The Miss America 2012 pageant activities are well underway in Las Vegas, and Kris Jenner hit the red carpet prior to the preliminary judging at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.
All 50 States plus the District of Columbia, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico will compete for the prestigious title.
The reality show mom and Kardashian family business manager will be joined on the national judging panel by Mark Ballas, Lara Spencer, Teri Polo, Mike Fleiss, Chris Powell and Raul de Molina.
Day-one action produced two winners in the first of three preliminary competitions. Miss Utah Danica Olsen won a $1,000 scholarship in Swimsuit and Miss Wisconsin Laura Kaeppeler picked up a $2,000 award for her talent, an operatic performance.
Voting is now underway on the Miss America 2012 website to pick your favorite contestant. The winner of the fan vote will earn a finalist spot. Cast your vote here.
Hosting the live competition on Saturday night, January 14, will be Chris Harrison and Brooke Burke. The show will be broadcast on ABC at 9:00 ET, 8:00 CT.
Kris tweeted a behind the scenes judges photo. Check it out after the jump:
Photos: JudyEddy-WENN, Twitter-KrisJenner