''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American
reality competition
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
television series, the first in the
''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by
World of Wonder for
Logo TV
Logo TV (often shortened to Logo, and stylized as Logo.) is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched in 2005, Logo was originally dedicated to lifestyle and entertainment progra ...
(season 1–8),
WOW Presents Plus,
VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the fifteenth season,
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
. The show documents
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960) is an American drag queen, television host, singer, producer, writer, and actor. He produces, hosts, and judges the reality competition series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and has received List of awards ...
in the search for "America's next
drag superstar". RuPaul plays the role of host, mentor, and head judge for this series, as contestants are given different challenges each week. Contestants are judged by a panel that includes RuPaul,
Michelle Visage, one of four rotating judges (
Carson Kressley
Carson Kressley (born November 11, 1969) is an American television personality, actor, and designer. Beginning in 2003, he appeared in the Bravo series '' Queer Eye for the Straight Guy''. He was also the motivational host of the TV show '' How ...
,
Ross Mathews,
Ts Madison, or
Law Roach),
as well as one or more guest judges, who critique their progress throughout the competition. The title of the show is a play on
drag queen
A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses Drag (entertainment), drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate Femininity, female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have ...
and
drag racing
Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, mos ...
, and the title sequence and song "Drag Race" both have a drag-racing theme.
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' has aired for seventeen seasons and inspired the spin-off shows ''
RuPaul's Drag U'', ''
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' is an American reality competition spin off edition of the original ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', which is produced by World of Wonder, for Logo TV and later VH1. The show premiered on October 22, 2012, on Logo TV, ...
'', ''
RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race'', and ''
RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars''; the companion series ''
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked''; and numerous international franchises.
The show became the highest-rated television program on Logo TV, and airs internationally, including in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Israel. The show earned RuPaul eight consecutive
Emmy Awards
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
(2016 to 2023) for
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program. The show has been awarded the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program four consecutive times (2018 to 2021), and the Outstanding Reality Program Award at the
GLAAD Media Awards
The GLAAD Media Award is a US accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding portrayals of LGBTQ people and the issues that affect their lives. In addition to film and television, the Awards ...
. It has been nominated for five
Critics' Choice Television Awards
The Critics' Choice Television Awards were accolades that were presented annually by the Critics Choice Association (CCA). They were established in 2011, and the first ceremony was held on June 20, 2011, and streamed live on VH1.com. The fou ...
including Best Reality Series – Competition and Best Reality Show Host for RuPaul and numerous
Creative Arts Emmy Awards
The Creative Arts Emmys are a class of Emmy Awards presented in recognition of technical and other similar achievements in American television programming. They are commonly awarded to behind-the-scenes personnel such as production designers, ...
.
Format
Prospective ''Drag Race'' contestants submit video auditions to the show's production company,
World of Wonder.
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960) is an American drag queen, television host, singer, producer, writer, and actor. He produces, hosts, and judges the reality competition series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and has received List of awards ...
, the host and head judge, views each tape and selects the season's competitors.
The chosen contestants compete against each other in various challenges in filmed episodes. Each episode typically concludes with one contestant being eliminated from the competition, but there is occasionally a double elimination,
no elimination,
contestant disqualification,
contestant voluntarily quitting, or removal of a contestant on medical grounds.
Each episode features a so-called "maxi challenge" that tests competitors' skills in a variety of areas of drag performance. Some episodes also feature a "mini challenge", the prize of which is often an advantage or benefit in the upcoming maxi challenge. Contestants then present themed looks in a
runway
In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...
walk.
RuPaul and a panel of judges critique each contestant's performance, deliberate among themselves, and announce the week's winner and bottom two competitors. The bottom two queens compete in a "
Lip Sync
Lip sync or lip synch (pronounced , like the word ''sink'', despite the Hard and soft C, spelling of the participial forms ''synced'' and ''syncing''), short for lip synchronization, is a technical term for matching a Speech, speaking or singin ...
for Your Life";
the winner of the lip sync remains in the competition, and the loser is eliminated.
Generally, the contestant that the judges feel has displayed the most "charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent" (C.U.N.T.) is the one who advances.
The season's winner is crowned in a special finale episode with the final contestants remaining. In early seasons, the finale was pre-recorded in the studio with no audience. More recently, it has taken the form of a lip sync tournament before a live audience. The whole season is typically filmed in four weeks. The
season 12 finale was filmed remotely due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
RuPaul ends episodes by saying, "If you can't love yourself, how in the hell are you going to love somebody else?" The phrase was inspired by RuPaul's mother.
Mini and maxi challenges
Mini challenges are quick, small assignments that RuPaul announces at the beginning of an episode. One of the most popular mini challenges, which has appeared in every season since season 2, except for season 12, is the reading challenge. In it, contestants satirically criticize one another in a process called "reading", popularized by the 1990 documentary film ''
Paris Is Burning''.
Maxi challenges test a variety of skills. Some are group challenges that involve singing and acting, while others feature comedy, a talent of choice, dancing, or makeovers.
The winner receives a material or monetary prize.
Until midway through the
fifth season, the winner sometimes also received
immunity against elimination the following week.
''Drag Race''s most popular seasonal maxi challenge is
Snatch Game
Snatch Game is a comedy challenge recurring across the ''Drag Race'' television franchise and a fixture of the reality competition series. Since the second season of the original American ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' series in 2010, the challenge ha ...
, a spoof on ''
Match Game
''Match Game'' is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity paneli ...
'' wherein contestants impersonate celebrities or famous fictional personas.
Recurring main challenges include "balls" (for which contestants must showcase multiple outfits, often including an original design made in the Werk Room),
girl groups, makeovers,
roasts, "
Rusicals" (
musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...
), and
Snatch Game
Snatch Game is a comedy challenge recurring across the ''Drag Race'' television franchise and a fixture of the reality competition series. Since the second season of the original American ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' series in 2010, the challenge ha ...
. Over time, the ball challenge has replaced the "drag on a dime" challenge.
The
girl group challenge has become a "classic" and a season highlight because "it tests the contestant's ability to write a verse, choreograph a dance routine, remember that choreography, and most crucially, work with others in a team".
Rusicals (portmanteau of "RuPaul" and "musical") began on the sixth season and have subsequently become "a highly anticipated staple" of the reality competition, allowing contestants to showcase their talents. Usually occurring midway through each ''Drag Race'' season, Snatch Game is widely considered among the most important and memorable challenges of the show and, in RuPaul's words, separates "the basic bitches from the fierce-ass queens". Contestants are also often tasked with demonstrating their acting and sewing skills on the show.
In 2022, ''Screen Rant'' said, "In the first few seasons of ''Drag Race'', given the show's low budget and poor camera quality, the runway, particularly in displaying makeup and fashion looks, were not quite as prominent as it has been in more recent seasons. Instead, mini challenges at the start of the episode took up much more time and effort."
Among recurring "mini-challenges", which can give contestants an advantage in the competition,
is the "reading" challenge which tasks contestants with playfully insulting each other. The contest comes from the documentary film ''
Paris Is Burning'' (1990). Played on most seasons of ''Drag Race'', RuPaul introduces the challenge by reminding contestants that "reading is fundamental".
Another recurring mini-challenge tasks contestants with using
puppets.
Judging
RuPaul has been the series' head judge since its premiere. For the first two seasons,
Merle Ginsberg joined him on the panel; she was replaced in
season 3 by
Michelle Visage, a longtime friend of RuPaul and his co-host for ''
The RuPaul Show''.
Santino Rice served as a judge for
seasons 1 through
6.
From
season 7 onward,
Ross Mathews and
Carson Kressley
Carson Kressley (born November 11, 1969) is an American television personality, actor, and designer. Beginning in 2003, he appeared in the Bravo series '' Queer Eye for the Straight Guy''. He was also the motivational host of the TV show '' How ...
replaced Rice, alternating in his former seat.
New York City makeup artist Billy Brasfield (commonly known as Billy B) held a regular judging spot in the third and
fourth seasons when Rice was absent. Most weeks, one or two celebrity guest judges join the panel.
After appearing as a recurring guest judge in seasons 13 and 14,
Ts Madison joined as an alternating judge from the fifteenth season.
Law Roach appeared as a guest judge on season 16 then joined the judges panel as an alternating judge from the seventeenth season.
Companion series
The first season of ''Drag Race'' was accompanied by a seven-episode
web series
A web series (also known as webseries, short-form series, and web show) is a series of short scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet (i.e. World Wide Web), which first emerged in the late 1 ...
titled ''Under the Hood of RuPaul's Drag Race'', which Logo TV
streamed on its website. The series featured behind-the-scenes and deleted footage from the main show's tapes.
From
season 2 onward, a companion show called ''
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked'', which has the same premise, has aired instead. ''Untucked'' largely focuses on conversations and drama that occur between contestants backstage while the judges deliberate on each episode's results.
In most seasons, it has aired on TV following the main show, but it was available only online for
seasons 7 through
9.
A number of smaller web series also accompany each episode. ''
Whatcha Packin'
''Whatcha Packin'' is an aftershow for ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and its RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, ''All Stars'' and RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, ''Down Under'' spin-offs, hosted by Michelle Visage, who acts as a main judge for all three serie ...
'', which began at the start of the sixth season, features Michelle Visage interviewing the most recently eliminated queen about their run on the show and showcasing runway outfits they had brought but did not have the opportunity to wear.
In 2014, the web series ''
Fashion Photo RuView'' aired for the first time, co-hosted by
Raja Gemini and
Raven who evaluate the runway looks of the main show. Since season 8, a five- to fifteen-minute (later eighteen- to thirty-minute) aftershow called ''The Pit Stop'' has also been produced. It involves a host and guest, typically past competitors of ''Drag Race'', discussing the recently aired episode.
Each season's host (or hosts) are different; to date, these have included the YouTuber Kingsley, Raja Gemini,
Bob the Drag Queen,
Alaska Thunderfuck,
Trixie Mattel
Brian Michael Firkus (born August 23, 1989), better known by the stage name Trixie Mattel, is an American drag queen, television personality, makeup entrepreneur, DJ and singer-songwriter originally from Silver Cliff, Wisconsin, Silver Cliff, Ma ...
,
Manila Luzon,
Monét X Change, and
Bianca Del Rio.
Series overview
Seasons 1–8 (2009–2016): Logo TV
Season 1 premiered in the U.S. on February 2, 2009, on
Logo TV
Logo TV (often shortened to Logo, and stylized as Logo.) is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched in 2005, Logo was originally dedicated to lifestyle and entertainment progra ...
. Nine contestants competed to become "America's Next Drag Superstar". In late 2013, Logo re-aired the season as ''RuPaul's Drag Race: The Lost Season Ru-Vealed'', featuring commentary from RuPaul.
For
season 2 (2010), 12 contestants competed on the show. A new tradition of writing a farewell message in lipstick on the workstation mirror was started by the first eliminated queen,
Shangela. Each week's episode is followed by a behind-the-scenes show, ''RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked''.
Season 3 (2011) had
Michelle Visage replacing Merle Ginsberg on the judging panel as well as Billy Brasfield (commonly known as Billy B),
Mike Ruiz, and Jeffrey Moran filling in for
Santino Rice's absence during several episodes. Due to Billy B's continued appearances, he and Rice are considered to have been alternate judges for the same seat on judges panel.
Other changes included the introduction of a wildcard contestant from the past season, Shangela; an episode with no elimination; and a contestant,
Carmen Carrera, being brought back into the competition after having been eliminated a few episodes prior. A new pit crew was also introduced consisting of Jason Carter and Shawn Morales.
Season 4 began airing on January 30, 2012,
with cast members announced November 13, 2011.
Like the previous season, Rice and Billy B alternated the same seat at the judges table, with Brasfield filling in for Rice when needed.
Season 5 began airing on January 28, 2013, with a 90-minute premiere episode and fourteen contestants Rice and Visage were back as judges on the panel.
Season 6 began airing February 24, 2014. For the first time, the season premiere was split into two episodes; the 14 queens are split into two groups and the seven queens in each group compete against one another before being united as one group in the third episode. Rice and Visage returned as judges at the panel. Two new pit crew members, Miles Moody and Simon Sherry-Wood, joined Carter and Morales.
Season 7 began airing on March 2, 2015. Returning judges included RuPaul and Visage, while the Rice's space was filled by new additions
Ross Mathews and
Carson Kressley
Carson Kressley (born November 11, 1969) is an American television personality, actor, and designer. Beginning in 2003, he appeared in the Bravo series '' Queer Eye for the Straight Guy''. He was also the motivational host of the TV show '' How ...
,
who were both present for the season premiere and then took turns sharing judging responsibilities. Morales and Simon Sherry-Wood did not appear this season and were replaced by Bryce Eilenberg. The season premiere debuted with a live and same-day viewership of 348,000, a 20 percent increase from the previous season. On March 20, 2015, Logo announced it had given the series an early renewal for an eighth season.
Season 8 on began airing on March 7, 2016, with cast members announced during the
NewNowNext Honors on February 1, 2016. Visage returned as a main judge, while Kressley and Mathews returned as rotating main judges. The first episode celebrated the 100th taping of the show and the 100th drag queen to compete.
Seasons 9–14 (2017–2022): VH1
Season 9 began airing on March 24, 2017, on VH1, with cast members announced on February 2, 2017. Visage returned as a main judge, and Kressley and Mathews returned as rotating main judges. Encore presentations continued to air on Logo. This season featured the return of
Cynthia Lee Fontaine, who previously participated in the season 8. Season 9 featured a top four in the finale episode, as opposed to the top three, which was previously established in season 4.
Season 10 began airing on March 22, 2018. Visage returned as a main judge, and Kressley and Mathews returned as rotating main judges.
Eureka O'Hara, who was removed from the ninth season due to an injury, returned to the show. Season 10 premiered alongside the televised return of ''Untucked''. The tenth season featured a top four following the previous season's finale format.
Season 11 began airing February 28, 2019. This season had fifteen contestants. Visage returned as a main judge, and Kressley and Mathews returned as rotating main judges. This season saw the return of
Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, who was the first contestant eliminated in season 10. Season 11 again featured a top four in the finale. As with season 10, each week's episode was followed by an episode of the televised return of ''RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked''.
On January 22, 2019, casting for
Season 12 (2020) was announced via YouTube and Twitter and was closed on March 1, 2019. On August 19, 2019, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a twelfth season. The season began airing on February 28, 2020. This is the only season to have the reunion and finale recorded virtually from the contestants' homes due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
On December 2, 2019, casting for
Season 13 (2021) was announced via YouTube and Twitter. The casting call closed on January 24, 2020. On August 20, 2020, it was announced the thirteenth season had been ordered by VH1. It began airing on January 1, 2021.
Casting for
Season 14 began on November 23, 2020. In August 2021, it was announced the
fourteenth season had been ordered by VH1. The cast for the fourteenth season was revealed through
VH1 on December 2, 2021. The season started airing on January 7, 2022. The season welcomed
Maddy Morphosis, the show's first heterosexual, cisgender male contestant. The season notably also featured five transgender contestants:
Kerri Colby and
Kornbread "The Snack" Jeté (both of whom entered the competition openly trans),
Jasmine Kennedie
Jasmine Kennedie (born May 22, 1999) is an American Drag (clothing), drag performer most known for competing on RuPaul's Drag Race season 14, season 14 of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''.
Early life
Kennedie was raised in Binghamton, New York and Morganto ...
(who came out as a trans woman during filming of the show),
Bosco (who also came out as a trans woman as the season aired), and Willow Pill (who came out as trans femme as the season aired). The winning queen received $150,000, the highest amount awarded to date in a regular season. The runner-up received a $50,000 cash prize for the first time.
Casting for Season 15 began on November 4, 2021, and closed on January 7, 2022.
Seasons 15–17 (2023–present): MTV
Season 15 premiered on January 6, 2023, on MTV. This season features the largest cast in the show's history, with sixteen queens competing, and the largest cash prize, with the winner earning $200,000. It is also the first season to feature biological relatives, twins Sugar and Spice.
Season 16 premiered on January 5, 2024, on MTV. This season introduced a LaLaPaRuZa Lip-Sync Smackdown competition for the eliminated queens that took place before the finale.
Morphine Love Dion, who placed fifth in the main competition, won the smackdown and the title of ''Queen of She Done Already Done Had Herses'' alongside a $50,000 prize. Also for the first time, the finalists who did not win received a cash tip of $25,000 each.
Season 17 premiered on January 3, 2025. The season was won by
Onya Nurve on 19th April 2025. She won a $250,000 grand prize.
Suzie Toot won the Lip Sync LaLaPaRuza and earned the title of ‘Queen of She Done Already Done Had Herses’ and a prize of $50,000.
Prizes
The winner of each season is crowned with the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar". The winner also receives a cash prize of $20,000 in season 1, $25,000 in season 2, $75,000 in season 3, $100,000 in seasons 4–13, $150,000 in season 14, and $200,000 in seasons 15–17. Cosmetics sponsors provide a make-up prize: a lifetime supply of
MAC Cosmetics
M A C Cosmetics is a Canadian cosmetics manufacturer founded in Toronto in 1984 by Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo. The company has been headquartered in New York City since becoming a subsidiary of Estée Lauder Companies in 1998. MAC is an acron ...
in season 1, a lifetime supply of
NYX Cosmetics in seasons 2 and 4, a lifetime supply from
Kryolan in season 3, a collection from ColorEvolution in seasons 5–6, and a one-year supply from
Anastasia Beverly Hills since season 7.
Additional prizes included headlining the Drag Race tour featuring
Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, in southern Sweden. Absolut is a part of the French group Pernod Ricard. Pernod Ricard bought Absolut for €5.63 billion in 2008 (equivalent to € in ) from the Swedish state. Absolut ...
in seasons 1–5, appearance in an L.A. Eyeworks campaign in seasons 1 and 2, an exclusive one-year public relations contract with
LGBTQ
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
firm Project Publicity in season 2, a trip courtesy of AlandChuck.travel in seasons 4 and 5
Contestants
More than 200 contestants have competed on the American version of the show.
Production
Conception and development
''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...
'' said in 2017, "The road to ''Drag Race'' was paved 32 years ago at a music seminar in Manhattan, when 24-year-old RuPaul met Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, the founders of
World of Wonder Productions, who would become his managers and best friends... Barbato started conversations with RuPaul about a reality show in 2004, around the time he and his frequent collaborator,
Michelle Visage, began co-hosting a morning radio show in New York... When Tom Campbell, a development executive who had worked at MTV, Warner Bros. Television, New Line Television, and ABC, joined World of Wonder two years later as head of development, he broached the subject with the drag star again."
According to ''Vulture'', Campbell (who became World of Wonder's
chief creative officer), "came up with the show's format and its titular pun, while the producers and RuPaul came up with challenges, based on obstacles the drag star faced early in his career".
''Drag Race'' borrowed from other
reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
show formats, including those of ''
America's Next Top Model
''America's Next Top Model'' (abbreviated ''ANTM'' and ''Top Model'') is an American reality television series and interactive competition in which a number of aspiring models compete for the title of "America's Next Top Model" and a chance to b ...
'', ''
Project Runway'', and the World of Wonder series ''¡Viva Hollywood!''
According to the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...
, "The show's format draws inspiration from 1980s Harlem drag balls and the performances of subversive drag collectives of the 1960s. In Ru's TV version, queens duke it out each week in various acting, fashion and improvisation challenges, and strut their themed looks down the runway before a lip sync showdown to decide who should 'shantay' or 'sashay away'."
Executive production and directing
The show has had several
executive producers, including Bailey, Barbato, Tom Campbell, Steven Corfe, Tim Palazzola, Jen Passovoy, John Polly, Pamela Post, RuPaul, Mandy Salangsang (also co-
showrunner
A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series. The position outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over th ...
), and Michael Seligman have also been producers.
Jacqueline Wilson was also a producer, prior to her death.
Nick Murray is a director; his work on the series has earned him seven consecutive nominations for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program, winning twice; in
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
and
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
, for the episodes "
10s Across the Board" from the
tenth season and "
Gettin' Lucky" from the
thirteenth season, respectively.
Casting
Thousands of applications to compete on the series are submitted each season. In most cases, hopeful candidates submit audition tapes, though there have been exceptions.
Penny Tration, who competed on the
fifth season (2013), was cast after being selected "Fan Pick" on
social media
Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...
.
Hormona Lisa, who was cast for the
seventeenth season (2025), notably gave her audition tape to RuPaul in front of a live audience at a book tour stop. ''Screen Rant'' said, "Unfortunately, many drag performers make the mistake of sending audition tapes showing only what they think ''Drag Race'' producers are looking for."
RuPaul has said of the audition process, "Everyone does the exact same thing. They behave in a way that they think I want them to behave. But the people who stick out are the ones who are authentic and are really just being themselves."
According to ''Screen Rant'', "Casting decisions are not only hidden from the public. When the contestants arrive, producers separate them until filming begins. Even in the comfort of their own hotel room they have to be careful not to catch a glimpse of their fellow competitors. It is not until they step into the werk room that they discover who they will be competing against. Their surprised reactions to their cast mates are therefore some of the realest moments on ''RuPaul's Drag Race''."
Casting is directed by Casting Firm, which was founded by Goloka Bolte and Ethan Peterson.
Filming

Contestants are secluded and stay in a hotel during production.
According to ''Screen Rant'', "The show tries to keep each season's cast strictly confidential. Contestants cannot tell anyone that they will be participating, and they must make up lies to their loved ones about their whereabouts."
Contestants are asked to bring dozens of outfits and cannot use phones, radios, tablets, or televisions while filming.
An exception is the ability to use an
iPod
The iPod is a series of portable media players and multi-purpose mobile devices that were designed and marketed by Apple Inc. from 2001 to 2022. The iPod Classic#1st generation, first version was released on November 10, 2001, about mon ...
with songs planned to be used for
lip-sync contests.
Willam was disqualified for violating production rules while taping the
fourth season.
When filming
fashion shows, contestants have two chances to walk the runway on the main stage.
Since
Mimi Imfurst picked up
India Ferrah during a lip-sync on the third season (2011), RuPaul has declared that "drag is not a contact sport", meaning contestants should not be physically aggressive towards each other. Since news leaked about
Raja
Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
T ...
's win ahead of the third season's finale,
multiple endings are filmed for each season.
Contestants learn who won the season when the finale airs.
The show's
first season (2009), sometimes called "The Lost Season",
is said to have a "
Vaseline
Vaseline ()Also pronounced with the main stress on the last syllable . is an American brand of petroleum jelly-based products owned by British multinational company Unilever. Products include plain petroleum jelly and a selection of skin creams, ...
filter" because "it was virtually impossible to make out the queens through its cloudy haze", according to ''Screen Rant''. The website has said, "The season 1 filter is probably the first thing that comes to mind when fans think back to the very first season of ''Drag Race.'' The competition show has since found its aesthetic in crisp and clear high-definition quality imaging and vibrant colors, but the original filter used for the series' opening season was a far cry from what viewers are used to now."
During filming of the third season, there was a weeks-long production pause after a confrontation between contestants Mimi Imfurst and
Shangela.
The
thirteenth season (2021) was
delayed and filmed during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. ''Drag Race'' "made history as one of the first shows to go into production during this period".
According to ''
Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers.
...
'', the production team "quite literally pioneered safe sets for COVID" and "managed to film an entire television season under the new protocols and kept everyone safe...What's more, they managed to do so while having a ton of fun. Season 13 is kinetic, drama-filled, and a blast for any fan of the show."
Special guests like
Anne Hathaway
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. List of awards and nominations received by Anne Hathaway, Her accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime ...
and
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Ingrid Johansson (; born November 22, 1984) is an American actress and singer. The List of highest-paid film actors, world's highest-paid actress in 2018 and 2019, she has been featured multiple times on the Forbes Celebrity 100, ''F ...
appeared on the show remotely. The special ''Corona Can't Keep a Good Queen Down'' showed the challenges faced by contestants and the production team while filming during the pandemic.
The
Pit Crew is a group of male
models
A model is an informative representation of an object, person, or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin , .
Models can be divided int ...
who assist with challenges and other segments on the show. Members wear "modesty cups" in their underwear to hide the silhouettes of genitalia. Notable members have included
Laith Ashley
Laith Ashley De La Cruz (born July 6, 1989) is an American Model (person), model, actor, activism, activist, singer-songwriter and entertainer of Dominican descent.
Early life
Laith grew up in a Dominican Americans, Dominican American household i ...
,
Shawn Morales, and
Simon Sherry-Wood.
Locations and set
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is mostly filmed at the
Sunset Las Palmas Studios in
Hollywood, Los Angeles
Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...
. Some episodes, particularly season finales, have been filmed off-site. The
finale of seasons 7 and 11 were filmed at Los Angeles's
Orpheum Theatre.
The finale of the
tenth season (2018) was filmed at
The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. The finale of the
twelfth season (2020) was
filmed virtually because of the pandemic. The finale of seasons 13 and 15 were filmed at the Ace Hotel and the
finale of the
fourteenth season (2022) was filmed at the
Flamingo Las Vegas, which hosts the residency ''
RuPaul's Drag Race Live!'' There have also been instances in which challenges have been filmed outside the studio. On the
second season (2010), contestants went to Hollywood to perform
burlesque
A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. for a crowd. On the fourth season, contestants went to Hollywood to collect materials from
waste containers. ''Screen Rant'' said these off-site challenges "forced the contestants operate in a public environment, which challenged them in unique ways that are lacking from the show nowadays".
The workroom used by contestants is referred to as the "Werk Room". Lip-syncs are performed on a main stage,
which has also been upgraded over time.
There is also a separate room with a
green screen, which is used by individual contestants during confessionals. The set has non-functioning clocks, but contestants are given time checks from production staff.
The set also has an Untucked Lounge for tapings of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked''. Previously, the set had an
Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka is a brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, in southern Sweden. Absolut is a part of the French group Pernod Ricard. Pernod Ricard bought Absolut for €5.63 billion in 2008 (equivalent to € in ) from the Swedish state. Absolut ...
-sponsored Interior Illusions Lounge.
= Werk Room
=
According to ''Screen Rant'', "The Werk Room is where queens, often nervously, prepare for their maxi challenges and converse with their fellow queens. It is also where surviving queens return after the maxi challenge on the runway, where there is typically a winning queen and an eliminated queen."
The website said in 2021, "At first, the Werk Room was more of a workroom, a drab, mostly gray space that didn't stand out. For a while during the middle chunk of seasons, the Werk Room was covered in brick wallpaper and had pops of pink throughout. These days, the Werk Room is full of much more glitz and glamour. The colors are brighter and bolder, and the room is more pink than ever before."
The room has mirrors allowing contestants to prepare for main challenges and get into drag. Behind the mirrors is a hallway used by production staff, in order to capture more angles of the contestants.
The Werk Room was upgraded ahead of the tenth season. It has been recreated at
RuPaul's DragCon LA
RuPaul's DragCon LA is an annual Trade fair, expo of Drag (clothing), drag culture held in Los Angeles billed as a "convention that celebrates 'the art of drag, queer culture and self-expression for all'", which debuted in 2015. Its sister even ...
.
= Untucked Lounge
=
The Untucked Lounge has props from the show's past, including a
Lil' Poundcake doll created by
Alaska Thunderfuck and
Lineysha Sparx, the Ornacia head worn by
Vivacious, and a large "shade" button. Two large cockroaches appear on the lounge's walls, a nod to a pink dress worn by Alaska on the
second season of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' is an American reality competition spin off edition of the original ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', which is produced by World of Wonder, for Logo TV and later VH1. The show premiered on October 22, 2012, on Logo TV, ...
'' which also inspired an outfit worn by
Silky Nutmeg Ganache at finale event for the eleventh season.
The lounge also has couches and a
mannequin
A mannequin (sometimes spelled as manikin and also called a dummy, lay figure, or dress form) is a doll, often articulated, used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, window dressers and others, especially to display or fit clothing and show off dif ...
wearing a
T-shirt with the words "charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent", which is a phrase used by RuPaul on the show. The lounge also has a large trophy at one of the cosmetics stations as a reference to a trophy presented to
Anetra during a mini-challenge on the fifteenth season and a stack of RuPaul's hip pad boxes.
Choreography

''Screen Rant'' said in 2020, "Whether it is a on lip sync, a Rusical, or a straight-up choreography challenge, contestants are always asked to put their rhythm to test on the show. Thankfully, ''Drag Race'' has prominently featured various drag performers who also happen to be fantastic dancers."
Notable
choreographers have included
Candis Cayne and
Jamal Sims. Miguel Zarate has also been a choreographer on the show.
According to ''
Deadline Hollywood
''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
'', "For the dance numbers, Zarate is given a script before each Queen has a role, so he has to create a base for the choreography before they step on stage. As they start to learn the basic movements, Zarate can then tailor the individual performance a bit to make each Queen stand out."
Cosmetics and hair styling
Australian artist
Mathu Andersen was RuPaul's
make-up artist
A make-up artist, also called a makeup artist, and often shortened to MUA, is an artist whose medium is the human body, applying makeup and Prosthetic makeup, prosthetics on others for theatre, television, film, fashion, magazines and other simil ...
until the ninth season.
He was nominated for an Emmy Award in the same category for his work on the seventh season episode "
ShakesQueer." Former contestant
Raven became RuPaul's
make-up artist
A make-up artist, also called a makeup artist, and often shortened to MUA, is an artist whose medium is the human body, applying makeup and Prosthetic makeup, prosthetics on others for theatre, television, film, fashion, magazines and other simil ...
in the ninth season.
Former contestant
Delta Work styled RuPaul's wigs for seasons nine, ten, and eleven.
Costuming and fashion
Fashion-related expectations by judges and viewers have increased over time; according to
''Paper'' magazine, "The shift occurred around season seven, when ''Drag Race'' viewership surged and social media took hold: prior to then, appearing on ''Drag Race'' did not have the career jolt that it packs today." ''Screen Rant'' said in 2022, "Fashion is one of the key pillars when it comes to winning ''RuPaul's Drag Race.'' Through the years, the show has had queens who not only know how to turn a look but eat, sleep and breathe fashion." ''
Vogue'' said in 2023, "Over the years, the various runway challenges have made the competing queens have to exercise creativity and style in the most ''unlikely'' of scenarios." RuPaul's outfits are often inspired by the episode's main challenge or popular culture.
American fashion designer
Zaldy works with RuPaul on the show. According to ''
Variety'', Zaldy's "trust with RuPaul runs so deep, they don't even discuss finale looks prior to fittings". The two have worked together for decades. Zaldy is responsible for creating approximately 80 looks for RuPaul annually.
Music

In 2018, ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' said the show has "spent plenty of time ... highlighting musical talent, be it from the queens, the panel of celebrity guest judges or RuPaul himself. Especially in its most recent seasons, the show has made constant references to world-famous musicians, while also affording the queens on the show their own opportunities to let their music shine." Original songs have been created for Rusicals, finale episodes, and other formats on the show.
RuPaul's music is featured prominently in the series. According to ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', "RuPaul saw a way around mainstream radio by integrating his music catalogue – and his own personal history – into the show. RuPaul's original music and longevity in the public eye is a cornerstone of ''Drag Race''. If you watch regularly, you hear RuPaul's songs, challenge by challenge, for the duration of the season. In a savvy twist on the sneak preview concept, a special album was made available on iTunes of the sixth season contestants covering RuPaul's songs." Contestants also regularly record original verses and perform to
remixes of RuPaul songs.
Leland has written some of the show's Rusicals and has been described as the "resident composer" and songwriter.
Freddy Scott has also been one of the songwriters. Previously,
Lucian Piane was a composer for the show.
Todrick Hall,
MNEK, and AB Soto have made musical contributions.
Lip-sync contests
The music magazine ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
'' has said, "One aspect at stake is the show's iconic lip sync battles, which decide who goes home and in the process have helped to establish a queer musical canon."
Contestants are given an iPod at the start of filming with songs slated to be used for lip-sync contests.
RuPaul is involved in selecting which songs are used for lip-syncs. According to ''Screen Rant'':
Songs used for lip-syncs see increased traffic on
music streaming services
A music streaming service is a type of online streaming media service that focuses primarily on music, and sometimes other forms of digital audio content such as podcasts. These services are usually subscription-based services allowing users to s ...
as episodes air.
Sound
''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' described the show's
sound effects
A sound effect (or audio effect) is an artificially created or enhanced sound, or sound process used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media.
In m ...
as "legendarily shady".
Reception
Critical response
''
Thrillist
''Thrillist'' is an online media website covering travel. ''Thrillist'' was founded in 2004 by Ben Lerer and Adam Rich. In October 2016, Thrillist merged with internet brands ''The Dodo'', NowThis News, and Seeker to form the digital media ...
'' called ''Drag Race'' "the closest gay culture gets to a sports league".
In 2019, ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' ranked it 93rd on its list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century.
Shannon Keating for
BuzzFeed News
''BuzzFeed News'' was an American news website published by BuzzFeed beginning in 2011. It ceased posting new hard news content in May 2023. It published a number of high-profile scoops, including the Steele dossier, for which it was strong ...
wrote about the show's "subversive, irreverent beginnings" briefly turning "comfortably mainstream... humdrum and derivative" prior to season 13's release. She recalls that a flurry of political disputes, as well as "overexposure", threatened to ruin ''Drag Race''
's legacy before the refreshed 2021 season.
Coleman Splide for
The Daily Beast
''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc.
It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
wrote in 2021 that "RuPaul has continually allowed the legacy of his subversive landmark reality show to be slowly chipped away at". Though Splide states that the show is "a critical part of bringing empowering inclusivity to the forefront of mainstream culture", he maintains that it also invites indignation from an ever-expanding and oftentimes toxic fanbase, as well as contributing to the increasingly capitalised nature of pride celebrations around the globe.
Accolades
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' has been nominated for thirty-nine
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
s, and won twenty-four. It has also been nominated for nine Reality Television Awards, winning three, and nominated for six
NewNowNext Awards, winning three.
Series host RuPaul has won multiple Primetime Emmy Awards for
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program, including in
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
,
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
,
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
,
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
,
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
,
2021
Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
,
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
, and
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
; RuPaul was nominated in the same category in
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
. His eight consecutive wins in the category make him the host with the most wins since the inception of the award in 2008, as well as the first and only African-American host to receive the award to date.
Numerous members of the production crew have won or been nominated for
Creative Arts Emmy Awards
The Creative Arts Emmys are a class of Emmy Awards presented in recognition of technical and other similar achievements in American television programming. They are commonly awarded to behind-the-scenes personnel such as production designers, ...
and other awards.
Controversy
In March 2014, ''Drag Race'' sparked controversy over the use of the term "
shemale" (a play on "
Tyra-Mail" on ''America's Next Top Model'') in the season 6 mini challenge
"Female or She-male?".
Logo
A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name that it represents, as in ...
has since removed the segment from all platforms and addressed the allegations of transphobia by removing the "You've got she-mail" intro from new episodes of the series.
RuPaul did not prefer to discontinue use of the catch phrase. This was replaced with "She done already done had herses!" RuPaul also came under fire for comments made in an interview with ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', in which he stated he would "probably not" allow a transgender contestant to compete. He compared transgender drag performers to doping athletes on his Twitter, and has since apologized.
Sasha Velour (season 9) disagreed, tweeting "My drag was born in a community full of trans women, trans men, and gender non-conforming folks doing drag. That's the real world of drag, like it or not. I thinks it's fabulous and I will fight my entire life to protect and uplift it".
Relationship with the transgender community
For the first twelve seasons, RuPaul would say, "Gentlemen, start your engines, and may the best woman win," before the contestants' runway looks for the episode were shown. In the thirteenth season, it was changed to: "Racers, start your engines, and may the best drag queen win." In
season 6 of ''All Stars'', an altered version of the show's opening theme was introduced with the new tag line.
Performers of any sexual orientation and gender identity are eligible to audition, although most contestants to date have been gay,
cisgender
The word ''cisgender'' (often shortened to ''cis''; sometimes ''cissexual'') describes a person whose gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth, i.e., someone who is not ''transgender''. The prefix '' cis-'' is Latin and ...
men.
Transgender
A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth.
The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...
competitors have become more common as seasons have progressed;
Sonique, a season 2 contestant, became the first openly trans contestant when she came out as a woman during the reunion special. Sonique later won ''
All Stars 6'', becoming the first trans woman to win an English-language version of the show and the second overall.
Monica Beverly Hillz (season 5) became the first contestant to come out as a trans woman during the competition.
Peppermint (season 9) is the first contestant who was out as a trans woman prior to the airing of her season. Other trans contestants came out as women after their elimination, including
Carmen Carrera,
Kenya Michaels,
Stacy Layne Matthews,
Jiggly Caliente,
Gia Gunn,
Laganja Estranja,
Gigi Goode, and
Adore Delano. Additionally,
Gottmik (season 13) was the first
AFAB and openly transgender male contestant in the franchise's history. Various contestants have come out as
non-binary
Non-binary or genderqueer Gender identity, gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gende ...
as well, such as
Jinkx Monsoon.
Season 14 is the first regular season to feature five transgender women in the cast—
Kerri Colby,
Kornbread "The Snack" Jeté,
Bosco,
Jasmine Kennedie
Jasmine Kennedie (born May 22, 1999) is an American Drag (clothing), drag performer most known for competing on RuPaul's Drag Race season 14, season 14 of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''.
Early life
Kennedie was raised in Binghamton, New York and Morganto ...
, and
Willow Pill. While Kerri Colby and Kornbread entered the show openly trans, Bosco and Willow came out after the show's taping, and Jasmine Kennedie came out in episode 7 of ''Untucked''.
Broadcast and streaming
* Australia: In Australia, lifestyle channel
LifeStyle YOU regularly showed and re-screened seasons 1–7, including ''Untucked''. In addition, free-to-air channel
SBS2 began screening the first season on August 31, 2013. On March 13, 2017, it was announced that on-demand service
Stan would fast-track season 9 (including ''Untucked''). As of 2020, Stan streams all seasons since season 1, as well as ''Untucked'', ''All Stars'', ''All Stars Untucked'', ''Canada's Drag Race'', ''Secret Celebrity'', ''Drag Race UK'' and season 2 of ''Drag Race Thailand''.
* Canada: The series airs on
OutTV in Canada at the same time as the US airing. Unlike Logo, OutTV continues to broadcast ''Untucked'' immediately after each ''Drag Race'' episode.
["New owners, CEO for Canadian LGBT net"](_blank)
. ''TBI Vision'', January 12, 2017. Beginning with season 12, OutTV has shared its first-run rights to the main series (but not ''Untucked'') with the more widely subscribed
Crave streaming service, with episodes available on Crave shortly after they premiere on OutTV, in connection with Crave and OutTV's co-production of ''
Canada's Drag Race''.
Past seasons are also available on Netflix in Canada, with each season released there shortly before the next season begins.
* Ireland: In Ireland, seasons 2-8 of the program were available on Netflix; as of the release of season 10, only seasons 8-9 are available. Netflix has started airing season 10 episodes one day after they air in the US. All seasons of the show have been made available on Netflix since October 2018.
* Indonesia: In Indonesia, seasons 1-13 of the program were available on Netflix, alongside the Christmas spectacular. As of the release of ''All Stars'', only seasons 4-5 are available. Netflix also aired ''Untucked'' season 10 episodes one day after they aired in the US.
* UK:
E4 aired season 1 in 2009, followed by season 2 in 2010. Since its success on Netflix in the UK,
TruTV
TruTV (stylized as truTV) is an American basic cable Television channel, channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel primarily broadcasts reruns of Television comedy, comedy, Reality television, docusoaps and reality shows, with a rec ...
acquired the broadcast rights for all eight seasons of the show including ''Untucked'' episodes. In June 2015, TruTV started airing two episodes of the show a week, starting with season 4, followed by ''All Stars'', then season 5. As of May 2018, the series airs on VH1 UK Monday–Thursday at 11 p.m., beginning with ''All Stars'' season 3.
*Israel:
Yes has broadcast all seasons and ''Untucked'' episodes. Seasons 1–12, ''All Stars'' seasons 4–5 and ''Untucked'' seasons 11–12 are also available on
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
.
Full seasons of shows in the ''Drag Race'' franchise are available to stream on
WOW Presents Plus in over 200 territories.
The show is also currently available on the following streaming platforms:
*United States —
Hulu
Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
(seasons 2–9; ''All Stars'' 1–4);
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ (formerly known as CBS All Access in the United States and 10 All Access in Australia) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily ...
(seasons 1–14, ''All Stars'' 1–8, ''Untucked'' seasons 9–13, ''All Stars Untucked'' seasons 2–5),
WOW Presents Plus (''Untucked'' seasons 7–9, Thailand season 2, and all other international series)
*Canada —
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
(seasons 1–12, ''All Stars'' 4, ''Untucked'' seasons 11 and 12),
Crave (all seasons, ''All Stars'' 1–6, UK series 1–3, Canada season 1 and 2, Down Under season 1), WOW Presents Plus (seasons 1–10, ''Untucked'' seasons 1–10, ''All Stars'' 1–4)
*UK & Ireland — Netflix (seasons 11–13, ''Untucked'' seasons 11–13, ''All Stars'' 4–6, Celebrity season 1),
BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer (stylised as iPLAYER or BBC iPLAYER) is a video on demand service from the BBC. The service is available Over-the-top media service, over-the-top on a wide range of devices, including Mobile phone, mobile phones and Tablet computer ...
(UK series 1, 2 and 3, Canada season 1 and 2, Down Under season 1), WOW Presents Plus (seasons 1–10, ''Untucked'' seasons 1–10, all episodes of ''All Stars'' and Holland)
*Australia —
Stan (all seasons of original, ''All Stars'', ''Untucked'', UK, Canada, Down Under and Thailand season 2),
WOW Presents Plus (UK series 1, Canada season 1)
Spin-offs
Specials
*''RuPaul's Drag Race: Green Screen Christmas'' (2015): On December 13, 2015, Logo aired a seasonal themed episode. The non-competitive special was released in conjunction with RuPaul's holiday album ''
Slay Belles'' and featured music videos for songs from the album. The cast included RuPaul, Michelle Visage,
Siedah Garrett, and
Todrick Hall, and former contestants
Alyssa Edwards,
Laganja Estranja,
Latrice Royale,
Raja
Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
T ...
, and
Shangela.
*''
RuPaul's Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular'' (2018): On November 1, 2018, VH1 announced a seasonal themed special episode scheduled to air on December 7, 2018. Eight former contestants competed for the title of "America's first Drag Race Christmas Queen". Competitors included
Eureka O'Hara,
Jasmine Masters,
Kim Chi,
Latrice Royale,
Mayhem Miller,
Shangela,
Sonique, and
Trixie Mattel
Brian Michael Firkus (born August 23, 1989), better known by the stage name Trixie Mattel, is an American drag queen, television personality, makeup entrepreneur, DJ and singer-songwriter originally from Silver Cliff, Wisconsin, Silver Cliff, Ma ...
.
*''RuPaul's Drag Race: Corona Can't Keep a Good Queen Down'' (2021): On February 26, 2021, the one hour special aired on VH1 in between episodes 8 and 9 of
Season 13 and detailed the contestants' journeys with filming the season amid the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
Television series
* ''
RuPaul's Drag U'' (2010–2012): In each episode, three women are paired with former ''Drag Race'' contestants ("Drag Professors"), who give them
drag makeovers and help them to access their "inner divas".
*''
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' is an American reality competition spin off edition of the original ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', which is produced by World of Wonder, for Logo TV and later VH1. The show premiered on October 22, 2012, on Logo TV, ...
'' (2012–present): Past contestants return and compete for a spot in the ''Drag Race'' Hall of Fame. The show's format is similar to that of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', with challenges and a panel of judges.
* ''
Dancing Queen'' (2018): In April 2013, RuPaul confirmed that he planned to
executive-produce a spin-off of ''Drag Race'' that stars season 5 and ''All Stars'' season 2 contestant
Alyssa Edwards, who shared its original title is ''Beyond Belief'' and that his dance company in
Mesquite, Texas
Mesquite is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Dallas County, Texas, Dallas County with portions extending into Kaufman County, Texas, Kaufman County. The population was 150,108 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and maki ...
is the setting. The series aired on Netflix on October 5, 2018.
* ''
RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race'' (2020–present): On April 10, 2020, VH1 announced a celebrity edition of ''Drag Race'' scheduled to air for four weeks beginning on April 24, 2020. The series featured a trio of celebrities receiving makeovers from former contestants. After receiving help from "Queen Supremes"
Alyssa Edwards,
Asia O'Hara
Antwan Mason Lee (born July 7, 1982), better known by the stage name Asia O'Hara, is an American drag queen, reality television personality, and costume designer. She is most well known for competing on the tenth season of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' ...
,
Bob the Drag Queen,
Kim Chi,
Monét X Change,
Monique Heart,
Nina West,
Trinity the Tuck,
Trixie Mattel
Brian Michael Firkus (born August 23, 1989), better known by the stage name Trixie Mattel, is an American drag queen, television personality, makeup entrepreneur, DJ and singer-songwriter originally from Silver Cliff, Wisconsin, Silver Cliff, Ma ...
and
Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, the celebrities competed in fan-favorite challenges and on the runway to be named "America's Next Celebrity Drag Race Superstar" and prize money for choice charities.
* ''
RuPaul's Drag Race: Vegas Revue'' (2020): On July 22, 2020, it was announced that a docu-series would premiere on August 21, 2020.
International adaptations
''Drag Race'' has been franchised into numerous international adaptations including
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
and
Australian and New Zealand versions hosted by RuPaul,
Chilean,
Thai,
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
,
Dutch,
Spanish,
Italian,
French,
Filipino,
Belgian,
Swedish,
Mexican,
Brazilian,
German, and
South African editions, international ''vs. the World'' competitions hosted in
The United Kingdom and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, ''All Stars'' in
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, and ''Slaysian Royale'' in the Philippines.
Other media
*Feature film: In August 2015, RuPaul revealed that a movie featuring all of the contestants was in the works. "We've got a director for it, we've got a light script, but it just needs a little more retooling and scheduling."
*''RuPaul's Drag Race Superstar'' is a mobile app by
World of Wonder and Leaf Mobile's subsidiary East Side Games, which was released on October 25, 2021.
Home media
DVD releases of the seasons include bonus scenes and other special features
Discography
See also
*
List of reality television programs with LGBT cast members
*
List of Rusicals
*
LGBT culture in New York City
*
''Paris Is Burning'' (film)
References
External links
*
*
*
*Edgar, E. (2011). "Xtravaganza!": Drag Representation and Articulation in "RuPaul's Drag Race". Studies in Popular Culture,34(1), 133–146. Retrieved fro
"Xtravaganza!": Drag Representation and Articulation in "RuPaul's Drag Race"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rupaul's Drag Race
2000s American LGBTQ-related reality television series
2009 American television series debuts
2010s American LGBTQ-related reality television series
2020s American LGBTQ-related reality television series
American English-language television shows
GLAAD Media Award–winning shows
Logo TV original programming
MTV original programming
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program winners
Primetime Emmy Award–winning television series
Television series by World of Wonder (company)
Transgender-related television shows
VH1 original programming