
Beauty pageants wins
Miss Angola UK - she won this on October 8, 2010, but the victory caused protests within the Angolan community in Britain, due to the fact that she was not a resident of the UK and thus, not eligible.
Miss Angola - held in Luanda on December 18, 2010, gaining the right to represent Angola in Miss Universe 2011. She also obtained the Photogenic Award during the contest.
Miss Universe 2011 - in São Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011. She became the first Angolan Miss Universe and the 60th titleholder. Lopes received the title from the former Miss Universe titleholder, Ximena Navarrete of Mexico. Lopes is the fourth African to win the title since the beginning of the worldwide pageant (South Africa, 1978; Namibia, 1992; Botswana, 1999; and Angola, 2011) and the second African of African descent to win following Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999 from Botswana. Lopes also became the first woman from Angola to win a "Big four" beauty pageant, and the first black African woman to win Miss Universe in the new millenium.