Death-metal vocalist Ignacia Fernández has been crowned Miss World Chile after her guttural pageant performance went viral.
Ignacia Fernández, frontwoman of Chilean death-metal band Decessus, has been officially crowned Miss World Chile 2025, just a week after her growl-filled performance at the Miss Mundo Chile semi-finals went viral.
The musician and model drew global attention when she performed an original Decessus song live during the semi-finals broadcast on November 2, delivering guttural vocals while guitarist (and bandmate) Carlos Palma played beside her. The unlikely fusion of pageantry and death metal made headlines worldwide and earned Fernández a standing ovation, breaking long-held expectations of what a beauty pageant performance could look like.
During the Miss Mundo Chile finals on November 9, Fernández competed against 19 other contestants and emerged victorious, becoming the first known death-metal vocalist to win the national title. She will now represent Chile at next year’s Miss World competition.
“Couldn’t be more [happy] and grateful,” Fernández wrote on social media following her win. “I take on this beautiful challenge with all the energy and heart put into representing my country in the best way. I promise to give it my all, with passion, labor and purpose. Thank you for the worldwide recognition of my singing, a little piece of my soul that inspires me to keep growing and dreaming big. Let’s go all the way Chile…for that crown!”
Clips from the pageant quickly spread across social media, showing Fernández accepting her crown after a night that celebrated both her artistry and advocacy work. In addition to her music career, she is also known for her work in animal rights activism.
“Metal has been a fundamental part of who I am as a person and in my life: a refuge, a source of strength and purpose,” Fernández previously said on Instagram. “Being able to express it on stage at Chilevisión and Miss Mundo Chile was an opportunity I deeply value.”
Fernández founded Decessus in 2020, and the band has since opened for international acts like Jinjer, Epica, and Fleshgod Apocalypse. Their most recent single, ‘Dark Flames,’ was released in September.
RELATED
MORE IN Music
