/> |8.400 (3) |7.875 (8) |8.041 (7) |7.442 (10) |7.786 (8) |- |- |'''{{flag|Holland}}'''<ref name=scores/> |8.133 (7) |7.590 (9) |7.633 (9) |7.625 (9) |7.616 (9) |- |- |'''{{flag|United States}}'''<ref name=scores/> |8.527 (2) |7.427 (11) |7.617 (10) |7.653 (8) |7.565 (10) |- |'''{{flag|Ecuador}}'''<ref name=scores/> |7.967 (9) |7.442 (10) |7.300 (12) |7.317 (12) |7.353 (11) |- |'''{{flag|New Zealand}}'''<ref name=scores/> |8.063 (8) |6.950 (12) |7.492 (11) |7.350 (11) |7.264 (12) |}

=== Final Competition === ===Awards=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Special Awards !! Winners |- | Miss Amity || {{Flagu|Bahamas}} - Linda Smith |- | Miss Photogenic || {{Flagu|Denmark}} - Tina Brandstrup |- | Best National Costume|| {{flagu|Brazil|1968}} - Adriana Alves de Oliveira |}

==Contestants== Seventy-six contestants competed for the title. {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;" |- ! Country/Territory !! Contestant !! Age{{efn|name=A|Ages at the time of the pageant}} !! Hometown |- | {{flagicon|ARG}} Argentina || Susana Reynoso<ref>{{Cite news|date=13 July 1981|title=Nos sentimos a gusto compitiendo en Miss Universo dicen las chicas|language=es|trans-title=We feel comfortable competing in Miss Universe says the girls|pages=7|work=La Opinion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O3pEAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Miss+Argentina%22&pg=PA4&article_id=1315,2032133|access-date=28 September 2025|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>|| 20 || [[Buenos Aires]] |- | {{flagicon|ABW}} Aruba || Synia Reyes<ref>{{Cite news|date=27 March 1981|title=Miss Aruba naar New York|language=nl|pages=5|work=Amigoe|url=https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?query=%22Miss+Universe%22&facets%5Bperiode%5D%5B%5D=2%7C20e_eeuw%7C1980-1989%7C1981%7C&page=1&coll=ddd&identifier=ddd:010640466:mpeg21:a0097&resultsidentifier=ddd:010640466:mpeg21:a0097&rowid=9|access-date=28 September 2025|via=Delpher|trans-title=Miss Aruba to New York}}</ref>|| 18 || [[Brasília]] |- | {{flagicon|AUS}} Australia || Karen Sang<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 July 1981 |title=Highlights of the week |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52262107 |access-date=28 September 2025 |work=Australian Women's Weekly |pages=161 |language=en |via=Trove}}</ref>|| 21 || [[Sydney]] |- | {{flagicon|Austria}} Austria || Gudrun Gollop || 22 || [[Vienna]] |- | {{flagicon|BAH}} Bahamas || Linda Smith || 21 || [[Nassau, The Bahamas|Nassau]] |- | {{flagicon|BEL}} [[Miss Belgium|Belgium]] || Dominique van Eeckhoudt || 20 || [[Brussels]] |- | {{flagicon|BLZ}} Belize || Ivette Zabaneh || 18 || [[Belmopan]] |- | {{flagicon|Bermuda}} Bermuda || Cymone Tucker || 21 || Smith’s Parish |- | {{flagicon|BOL}} Bolivia || Maricruz Aponte || 18 || [[Santa Cruz de la Sierra]] |- | {{flagicon|BRA|1968}} [[Miss Brazil|Brazil]] || Adriana Alves || 18 || [[Rio de Janeiro]] |- | {{flagicon|VGB}} British Virgin Islands || Carmen Nibbs || 18 || [[Tortola]] |- | {{flagicon|CAN}} Canada || Dominique Dufour || 22 || [[Laval, Canada|Laval]] |- | {{flagicon|CAY}} Cayman Islands || Donna Myrie || 20 || [[George Town, Cayman Islands|George Town]] |- | {{flagicon|CHL}} Chile || Soledad Hurtado || 19 || [[Valparaíso]] |- | {{flagicon|COL}} [[Señorita Colombia|Colombia]] || Ana Edilma Cano || 18 || [[Medellín]] |- | {{flagicon|CRI}} Costa Rica || Rosa Inés Solís<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 April 1982 |title=Rosa Inés Solís |url=https://prensacr.info/data/6198662a445c2c2d4462b784 |access-date=28 September 2025 |work=La República |pages=21 |language=es |via=Prensa CR}}</ref>|| 19 || [[San José, Costa Rica|San José]] |- | {{flagicon|Netherlands Antilles|1959}} Curaçao || Maria Maxima Croes || 22 || [[Willemstad]] |- | {{flagicon|Cyprus|1960}} Cyprus || Katia Angelidou || 18 || [[Larnaca]] |- | {{flagicon|DEN}} Denmark || Tina Brandstrup || 20 || [[Copenhagen]] |- | {{flagicon|DOM}} Dominican Republic || Lucía Peña || 17 || [[Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic|Puerto Plata]] |- | {{flagicon|ECU}} Ecuador || Lucía Vinueza || 18 || [[Guayaquil]] |- | {{flagicon|ENG}} England || Joanna Longley || 25 || [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]] |- | {{flagicon|Fiji}} [[Miss Fiji|Fiji]]|| Lynn McDonald || - || [[Suva]] |- | {{flagicon|FIN}} Finland || Merja Varvikko || 20 || [[Forssa]] |- | {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Miss France|France]] || Isabelle Benard || 23 || [[Normandy]] |- | {{flagicon|Gibraltar}} Gibraltar || Yvette Dominguez || 19 || [[Gibraltar]] |- | {{flagicon|Greece}} [[Miss Star Hellas|Greece]] || Maria Nikouli<ref>{{Cite web|title=Μαρία Νικούλη: Πού βρίσκεται σήμερα και τί κάνει η Σταρ Ελλάς του 1981|url=https://www.anagnostis.org/2023/11/22/synentefxi-me-ti-maria-nikouli-mia-fora-star-hellas-panta-star-hellas-pou-vrisketai-simera-kai-ti-kanei/|website=Anagnostis.org|date=22 November 2023|access-date=26 September 2025|language=el|last=Gatzios|first=Akis|trans-title=Interview with Maria Nikouli: Once a Star Hellas, always a Star Hellas – Where is she today and what is she doing?}}</ref>|| 18 || [[Athens]] |- | {{flagicon|Guadeloupe}} Guadeloupe || Rosette Bivuoac || 17 || [[Basse-Terre]] |- | {{flagicon|Guam}} Guam || Bertha Harmon || 17 || [[Hagåtña]] |- | {{flagicon|Guatemala}} Guatemala || Yuma Lobos || 19 || [[Guatemala City]] |- | {{flagicon|Holland}} Holland || Ingrid Schouten || 20 || [[The Hague]] |- | {{flagicon|Honduras|1949}} Honduras || Leslie Sabillón || 19 ||[[Francisco Morazán, Honduras|Francisco Morazán]] |- | {{flagicon|British Hong Kong}} Hong Kong || Irene Lo || 21 || [[Hong Kong]] |- | {{flagicon|ISL}} Iceland || Elisabet Trausdóttir || 17 || [[Reykjavík]] |- | {{flagicon|IND}} [[Femina Miss India|India]] || [[Rachita Kumar]] || 19 || [[Bombay]] |- | {{flagicon|IRE}} Ireland || Valerie Roe<ref>{{cite news |last1=Danker |first1=Trevor |date=7 June 1981 |title=Trevor Danker’s Diary |pages=17 |work=[[Sunday Independent (Ireland)|Sunday Independent]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-independent-dublin-ed-miss-uni/169695376/ |access-date=18 March 2026 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> || 21 || [[Dublin]] |- | {{flagicon|Israel}} Israel || Dana Wexler || 17 || [[Giv'atayim]] |- | {{flagicon|Italy}} Italy || [[Anna Kanakis]] || 20 || [[Messina]] |- | {{flagicon|JAP|1870}} Japan || Mineko Orisaku || 20 || [[Kyoto]] |- | {{flagicon|MALAYSIA}} Malaysia || Audrey Loh || - || [[Kuala Lumpur]] |- | {{flagicon|Malta}} Malta || Susanne Galea || 19 || [[St Julians]] |- | {{flagicon|Martinique}} Martinique || Ghislaine Jean-Louis || - || [[Fort-de-France]] |- | {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Señorita México|Mexico]] || [[Judith Grace]] || 18 || [[Monterrey]] |- | {{flagicon|South Africa|1928}} [[Miss Namibia|Namibia]]|| Antoinette Knoetze || 22 || [[Windhoek]] |- | {{flagicon|NZ}} New Zealand || Donella Thomsen<ref>{{cite news |last1=Comer |first1=Peter |title=Winner picked others |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/press/1981/04/16/6 |work=[[The Press]] |page=6 |access-date=30 January 2026 |date=16 April 1981 |location=[[Christchurch]], New Zealand |via=[[National Library of New Zealand#Papers Past|Papers Past]]}}</ref> || 21 || [[Birkenhead, New Zealand|Birkenhead]] |- | {{flagicon|Northern Mariana Islands}} [[Miss Marianas|Northern Mariana Islands]] || Juanita Mendiola || 17 || [[Tinian]] |- | {{flagicon|Norway}} Norway || Mona Olsen || 20 || [[Oslo]] |- | {{flagicon|PAN}} Panama || Ana María Henríquez || 21 || [[Panama City]] |- | {{flagicon|PAR}} Paraguay || María Isabel Urízar || 18 || [[Asunción]] |- | {{flagicon|PER}} [[Miss Peru|Peru]] || Gladys Silva || 20 || [[Lima]] |- | {{flagicon|Philippines|1936}} [[Binibining Pilipinas|Philippines]] || Maria Caroline Mendoza || 18 || [[Manila]] |- | {{flagicon|POR}} Portugal || Ana Paula Machado Moura || - || [[Lisbon]] |- | {{flagicon|Puerto Rico|1952}} Puerto Rico || Carmen Lotti Rodríguez || 20 || [[Guaynabo]] |- | {{flagicon|Réunion}} Réunion || Patricia Abadie || - || [[Saint-Paul, Réunion|Saint-Paul]] |- | {{flagicon|Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla}} Saint Kitts || Marva Warner || - || Sandy Point |- | {{flagicon|Scotland}} Scotland || Anne McFarlane || 18 || [[Glasgow]] |- | {{flagicon|Singapore}} Singapore || Florence Tan || 21 || [[Singapore]] |- | {{flagicon|South Africa|1928}} South Africa || Daniela di Paolo || - || [[Durban]] |- | {{flagicon|South Korea|1949}} South Korea || Lee Eun-jung || 18 || [[Seoul]] |- | {{flagicon|Spain|1977}} Spain || [[Frances Ondiviela]] || 24 || [[Las Palmas]] |- | {{flagicon|SRI}} Sri Lanka || Renuka Varuni Jesudhason || - || [[Matale]] |- | {{flagicon|Sweden}} Sweden || [[Eva-Lena Lundgren]] || 19 || [[Piteå]] |- | {{flagicon|Switzerland}} Switzerland || Bridget Voss || 21 || [[Bern]] |- | {{flagicon|French Polynesia}} Tahiti || Tatiana Teraiamano || 18 || [[Papeete]] |- | {{flagicon|TH}} Thailand || Massupha Karbprapun || 21 || [[Bangkok]] |- | {{flagicon|Transkei}} Transkei || Kedibone Letlaka || - || [[Tsolo]] |- | {{flagicon|Trinidad}} Trinidad and Tobago || Romini Samaroo || - || [[San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago|San Fernando]] |- | {{flagicon|Turkey}} Turkey || Şenay Unlu || - || [[Ankara]] |- | {{flagicon|Turks and Caicos}} Turks and Caicos Islands || Frances Gloria Rigby || - || [[Grand Turk]] |- | {{flagicon|US}} [[Miss USA|United States]] || [[Kim Seelbrede]] || 20 || [[Germantown, Ohio|Germantown]] |- | {{flagicon|US Virgin Islands}} United States Virgin Islands || Marise Cecile James || - || [[Saint Croix]] |- | {{flagicon|URU}} [[Miss Uruguay|Uruguay]] || Griselda Anchorena || 20 || [[Montevideo]] |- | '''{{flagicon|VEN}}''' [[Miss Venezuela|Venezuela]] || '''[[Irene Sáez]]''' || 19 || [[Caracas]] |- | {{flagicon|Wales}} Wales || Karen Stannard || 22 || [[Newport, Wales|Newport]] |- | {{flagicon|West Germany}} West Germany || Marion Kurz || 20 || [[Bavaria]] |- | {{flagicon|Western Samoa}} [[Miss Samoa|Western Samoa]] || Lenita Schwalger || - || [[Apia]] |}

==Withdrawals==

* {{Flagu|Mauritius}} - Carole Fitzgerald was homesick and then withdrew.<ref name="robesonian"/>

==Notes== {{Notelist}} ==References== <references> <ref name="buzzle">{{cite web|url=http://www.buzzle.com/articles/miss-universe-facts-figures.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212124938/http://www.buzzle.com/articles/miss-universe-facts-figures.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=December 12, 2007|title=Miss Universe Facts & Figures|publisher=buzzle.com|access-date=13 November 2010}}</ref>

<ref name="robesonian">{{cite news|title=Venezuelan wins title: Miss Universe|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=baI_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=HlYMAAAAIBAJ&dq=&pg=2963%2C2759000|access-date=13 November 2010|newspaper=The Robesonian|date=July 21, 1981|agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> </references>

==External links== * [http://www.missuniverse.com Miss Universe official website]

{{Miss Universe}} {{Miss Universe 1981 delegates}}

[[Category:1981 beauty pageants]] [[Category:1981 in New York City]] [[Category:1980s in Manhattan]] [[Category:Beauty pageants in the United States]] [[Category:Competitions in New York City]] [[Category:July 1981 in the United States]] [[Category:Miss Universe by year|1981]]