Big Four international beauty pageants
The Big Four 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", Chosun Ilbo newspaper in 2010 described them as "the world's top four beauty pageants". 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", while Agencia EFE delineated them in 2019 as the "four most influential beauty pageants in the world".
The Big Four pageants
Hundreds of thousands of beauty contests are held annually, but 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 "Big Four" namely:- 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 annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The contest 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 is currently owned by WME/IMG.
- 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 Philippine-based Carousel Productions through the Miss Earth Foundation and was first held in 2001. The pageant is affiliated and works on projects with other institutions, including Greenpeace, World Wildlife Foundation, and United Nations Environment Program.
| Miss World | Miss Universe | Miss International | Miss Earth | |
| Formation | ||||
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | New York City, United States | Tokyo, Japan | Manila, Philippines |
| Advocacy | ||||
| President | ||||
| Organization |
Most victorious countries
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.In winning Miss Earth 2005, Venezuela became the second country to win titles for each of the Big Four pageants. It has produced seven Miss Universe titles, eight Miss International titles, six Miss World titles, and two Miss Earth titles. By winning Miss Earth 2013, Venezuela became the first country to win all four pageants multiple times.
After winning Miss World 2013, the Philippines was the third country to win all titles of the Big Four pageants. The Philippines currently has six Miss International crowns, four Miss Earth crowns, four Miss Universe crowns, 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. The country continued its streak after winning Miss International 2016, Miss Earth 2017, and Miss Universe 2018, and currently holds the distinction of longest streak of wins in all four major beauty pageants with a streak of six successive years.
After winning Miss Earth 2019, Puerto Rico became the fourth country to win all titles of the Big Four pageants. It currently has five Miss Universe crowns and two of each in Miss World and Miss International.
The following countries have won each Big Four pageant at least once:
| # | Country | Miss World | Miss Universe | Miss International | Miss Earth | Total wins |
| 1 | ' | 6 | ||||
| 2 | ' | 23 | ||||
| 3 | ' | 15 | ||||
| 4 | ' | 10 |
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, 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. Venezuela ranks second overall in streak of Big Four pageant wins, lasting four consecutive years from 2008 to 2011.Multiple wins in the same year
became the first nation to win at least 2 of the Big 4 beauty pageant titles in the same year, winning in 1953, followed by Brazil in 1968, Australia in 1972, Venezuela in 1981 as well as in 2013, India in 1994 and 2000, Ecuador in 2011, and the Philippines in 2013 and 2015.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 in Miss World 1951 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, in London. 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 Records 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 in Austria, succeeding Jamie Herrell, Miss Earth 2014, made the Philippines to date the only country to win back-to-back in the Miss Earth pageant.
Big Four pageant winners by year
| Year | Miss World | Miss Universe | Miss International | Miss Earth |
| 2020 | TBA | TBA | ||
| 2019 | Toni-Ann Singh | Zozibini Tunzi | Sireethorn Leearamwat | Nellys Pimentel |
| 2018 | Vanessa Ponce | Catriona Gray | Mariem Velazco | Nguyễn Phương Khánh |
| 2017 | Manushi Chhillar | Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters | Kevin Liliana | Karen Ibasco |
| 2016 | Stephanie Del Valle | Iris Mittenaere | Kylie Verzosa | Katherine Espín |
| 2015 | Mireia Lalaguna | Pia Wurtzbach | Edymar Martínez | Angelia Ong |
| 2014 | Rolene Strauss | Paulina Vega | Valerie Hernandez | Jamie Herrell |
| 2013 | Megan Young | Gabriela Isler | Bea Santiago | Alyz Henrich |
| 2012 | Yu Wenxia | Olivia Culpo | Tereza Fajksová | |
| 2011 | Ivian Sarcos | Leila Lopes | Fernanda Cornejo | Olga Álava |
| 2010 | Alexandria Mills | Ximena Navarrete | Elizabeth Mosquera | Nicole Faria |
| 2009 | Kaiane Aldorino | Stefania Fernandez | Anagabriela Espinoza | Larissa Ramos |
| 2008 | Ksenia Sukhinova | Dayana Mendoza | Alejandra Andreu | Karla Henry |
| 2007 | Zhang Zilin | Riyo Mori | Priscila Perales | Jessica Trisko |
| 2006 | Taťána Kuchařová | Zuleyka Rivera | Daniela di Giacomo | Hil Hernández |
| 2005 | Unnur Vilhjálmsdóttir | Natalie Glebova | Lara Quigaman | Alexandra Braun |
| 2004 | María Julia Mantilla | Jennifer Hawkins | Jeymmy Vargas | Priscilla Meirelles |
| 2003 | Rosanna Davison | Amelia Vega | Goizeder Azúa | Dania Prince |
| 2002 | Azra Akın | Christina Sawaya | ||
| 2002 | Azra Akın | Justine Pasek | Christina Sawaya | Winfred Omwakwe |
| 2001 | Agbani Darego | Denise Quiñones | Małgorzata Rożniecka | Catharina Svensson |
| 2000 | Priyanka Chopra | Lara Dutta | Vivian Urdaneta | rowspan="52" |
| 1999 | Yukta Mookhey | Mpule Kwelagobe | Paulina Gálvez | - |
| 1998 | Linor Abargil | Wendy Fitzwilliam | Lía Borrero | - |
| 1997 | Diana Hayden | Brook Lee | Consuelo Adler | - |
| 1996 | Irene Skliva | Alicia Machado | Fernanda Alves | - |
| 1995 | Jacqueline Aguilera | Chelsi Smith | Anne Lena Hansen | - |
| 1994 | Aishwarya Rai | Sushmita Sen | Christina Lekka | - |
| 1993 | Lisa Hanna | Dayanara Torres | Agnieszka Pachałko | - |
| 1992 | Julia Kourotchkina | Michelle McLean | Kirsten Davidson | - |
| 1991 | Ninibeth Leal | Lupita Jones | Agnieszka Kotlarska | - |
| 1990 | Gina Tolleson | Mona Grudt | Silvia de Esteban | - |
| 1989 | Aneta Kręglicka | Angela Visser | Iris Klein | - |
| 1988 | Linda Pétursdóttir | Porntip Nakhirunkanok | Catherine Gude | - |
| 1987 | Ulla Weigerstorfer | Cecilia Bolocco | Laurie Simpson | - |
| 1986 | Giselle Laronde | Bárbara Palacios | Helen Fairbrother | - |
| 1985 | Hólmfríður Karlsdóttir | Deborah Carthy-Deu | Nina Sicilia | - |
| 1984 | Astrid Carolina Herrera | Yvonne Ryding | Ilma Urrutia | - |
| 1983 | Sarah-Jane Hutt | Lorraine Downes | Gidget Sandoval | - |
| 1982 | Mariasela Álvarez | Karen Baldwin | Christie Claridge | - |
| 1981 | Pilín León | Irene Sáez | Jenny Derek | - |
| 1980 | Shawn Weatherly | Lorna Chávez | - | |
| 1980 | Kimberley Santos | Shawn Weatherly | Lorna Chávez | - |
| 1979 | Gina Swainson | Maritza Sayalero | Melanie Marquez | - |
| 1978 | Silvana Suárez | Margaret Gardiner | Katherine Ruth | - |
| 1977 | Mary Stävin | Janelle Commissiong | Pilar Medina | - |
| 1976 | Cindy Breakspeare | Rina Messinger | Sophie Perin | - |
| 1975 | Wilnelia Merced | Anne Marie Pohtamo | Lidija Manić | - |
| 1974 | rowspan=2 | Brucene Smith | - | |
| 1974 | Anneline Kriel | - | Brucene Smith | - |
| 1973 | Margarita Moran | Anneli Björkling | - | |
| 1972 | Belinda Green | Kerry Anne Wells | Linda Hooks | - |
| 1971 | Lúcia Petterle | Georgina Rizk | Jane Hansen | - |
| 1970 | Jennifer Hosten | Marisol Malaret | Aurora Pijuan | - |
| 1969 | Eva Rueber-Staier | Gloria Diaz | Valerie Susan Holmes | - |
| 1968 | Penelope Plummer | Martha Vasconcellos | Maria da Glória Carvalho | - |
| 1967 | Madeleine Hartog-Bel | Sylvia Hitchcock | Mirta Massa | - |
| 1966 | Reita Faria | Margareta Arvidsson | - | |
| 1965 | Lesley Langley | Apasra Hongsakula | Ingrid Finger | - |
| 1964 | Ann Sidney | Corinna Tsopei | Gemma Cruz | - |
| 1963 | Carole Crawford | Ieda Maria Vargas | Guðrún Bjarnadóttir | - |
| 1962 | Catharina Lodders | Norma Nolan | Tania Verstak | - |
| 1961 | Rosemarie Frankland | Marlene Schmidt | Stanny van Baer | - |
| 1960 | Norma Cappagli | Linda Bement | Stella Márquez | - |
| 1959 | Corine Rottschäfer | Akiko Kojima | rowspan="9" | - |
| 1958 | Penelope Coelen | Luz Marina Zuluaga | - | - |
| 1957 | Marita Lindahl | Gladys Zender | - | - |
| 1956 | Petra Schürmann | Carol Morris | - | - |
| 1955 | Susana Duijm | Hillevi Rombin | - | - |
| 1954 | Antigone Costanda | Miriam Stevenson | - | - |
| 1953 | Denise Perrier | Christiane Martel | - | - |
| 1952 | May Louise Flodin | Armi Kuusela | - | - |
| 1951 | Kiki Håkansson | - | - |