Miss Universe

Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization, previously known as Miss Universe Inc., and was founded in 1952. It is one of the big four beauty pageants along with Miss World, Miss International and Miss Earth.

The Miss Universe competition is held over a two-week period where participants compete against one another, then are ranked and eliminated based on scores. Candidates are typically chosen from winners of other national pageants.

The winner signs a contract with the Miss Universe Organization that can last up to a year. The new Miss Universe becomes an ambassador for a public cause and receives a cash allowance as well as beauty and healthcare services. Winners also have exclusive access to events such as fashion shows, opening galas, casting calls and modeling opportunities.

Miss Universe was first televised in 1955 on CBS. Donald Trump bought the pageant and entered a contract with NBC, which aired the pageant from 2003 to 2014. Ownership changed once again when Trump sold his company to WME/IMG. In 2015, Fox and Azteca became the official broadcasters of the Miss Universe pageant.

The 2023 pageant was hosted by Olivia Culpo, Jeannie Mai and Maria Menounos. Previous hosts include John Charles Daly, Bob Barker, Dick Clark, Mel B and Steve Harvey.