MUSIC SUPERSTAR CIARA COMPLETES CELEBRITY JUDGES PANEL FOR THE 96th MISS AMERICA COMPETITION LIVE BROADCAST

The Show Will Be Hosted by Chris Harrison and Co-Hosted by Sage Steele

The '2017 Miss America Competition' to Broadcast Live Sunday, September 11, From Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on the ABC Television Network

The Miss America Organization, dick clark productions and ABC announced today that Grammy Award-winning entertainer Ciara will join the esteemed panel of judges for the Miss America live broadcast. Miss America airs live from Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 (9:00 - 11:00 p.m. EDT), on the ABC Television Network. The evening will be filled with glitz and glam, as 52 women compete for the coveted crown and scholarships.

Ciara will join entrepreneur Mark Cuban, Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas, actress Sara Foster (VH1's "Barely Famous"), musician and actress Laura Marano, singer-songwriter Cole Swindell and former Miss America Sharlene Wells Hawkes as celebrity judges for the "2017 Miss America Competition."

The panel of celebrity judges will evaluate the contestants' performances in the following categories during the live broadcast: Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit, Evening Wear, Talent, Interview and On-Stage Questions. These young women will showcase their incredible blend of intelligence, leadership, talent, physical fitness and dedication to community service, as they compete for the title of Miss America 2017.

Chris Harrison (ABC's "The Bachelor" and "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire") returns to host the legendary competition, with Sage Steele (ABC and ESPN's "NBA Countdown") joining as co-host.

Ciara is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, actress, model and entertainer. Over her thirteen year career, she has sold over 23 million records and 16 million singles worldwide, including chart-topping hits "Goodies," "Ride," "Oh," "1, 2 Step," and "Body Party." "I Bet," from her 2015 album, "Jackie," added to Ciara's list of 27-charted hits. Ciara is not only known for her vocal talent and serious dance moves, but also for her fashion and beauty. A regular at New York and Paris fashion weeks, Vogue previously named her the "new fashion icon." In May 2016, Ciara was signed to IMG Models. Ciara was the face of the Roberto Cavalli Fall/Winter 2015-2016, the first U.S. Ambassador to TOPSHOP, and most recently, she has worked with KEDS footwear. A longtime muse for Givenchy, Ciara has been on the cover of L'Officiel Paris, Harper's Bazaar, L'uomo Vogue, SHAPE, and more. When Ciara isn't working with a major fashion house or out on tour, she is a devoted philanthropist who is dedicated to improving the lives of children and empowering women across the globe.

The coveted "America's Choice" contestant will return this year. Voting opened to the public on August 10 at 12:00 p.m. EDT and will stay open through Monday, September 5, at 11:59:59 p.m. EDT. The chosen contestant will be announced during the "2017 Miss America Competition" live broadcast with the Top 15. The remaining contestants in the Top 15 are selected by the Miss America Preliminary Judges Panel. It is possible for America's Choice to also be among the judges selection.

An esteemed, diverse panel of judges for the non-broadcast preliminary rounds of the "2017 Miss America Competition" will select the top 15 finalists competing for the title of Miss America 2017 during the preliminary week of competition on September 5-8 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. These judges will use their expertise in their respective fields to evaluate these young women and their incredible blend of intelligence, leadership, talent, physical fitness and dedication to community service. The panel of experts will evaluate the 52 contestants' performances in the following categories: Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit, Evening Wear, Talent, Interview, and On-Stage Questions. This year's preliminary judges are as follows (in alphabetical order by first name): David Zinczenko, Deanna Siller, Debbie Bryant Berge, Jennifer Caudle, Katherine Bailes, Nicole Lapin and Rob Bowman.

For the latest news, be sure to follow Miss America on social and join the conversation by using the official hashtag for the show, #MissAmerica. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/missamerica Twitter: https://twitter.com/missamericaorg Instagram: https://instagram.com/missamericaorg YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MissAmericaOrg Tumblr: http://blog.missamerica.org/ Join the Conversation: #MissAmerica

dick clark productions and the Miss America Organization will collaborate on all creative, marketing, sponsorship, licensing, ticketing and distribution elements of this year's show. Tony Eaton and Tall Pony Productions will produce the "2017 Miss America Competition."

To purchase tickets to the "2017 Miss America Competition," please visit http://www.ticketmaster.com/Miss-America-Competition-tickets/artist/834520?tm_link=edp_Artist_Name.

For more information on the "2017 Miss America Competition," please visit Miss America Organization's website at www.missamerica.org.

About The Miss America Organization

The Miss America Organization, a 501(c) 4 non-profit corporation, awards millions of dollars in annual college scholarship assistance making it the largest scholarship program for women in the United States. MAO is comprised of 52 licensed organizations which includes all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. MAO contestants contribute over 500,000 hours of community service annually and have raised over $14 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals since 2007.

About dick clark productions

dick clark productions (dcp) is the world's largest producer and proprietor of televised live event entertainment programming, with the "Academy of Country Music Awards," "American Country Countdown Awards," "American Music Awards," "Billboard Music Awards," "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest," "Golden Globe Awards," "Hollywood Film Awards" and the "Streamy Awards." Weekly television programming includes "So You Think You Can Dance," from 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group and dcp. dcp also owns one of the world's most unique and extensive entertainment archive libraries, with more than 55 years of award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances and legendary programming. For additional information, visit www.dickclark.com.