Unlike us Brits’ our American cousins like to celebrate and appreciate their beautiful people on a big stage with their beauty pageants and last night in Las Vegas they crowned the 62nd Miss USA.

Miss Connecticut – Erin Brady – came away with the crown and a the prize of a New York apartment for one year. She is expected to spend her title reign on a nationwide speaking tour and raising breast and ovarian cancer awareness, the organization’s official cause.

As her family and fiancee looked on, Brady beat off her rivals from every U.S. state to take the title, accepting the crown from outgoing queen Miss Maryland Nana Meriwether.

The pageant aired live on NBC, hosted by Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers and Giuliana Rancic, co-anchor of “E! News.”