| Amelia Patricia Vega Polanco | |
| Miss Santiago 2002 Miss Dominican Republic 2002 Miss Universe 2003 | |
| Nationalcompetition: | (Winner) Miss Universe 2003 (Winner) |
| Birth Place: | Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic |
| Birth Name: | Amelia Patricia Vega Polanco |
| Birth Date: | 1984 11, df=y |
| Height: | 188cm[1] |
| Eye Color: | Brown |
| Hair Color: | Brown |
| Children: | 5 |
Amelia Vega Polanco[2] (pronounced as /es/; born 7 November 1984) is a Dominican actress, model, author, singer and beauty queen. At the age of 18, she won the Miss Universe 2003 pageant, becoming the first ever Miss Universe from the Dominican Republic, as well as the youngest winner since 1994.[3]
After winning the Miss Dominican Republic title, Vega represented the Dominican Republic in the Miss Universe 2003 pageant held in Panama City on 3 June 2003. She became the first delegate from this country to win the title.[4] [5] At the time she was the youngest woman since 1994 to win Miss Universe and, as of 2023, is the tallest winner, standing at 6'2".
After recording her first demo at 15 years old and starting her artistic career on musicals in her hometown at the same age, Amelia's first single "Pasa Un Segundito" was released by iTunes on 26 April 2010. It became a top Latin song in just two days. A couple months later, she released an environmental song, "Smog". She announced on her Twitter account that her complete album Agua Dulce would be released on 30 August 2011, first on iTunes. She began promoting her music in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Panama, Dominican Republic "where she opened the concert for Marc Anthony and Chayanne in front of a crowd of 50,000 people".[6] [7]
On 24 December 2011, Vega married Dominican NBA player Al Horford, after two years of dating.[8] They have five children together.[9]
Vega is niece-in-law of the Grammy Award–winning singer Juan Luis Guerra. She attended and graduated from Barbizon Modeling and Acting School in Santo Domingo.[10]
Vega is the sixth generation of women in her family who bears Amelia either as their first name or middle name.[11]
Vega's parents are second cousins-twice removed and both are descended from brothers José Nicolás Vega y Pichardo and José Rafael Vega y Pichardo.