IN ONE OF the most dramatic finishes the pageant has ever seen, Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach has just been crowned Miss Universe 2015 — moments after host Steve Harvey mistakenly announced Colombia’s Ariadna Gutierrez as the winner.

It made for an awkward few seconds on stage as Harvey walked back out to correct himself, the candidates’ reactions shifting in real time. But those final moments swung the spotlight onto a stunned Wurtzbach, who brought home the Philippines’ third Miss Universe crown after 42 long years.

From our hotel rooms, my friends and I are still shouting — easily the happiest moment of the year. The same scene is surely playing out across the Philippines and in Filipino communities overseas, where plenty of people took the day off just to watch.

The running joke right now: ask any Filipino for a favor today, and they’ll say yes with a happy heart.

A Frontrunner Who Delivered

Wurtzbach had led the online polls throughout the competition and was plainly one of the crowd favorites. Pageant sites and pageant gurus alike put her at the top of their hot picks over the 80 other candidates — and she was our own top pick, too, in our Miss Universe 2015 Top 15 Picks.

The final came down to a tough battle between her and Colombia’s Gutierrez, who finished first runner-up, with Miss USA Olivia Jordan close behind as second runner-up. The rest of the winners are in our live updates, and the final round’s exchanges are in our question-and-answer recap.

Who Is Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach?

Born on September 24, 1989, in Germany to a Filipina mother and a German father, Wurtzbach grew up in Cagayan de Oro and is the older sister, by three years, to her only sibling.

She studied Culinary Arts at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies in Manila, which qualified her as a licensed chef, and before winning Miss Universe Philippines 2015 she also worked as a beauty writer, stylist, and makeup artist. She stands 5’7.5″.

The 26-year-old beauty queen has been in front of the camera since childhood, too. Under the name Pia Romero, she was an ABS-CBN talent and a member of Star Circle Batch 11, and went on to pursue modeling and hosting.

A fresh-faced Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, Miss Universe Philippines 2015, with her childhood best friend, Kapuso actress Pauleen Luna.

Third Time’s the Crown

Wurtzbach is no stranger to the pageant stage. This was her third time joining Binibining Pilipinas, the national pageant. In 2013, she finished first runner-up to Miss Universe Philippines Ariella Arida; in 2014, she made the Top 15 in the edition won by Mary Jean Lastimosa. Unfazed by both defeats, she came back a third time, won the right to represent the country, and carried three years of preparation into this year’s search.

Any of those details would make for an impressive profile on their own. A Miss Universe title — and the crown it brings home for the Philippines — completes it.

We also took a scroll through Pia’s Instagram account, and these photos felt just right for this post. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

In this photo, Pia asked AlDub Nation for support in her final bid for Miss Universe 2015. Here’s the complete story.