Who Is Catriona Gray?

Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray (born January 6, 1994) is a Filipino-Australian singer, songwriter and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe 2018. She is the fourth Filipina to win the Miss Universe title after Gloria Diaz in 1969, Margarita Moran in 1973 and Pia Wurtzbach in 2015. In addition to her beauty pageant success, Gray has released several music singles and albums throughout her career.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Gray was born in Cairns, Australia, to Filipino parents Ian Gray and Normita Ragas Magnayon. At the age of six, she moved with her family to the Philippines. She attended grade school at O.B. Montessori Center in Cebu City and completed high school at ABS-CBN Distance Learning Center. She then enrolled at the University of the Philippines Diliman where she studied Music Theory and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Technology.

Music Career

Gray first entered the music industry as a performer on ABS-CBN's variety show ASAP in 2014. In 2016, she signed a music contract with Viva Records and released her debut single “We're In This Together”. She also collaborated with Filipino singer Moira Dela Torre on the single “You And Me” which was featured on Dela Torre's 2017 album “Malaya: The Journey”. In 2019, she released her debut album “Catriona” which features singles such as “We're In This Together” and “You And Me” as well as new tracks “Be Brave” and “Burnin' Up”.

Beauty Pageant Success

In 2018, Gray won the Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2018 title representing the province of Albay. She then went on to win the Miss Universe 2018 title at the 67th edition of the pageant held in Bangkok, Thailand. After her win, she became an ambassador for Unicef Philippines and launched her own advocacy program called Paraiso: The Bright Beginnings Project which aims to build a brighter future for underprivileged children in her home country.