MY TOP TEN RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE WINNERS

In preparation for this week’s season 15 finale I’ve decided to rank my favorite past RuPaul’s Drag Race winners. I’m including winners of the US regular and all-stars seasons. I haven’t watched enough of the international franchises to make informed opinions. I’d love to see your rankings in the comments!

10 – JAIDA ESSENCE HALL

Look over there! Jaida’s winning season, season 12, was all jacked up by Covid and by the tomfoolery of Sherry Pie. She has the distinction of being the only winner to be crowned in her living room via Zoom and I think time and distance will add intrigue to this singular moment in time. Lucky for us, she was included in the All Stars All Winners season last year and we were treated to more of her magnanimous, loving personality. She’s a sweetheart diva, a talented seamstress with natural comedic charm and one of my favorites of the franchise.

9 – YVIE ODDLY

The self proclaimed Queen of the Queerdos, Yvie wears her strangeness as a badge of honor. She’s infinitely creative always approaching runway prompts in surprising and unexpected ways. She’s also one of the most intelligent queens to appear on the series and her smarts were her biggest strength in winning season 11. She’s my fave of the art school weirdos and it will be interesting to see where her career takes her.

8 – TRIXIE MATTEL

Trixie is terrible at drag race and she’ll be the first to tell you. Her win on All Stars 3 remains one of the most contentious and controversial of the franchise. However she’s proven to be a remarkable businesswoman outside of the show with a wildly successful makeup line, a healthy music career, an ultra self-branded hotel, a TV series documenting the renovations of that hotel, multiple webseries including the insanely popular Unhhh with my all time fave RuGurl, Katya as well as a sold out world tour again with Ms. Zamolodchikova. Whew! She busy. Obviously she has one of the most accomplished and prosperous post drag race careers and she shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

7 – BOB THE DRAG QUEEN

Bob is one funny bitch. She has also had a crazy impressive career following her domination of season 8. Her most recent gig is opening for Madonna on her worldwide Celebration Tour. Doesn’t get much bigger than Madonna. She’s also the cohost of one of the most popular queer podcasts, Sibling Rivalry, with Monet X Change who also makes my list. Her show We’re Here with fellow RuGurls Shangela and Eureka O’Hara has received multiple awards and nominations including winning two Emmy Awards in 2022. Add to all of that a recording career, a cosmetics company and a couple of stand up specials and Bob has shown us all the full range of possibilities for a Drag Race winner.

6 – MONET X CHANGE

She’s talented and stylish but it’s Monet’s authenticity that makes her so irresistible. She’s appeared in three seasons, the most on this list, and with each turn she’s endeared us more and more with her charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. Her joy in ruthlessly playing the game, shadily making alliances and getting in the head of other queens make her a fun contestant to root for, particularly because her charming methods are never from a place of malice. She’s a queen that I feel like I could get comfy and kiki with. I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that and her ability to cultivate that feeling in the audience is her biggest strength.

5 – RAJA GEMINI

All hail the Queen of She Done Already Done Had Herses! Season 3 winner Raja is probably the least relatable queen on the list but I think she’s okay with that. Aloof and untouchable is kind of her brand. But she makes the list for her drag more so than her personality. Raja is GLAMOUR hunny. Huh-nny! She turns drag into fashion and fashion into drag. She’s always serving significant references, impeccable detail and full blown glamazonian beauty. She puts her beyond reproach taste to good use as the longtime host of Fashion Photo Ruview with bestie and Drag Race legend Raven, booting and tooting their way through season after season of runway looks.

4 – SYMONE

Before drag race, I thought lip syncing was a joke. After becoming a fan I realized it’s a skill. After watching Symone do it on season 13, I’m convinced it’s an art. Her ability to embody and emote a song through a lip sync is otherworldly. She’s also a beast on the runway, stomping and strutting in fashions that often double as a form of advocacy and activism. Her looks are always thoughtful to the last detail and set off beautifully by her luminous, supple, slippery skin. With her commanding, captivating presence I have to admit that Symone is the only queen that’s ever given me a funny feeling in my nether regions.

3 – BIANCA DEL RIO

Many people place Bianca number one on lists like this and I can’t say I blame them. She’s a formidable competitor, so self aware and self actualized that you never question that she knows exactly what she’s doing. She dominated season 6, possibly the most predictable winner ever, with her razor sharp wit and her ‘Rolodex of hate.’ Bianca is a product of the New Orleans theatre scene and I heard many stories of her comedy and costuming prowess in my years there. She’s an international superstar, playing venues like Wembley Arena and starring in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie on the West End. While her brand of insult comedy isn’t exactly my cuppa tea, she’s undeniably one of the most hilarious people on the planet, drag queen or otherwise.

2 – JINKX MONSOON

Jinkx Monsoon is a theatre queen, queen of my people. She’s also the first to be crowned Queen of All Queens on last year’s All Stars All Winners season. And deservedly so, she’s easily one of the most, if not the most talented performer ever to appear on the series. While a bit of a disaster in the look and paint departments, she’s a phenomenal singer and comedic actress, sharp as a whip in improv and downright uncanny at impersonations. Her snatch game appearances in both season 5 and All Stars 7 are legendary. Most notably, she’s used her drag race fame just as I would, to land a leading role on Broadway. She received rave reviews for her recent portrayal of Matron Mama Morton in Chicago. Next she joins the cast of iconic sci-fi show Doctor Who. Jinkx fully embodies the true essence of drag, elevating its inherent campiness into theatre and high art.

1 – ALASKA THUNDERFUCK 5000

Hiieeeeeeeee! Alaska is the punk queen of drag and my personal favorite of all the winners. Drag began as a transgressive, revolutionary act, a big FU to the oppressive social system that bullied gays into the closet and brutally assaulted the ones brave enough to come out. Alaska embodies this spirit of anarchy with her in your face approach and subversive comedic powers. Losing season 5 to number two on the list, Jinkx Monsoon, Alaska came back to All Stars 2 with a vengeance, dominating in challenge after challenge with her quintessential quick wit and quirky style. She’s endlessly inventive and unceasingly entertaining and her bimbo-esque brand of comedy is right up my alley. She hosts my favorite podcast, Race Chaser, with another RuGurl fave of mine Willam and together they own Moguls of Media, providing countless opportunities for other queens and queers to flourish. It’s hard to choose a favorite among the lovable characters this franchise has introduced me to but I bend the knee to the one and only Queen Alaska, long live the queen!