The most frequently presented Miss America awards are for preliminary talent and swimsuit. The talent award was introduced in 1936, and the swimsuit award in 1940. In the 2000s, preliminary awards for evening gown and interview were briefly introduced but were discontinued after two years as it was felt that they made the semi-finalists too predictable.
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Other awards include Miss Congeniality, given out in the early years of the pageant and re-introduced at Miss America 2006, and the Quality of Life Award for a contestant's platform, first awarded in 1989.
Preliminary swimsuit award
In the pageant's history, there have only been two instances of a tie for a preliminary award, both in swimsuit. The first was in 1987, and the second in 1993.
Quality of Life Award
The Quality of Life Award was initially sponsored by Fruit of the Loom. From its inception in 1989 until 2002, the winner received a $10,000 scholarship. For Miss America 2003, the value of the award was reduced to $6,000 for the winner, and the amount was reduced again to $3,000 from Miss America 2006. In 2008, the scholarship returned to $6,000.