Miss America 2015 Contestant Kira Kazantsev Crowned as Winner

For the third consecutive year, a New York candidate has won the Miss America pageant. Beating 52 other hopefuls, 22-year-old Kira Kazantsev, daughter of Russian immigrants, won the pageant held in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Sunday, Sept. 14.

"It's definitely monumental," she told the New Jersey Advance Media via NJ.com. "This is the first time in the organization's history, I believe, that a state has won three years in a row."

Why has New York been so successful? The newly crowned Miss America explains: "The thing about New York, especially being Miss New York, is that you have to make it," Kazantsev revealed.

"You have to bust your little tushy to get to where you want to go, and that creates somebody that's very independent, very self-serving - or, not self-serving ... um - very able to ... to do things on their own," she added.

According to NJ.com, Kazantsev shared that the $50,000 scholarship would be used to pursuit a law degree.

Campaigning on a platform focused on promoting domestic violence awareness, Kazantsev's statement was: "Love Shouldn't Hurt: Protecting Women Against Domestic Violence."

HollywoodLife reported that Kazantsev was in an abusive relationship while in University. She shared, "I want people to stop asking, 'Why doesn't she just leave?' Every woman is an expert in her own case, and there are so many extenuating circumstances that lead to a woman staying with her abuser."

When it came to the beauty and talent portion of the competition, she breezed through the swimsuit round by showing off her slender physique in a hot pink bikini and wowed the audience with her laid-back yet entertaining musical talent.

Kazantsev showed off her vocal chops by singing Pharrell's hit song, "Happy" tapping a cup for beat, as done by actress Anna Kendrick in the movie, "Pitch Perfect."

The blonde beauty won the judges over not only through beauty and talent, but through charm and intelligence as well. Kazantsev is as keen as she is beautiful. The first-generation American is fluent in Russian and graduated from Long Island's Hofstra University with a triple major in political science, global studies and geography, noted HollywoodLife.

Miss Virginia Courtney Paige Garrett, Miss Arkansas Ashton Jo Campbell, Miss Florida Victoria Cowen and Miss Massachusetts Lauren Kuhn comprise the rest of the Top 5, noted Syracuse.com.

See Miss America 2015's talent portion below.