Big Four Beauty Pageants

The Big Four or the Big League Pageants refers to the four major international beauty pageants for women — Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Earth.

The group was first described by the ''China Daily'' newspaper in 2004 as "the world's four major beauty contests". In April 2008, the ''South China Morning Post'' described them as "four of the world's top beauty pageants"; the same description was also used by South Korea's leading newspaper, ''Chosun Ilbo'' in 2010. In 2017, the ''Latin Times'' considered the group as the "most important pageants in the world". In 2018, NBC News referred to them as the "four biggest international pageants". ''Agencia EFE'' in 2019 classified them as the "four most influential beauty pageants in the world".

Among the hundreds of thousands of beauty contests held annually, the ''Big Four'' are considered the most prestigious, widely covered and broadcast by media. The Wall Street Journal, BBC News, CNN, Xinhua News Agency, and global news agencies such as Reuters, Associated Press and Agence France-Presse collectively refer to the four major pageants as the "Big Four".

In the early years of Miss Universe and Miss World, the national winner of a country would often be sent to Miss Universe, while their runner-up would compete in Miss World. This practice was common, especially when several countries had winners in both pageants.

Big Four pageants

*Miss World is the oldest existing major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since Morley's death in 2000, his widow, Julia Morley, co-chairs the pageant.
*Miss Universe is an international beauty pageant that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. As of 2022, it is owned by the Thailand-based JKN Global Group. The pageant was founded in 1952 by California clothing company Pacific Mills. The pageant became part of Kayser-Roth and then Gulf+Western Industries, before being acquired by Donald Trump in 1996, and WME/IMG in 2015.
*Miss International, also called "Miss International Beauty", is a Tokyo-based international beauty pageant organized by The International Culture Association. The pageant was first held in 1960.
*Miss Earth is an annual international environmental-themed beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness organized by Manila-based Carousel Productions through the Miss Earth Foundation and was first held in 2001. The pageant is affiliated with and works on projects with other institutions, including Greenpeace, World Wildlife Foundation, and United Nations Environment Program.
 

File:Kiki Håkansson in 1950.jpg, Miss World 1951
First winner of Miss World
Kiki Håkansson,
Sweden
File:Armi Kuusela-1.jpg, Miss Universe 1952
First winner of Miss Universe
Armi Kuusela
Finland
File:Stella Marquez Araneta (1960).jpg, Miss International 1960
First winner of Miss International
Stella Márquez
Colombia
File:Catharina Svensson, Miss Earth 2001.jpg, Miss Earth 2001
First winner of Miss Earth
Catharina Svensson
Denmark

In October 2005, Cynthia Kanema of Zambia earned the distinction of becoming the first woman to have participated in all four of the world's top beauty pageants: Miss World 2003, Miss International 2004, Miss Universe 2005, and Miss Earth 2005. In 2011, Miss South Africa Bokang Montjane became the first woman to both compete in all of the Big Four pageants and place in any of them: Miss Earth 2007 (Top 16), Miss International 2009, Miss Universe 2011, and Miss World 2011 (Top 7).

Records

Most wins by countries/territories

The following countries and territories have won each Big Four pageant at least once:

Brazil

The first country to win all four major international pageant titles was Brazil, when it won Miss Earth 2004. Brazil has won two Miss Universe crowns, two Miss Earth crowns, one Miss World crown, and one Miss International crown.

Venezuela

In winning Miss Earth 2005, Venezuela became the second country to win titles for each of the Big Four pageants. With two Miss Earth titles, seven Miss Universe titles, nine Miss International titles, and six Miss World titles, Venezuela is the country with the most wins in the Big Four pageants – and the most wins in the latter two pageants' respective histories. By winning Miss Earth 2013, Venezuela became the first and so far only country to win all four pageants multiple times.

Philippines

After winning Miss World 2013, the Philippines was the third country and the first in Asia to win all titles of the Big Four pageants. The Philippines currently has six Miss International crowns, four Miss Universe crowns, four Miss Earth crowns – the most wins in the pageant's history – and one Miss World crown. By winning Miss World 2013, Miss International 2013, Miss Earth 2014, Miss Earth 2015, and Miss Universe 2015, the Philippines achieved the feat in a span of only three calendar years. After winning Miss International 2016, Miss Earth 2017, and Miss Universe 2018, the Philippines currently holds the distinction of longest streak of wins in all four major beauty pageants with a streak of six successive years.

Puerto Rico

After winning Miss Earth 2019, Puerto Rico became the first territory and fourth country to win all titles of the Big Four pageants. Puerto Rico currently has ten Big Four crowns: five Miss Universe, two Miss World, two Miss International, and one Miss Earth.

United States

After winning Miss Earth 2020, the United States became the fifth country to win in all titles of the Big Four pageants. It currently has nine Miss Universe crowns – the most in the pageant's history – alongside three crowns in Miss World and three crowns in Miss International.

Australia

After winning Miss Earth 2024, Australia became the sixth country and the first in the oceanic region to win in all titles of the Big Four pageants. The country has two Miss Universe crowns, two Miss World crowns and three crowns in Miss International.

Longest streak of wins

The Philippines holds the longest streak of winning at least one of the Big Four pageant titles in a single year with wins in six consecutive years from 2013 to 2018 ( Miss World 2013 and Miss International 2013, Miss Earth 2014, Miss Universe 2015 and Miss Earth 2015, Miss International 2016, Miss Earth 2017, and Miss Universe 2018), and is currently the only country in the world to win at least once in all of the Big Four pageant titles in any of its titles streak.

Multiple wins in the same year

France became the first nation to win at least two of the Big 4 beauty pageant titles in the same year, winning in 1953 (Miss Universe and Miss World), followed by Brazil in 1968 (Miss Universe and Miss International), Australia in 1972 (Miss Universe and Miss World), Venezuela in 1981 (Miss Universe and Miss World) as well as in 2013 (Miss Universe and Miss Earth), India in 1994 and 2000 (Miss Universe and Miss World), Ecuador in 2011 (Miss International and Miss Earth), and the Philippines in 2013 (Miss World and Miss International) and 2015 (Miss Universe and Miss Earth).

Back-to-back wins

In Miss World, three back-to-back victories have been recorded.
In its first two editions, Sweden recorded back-to-back with Kiki Hakansson and May-Louise Flodin and Miss World 1952, respectively. United Kingdom contestants Ann Sidney and Lesley Langley duplicated this feat in Miss World 1964 and Miss World 1965, respectively. The most recent back-to-back Miss World victories came from India, with Yukta Mookhey in Miss World 1999 and Priyanka Chopra in Miss World 2000 edition.

In Miss Universe, Venezuela is currently the only country to win back-to-back in Miss Universe 2008 and Miss Universe 2009. Stefanía Fernandez won the Miss Universe 2009 title in which Venezuela earned a Guinness World Record to have the first Miss Universe winner succeeded by her compatriot, Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza.

In Miss Earth, the victory of Angelia Ong in Miss Earth 2015, succeeding Jamie Herrell, Miss Earth 2014, made the Philippines to date the only country to win back-to-back in the Miss Earth pageant.

The Miss International competition, on the other hand, has yet to see a back-to-back win.

Winners by year

Attendance history

As of the Miss World 2025 edition that took place on 31 May 2025, there have been 15,641 entrants and 3,418 placements in the Big Four international beauty pageants.

;Placement history

;Debut wins

Winners by country/territory

Winners by continent

The country/territory that assumed a position is indicated in bold
The country/territory that was dethroned, resigned or originally held the position is indicated in ''striketrough''
The country/territory that was dethroned, resigned or originally held the position but was not replaced is indicated ''underlined''

See also

* List of beauty pageants

Notes

References

{{Big Four Pageants

*