Everyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race and the art of drag in general. At the time of writing this, there are thirteen seasons of Drag Race, six seasons of the spin-off show All Stars, and several international versions of the original show. I don’t consider myself an expert on drag; just someone who truly loves and appreciates the work that these artists put out into the world. Thirteen seasons over twelve years is a lot of content and it can be difficult to pick one favourite winner, so I’ve picked five of my personal standouts. Also, it goes without saying that there will be spoilers below, so if you haven’t seen the show and hope to watch it in the future, proceed with caution.
Jinkx Monsoon (Season 5): Our season five winner became an instant fan favourite with their bubbly and campy style of drag. Taking the crown at 26 years old, our Portlandian queen is particularly known for their hilarious comedy, sweet demeanour, and signature red hair. Their calming mantra “water off a duck’s back” is a lovely reminder to not dwell on negativity and focus on positive growth. They continue to perform in grand shows that tour the country, their latest act being The Jinkx and Dela Holiday Show with drag sister BenDeLacreme.
Bob the Drag Queen (Season 8): Hilarious. Radiant. Brilliant. Did I mention hilarious? These are all words that describe our season eight winner, 30-year-old Bob the Drag Queen. Born and raised in Georgia, he worked predominantly in New York City before recently moving to L.A. His latest accomplishments include starring in the HBO show We’re Here alongside drag royalty Shangela and Eureka O’Hara, co-hosting the podcast Sibling Rivalry with drag sister Monet x Change, and creating his comedy special Suspiciously Large Woman.
Sasha Velour (Season 9): The avant-garde style icon was declared our season nine winner with her charming smile and calm confidence. 30 years old and from Brooklyn, she became known for repping a bald head in drag, a tribute to her mother who has cancer. She is genderfluid and mainly goes by she/her or they/them pronouns, often using drag as a means to express her gender. Sasha continues to bless the world with her drag by touring her show Smoke & Mirrors and her production Nightgowns: The Musical.
Aquaria (Season 10): At only 21 years old, New York City native Aquaria won the 10th season of Drag Race. With the beauty of a model and the talent of a designer, she has everything she needs to rule the runway. However, her skills don’t end here as she can also act, dance, and make audiences laugh, as proven by her hilarious performance as Melania Trump in Snatch Game. Nowadays she is busy walking runways, DJing festivals, and as always, looking gorgeous on Instagram.
Jaida Essence Hall (Season 12): As she declared when she first walked in the werkroom, the 34-year-old Milwaukeean queen truly IS the essence of beauty. Absolutely gorgeous with the talent to back it up, Jaida is a remarkable queen. She was actually added to the season 12 cast at the last minute, giving her less time to prepare, though you’d never be able to tell with the stunning looks she brought (that she mainly created herself). The majority of her reign was during quarantine, so this unfortunately limited her work, but she continues to entertain the world in the best way she can.
*Many of these performers interchangeably use he/him and she/her pronouns, though some have publicly identified as non-binary and go by they/them pronouns. I will always try to refer to an individual by their desired pronouns.*