Kira Haught, a hairstylist from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, is the winner of the 2025 Maxim Cover Girl competition. After submitting a handful of portrait photos lensed by a family friend, the future Maxim cover star emerged victorious from a record-breaking MCG contest that saw more than 9 million votes cast for a field exceeding 47,000 hopefuls.
“Kira wasn’t chasing an image,” said Karin Agstam, Maxim‘s Fashion Director and an Emmy-nominated industry veteran. “She didn’t rely on a following or a polished persona. Kira showed up as herself, and that takes courage in today’s climate. There was a natural innocence and honesty to her presence that immediately stood out to the entire judging panel.”
As the 2025 MCG competition victor, Haught will join a lineage of global stars who have graced Maxim‘s cover, including Hailey Bieber, Cindy Crawford, and Brooks Nader. Haught will receive $100,000 and sit for legendary fashion photographer Gilles Bensimon. Maxim will also provide continued mentorship and strategic career support as Haught begins translating her win into long-term career opportunities.
Raised on a 10-acre farm in a town of roughly 5,000 people, Haught entered the competition without professional modeling experience or formal representation. Instead, she balanced full workdays at two hair salons, quietly buying her first pair of high heels and practicing poses in her living room for the photoshoot—even though she had little expectation of rising to the very top.
“I still feel like the same girl who goes to work every day and drives home at night to ride ATVs with my dad on our farm,” Haught said. “I never imagined something like this could happen to me. I just showed up as myself, worked hard, and hoped for the best.”
Haught’s win reflects a broader shift underway in fashion and media, as audiences increasingly gravitate toward authenticity over hyper-curated perfection. Judges noted her natural presence, relatability, and willingness to adapt as defining qualities that set her apart in a crowded field.
The 2025 Maxim Cover Girl competition highlights how audience-led platforms are reshaping talent discovery, and past winners illustrate the platform’s reach and career impact. The most recent Maxim Cover Girl competition winner, Lexi Kaleiia, grew her social following tenfold during her journey, while other winners have gone on to enjoy opportunities across entertainment and elite athletic arenas.
While other modeling competitions often use pay-to-vote mechanics, the Maxim Cover Girl platform sets itself apart by selecting the winner through a combination of public fan votes, industry-expert judging panels, and in-person professional photoshoots. Competing models have the chance to be editorially featured in the new Maxim Next digital magazine, a unique opportunity for many aspiring models. Maxim Next enables readers to select the models featured in their digital issues, earning those models extra votes in the competitions. Maxim’s competitions are among the largest and most credible opportunities in the modeling industry, backed by industry experts and built to launch real modeling careers.
Stay tuned for Haught’s Maxim cover, as well as the launch of the 2026 Maxim Cover Girl competition.
