VICKSBURG — Jane Granberry’s celebration plans were already set before she ever heard her name called Saturday night.
The newly crowned Miss Mississippi 2026, a Hattiesburg native competing as Miss Capital City, said her first stop once things slow down will be the nearest Waffle House for the all-star special: chocolate chip waffle, scrambled eggs, smothered hash browns, bacon, toast, strawberry jam and water.
“It seems very simple, but I have celebrated all of my wins and successes with Waffle House for as long as I can remember,” Granberry said. “So birthdays, graduation, winning Miss Mississippi. I will be going to the nearest Waffle House.”
Granberry was crowned Miss Mississippi 2026 Saturday night at the Vicksburg Convention Center after several days of preliminary competition. Miss Starkville Morgan Nelson was named first runner-up, followed by Miss Tupelo McKenzie Cox as second runner-up, Miss University Cameron Davis as third runner-up and Miss Metro Jackson Nataleigh Nix as fourth runner-up.
The win came after two years as first runner-up for Granberry, who said the near-misses were nothing to be ashamed of.
“I was first runner-up the last two years, which can’t say I’m not consistent,” she said. “Of course, there’s a slight tinge of disappointment because you got so close. But the whole purpose of this organization is to see growth in yourself and learn how to be the best leader you can be.”
She has an easy, personable delivery, and a way of making you feel like you’ve known her for a long time. She’s the daughter of a journalist as well as being a marketing major herself, so she enjoys the questions and the whole getting-to-know you process that come with the day after becoming Miss Mississippi.
Granberry, who competed previously as Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen and was the first teen in nearly a decade to reach the national finals in that competition, said this year she focused on bringing a stronger sense of self to the stage rather than chasing a placement.
“It was my goal to not only continue to see the growth in myself that I had seen the last two years, but be truly and fully confident in who I was on and off stage,” she said. “And that’s what I really saw in myself this year, and I felt it as well. I think that’s what really gave me the leg up.”
She said the moment her name was called felt less like a personal victory and more like a shared one, looking out at a crowd that included people who have supported her since she was a teen competitor.
“I felt really supported and I felt like I was with a lot of people that have loved me for years and I get to continue this fun job with,” Granberry said. “It’s a dream. There’s no other way to describe it.”
Granberry said she was named after several women in her family, including her grandmother, Jane, whom she described as the strongest, most fun-loving person she ever knew.
“She did not watch me compete in Miss Mississippi, but I know for a fact that if she was here right now, she would be very proud,” Granberry said.
For her community service initiative, Granberry chose Literacy Without Limits, a platform aimed at helping Mississippians of all ages become better readers and critical thinkers. She said she plans to visit every county in the state during her year of service and donate books along the way.
“Whether it’s our 8-year-olds, our 80-year-olds or our 18-year-olds, everyone deserves to be supported and met where they are, because this is a lifelong endeavor of literacy,” she said.
Granberry called Hattiesburg, where she grew up, her home base and said Loblolly Bakery’s chocolate croissants are at the top of her list when she gets back. She’s also a lifelong frequent flyer at the Hattiesburg Zoo.
“I just rode the train a few weeks ago,” she said, smiling.
She is a graduate of the University of Mississippi, where she earned both her undergraduate degree and an MBA.
She said her family, including an older sister and a younger brother, has been her biggest source of support throughout her two runs at the Miss Mississippi title. She described seeing a video someone sent her of them watching her win the crown, and her pride was palpable.
“I just would not be here without them, and so grateful for their support,” she said.
Granberry will go on to represent Mississippi at the Miss America competition. She said her goal there is less about a placement and more about representing the state well.
“If I can make people here proud, then that is a job well done,” she said.
And maybe one day, she said, she’ll own her own Waffle House.
