A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now moved towards including inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, talent, character, and charitable involvement, through private interviews with judges and answers to public on-stage questions. Pageant titles are subdivided into Miss, Mrs. or Ms., and Teen – to clearly identify the difference between pageant divisions.
Denise Marie Quiñones August is a Puerto Rican actress, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 2001. Prior to winning the Miss Universe pageant, she represented her hometown of Lares in the Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2001 pageant.
Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand-based Miss Universe Organization. Along with Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth, it is one of the Big Four beauty pageants.
Miss Puerto Rico is a national title bestowed on the women representing Puerto Rico in international beauty pageants. In 1987, Puerto Rico became the ninth country to win the Big Three pageants of Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss International. In 2019, Puerto Rico won Miss Earth, becoming the fourth country to win the Big Four pageants. Having also won Miss Supranational, Miss Grand International, and Miss Intercontinental by 2019, Puerto Rico became the first country—and only one as of 2023—to win the Big Six or Grand Slam and the Big Seven pageants. As the second Ibero-American and fourth country globally with the most titles in the Big Three, Big Four, Grand Slam, and Big Seven pageants, Puerto Rico, which has won 17 major titles as of 2023, is considered a powerhouse in the industry of beauty pageants, alongside Venezuela, United States, Philippines, and India.
Miss Venezuela is a Venezuelan beauty pageant operated by the Cisneros Group. Founded in 1952, it currently selects Venezuelan representatives to Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss International. The current national director of Miss Venezuela is Miss Universe 2013 Gabriela Isler.
The Miss Universe Canada or "The Beauties of Canada" is a national beauty pageant in Canada, which sends its winners to the Miss Universe pageant.
Miss Angola is a national beauty pageant in Angola. The pageant was founded in 1997 where the winners were sent to Miss Universe. In 2022 the brand of Miss Angola also used the name of Miss Angola Universo or Miss Universo Angola, this aims to be the organization's concern to the Miss Universe competition.
Riza Raquel Santos is a currently the Vice President of Argyle Fox Inc., a technology firm headquartered in Calgary, Alberta and a former Canadian actress, TV Host and the first Canadian beauty pageant titleholder who achieved the "Canada's Triple Crown": Miss Earth Canada 2006, Miss World Canada 2011 and Miss Universe Canada 2013.
The Miss Dominican Republic is a national beauty pageant in the Dominican Republic.
Miss Earth Canada is a beauty pageant held annually in search of the most beautiful and environmental-friendly woman in Canada. It is the official preliminary to the Miss Earth pageant. The winners are chosen based on physical attributes and skills in speaking in public on environmental matters.
Miss Earth Democratic Republic of the Congo(Miss Earth DR Congo) is the official title given to Democratic Republic of the Congo's delegate to the Miss Earth pageant. This pageant, unlike Miss World or Miss Universe focuses mainly on promoting environmental causes and winners are chosen equally on their physical attributes as well as their understanding and knowledge of the issues affecting the Earth.
Miss Earth Guam is a national beauty pageant held annually in search of the most beautiful and environmental-friendly woman in the United States territory of Guam. It is one of the official preliminaries to the international Miss Earth beauty pageant. The pageant focuses mainly on promoting environmental causes and winners are chosen equally on their physical attributes as well as their understanding and knowledge of the issues affecting the Earth. Along with Miss Universe and Miss World contests, Miss Earth is one of the three largest beauty pageants in the world in terms of the number of national-level competitions to participate in the world finals. The reigning titleholders dedicate their year to promote environmental projects and to address issues concerning the environment.
Ada Aimée de la Cruz Ramírez is a Dominican model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Dominican Republic 2009 and placed 1st Runner-Up at Miss Universe 2009.
Nelly Ahmadi Kamwelu is a Tanzanian model and beauty pageant titleholder who won the Miss Universe Tanzania and Miss Southern Africa International titles in 2011.She represented her country in Miss Universe 2011 in São Paulo, Brazil, Miss International 2011 in China, Miss Earth 2011 in Manila, Philippines, and Miss Tourism Queen International in China.
Miss International 2012, the 52nd Miss International pageant, was held on October 21, 2012, at Okinawa Prefectural Budokan Arena Building in Okinawa, Japan. Fernanda Cornejo from Ecuador crowned her successor Ikumi Yoshimatsu from Japan at the end of the event.
This is a list of the Philippines' representatives and their placements at the Big Four beauty pageants. The Philippines, widely considered a beauty pageant powerhouse, has won in all four pageants, with a total of 103 placements and 15 victories:
Miss Teen USA 2013 was the 31st Miss Teen USA pageant, held on August 10, 2013 at Atlantis Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas and was hosted by Australian journalist Karl Jeno Schmid and Miss Teen USA 2003 Tami Farrell. Logan West of Connecticut crowned her successor Cassidy Wolf of California at the end of the event. The 50 states and the District of Columbia competed for the title and the pageant was webcast on the official Miss Teen USA website via Ustream and on Xbox Live.
Miss Universe 2013 was the 62nd Miss Universe pageant, held at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow, Russia on 9 November 2013.
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.
Siera Bearchell is a Canadian entrepreneur, activist and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Canada 2016. She represented Canada in the Miss Universe 2016 competition in Manila, where she placed in the top nine. While competing in Miss Universe, Bearchell received media attention for her curvier figure, which was seen as a detraction from the typical body standards associated with beauty pageants, and for her response to immense body shaming from Internet trolls.
