The two-time Emmy winner for Outstanding Reality-Competition Series is back. VH1 announced today that the 12th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will debut on Friday, February 28th at 8 PM ET/PT. It comes on the heels of three-time Emmy winning host RuPaul Charles gracing the cover of Vanity Fair magazine, launching what appears to be a hit narrative Netflix show (“AJ and the Queen”) and set to host “Saturday Night Live” on February 8. And did we mention the previous season of “Drag Race” just took the PGA Award in its category? Things are still peaking for the franchise which is good because competition is on the way.
“The Voice,” “Amazing Race” and “American Ninja Warrior” are Emmy mainstays at this point. “Drag Race” is too, but the surprise nomination of “Nailed It” last July should be a warning to all four shows that Netflix may begin to entrench on these categories. The streaming service already has a social media hit in the American version of “The Circle” (with barely any traditional marketing) and will debut the Tan France hosted “Next In Fashion” on July 29. Emmy mainstays Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn‘s new competition show “Making the Cut” finally arrives on Amazon Prime on March 20. The grand dame of these competition shows, “Project Runway,” didn’t make the Emmy round without Klum and Gunn last year, but seems to have gotten its groove back (a bit) in its second season with Karlie “Even dinner with the Kushners?” Kloss and Christian Siriano (maybe).
The good news is “Drag Race” is coming off a critically acclaimed “Drag Race UK” season which resulted in massive ratings on the BBC’s streaming service and became something of a cultural phenomenon on the other side of the pond. America’s original “Drag Race” is boasting a “Rumerican” theme this season which is a great way to differentiate from the growing UK brand and remind viewers were are in a critical election year (“Drag Race” featured Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a guest in 2018).
Commenting in a press release from VHI, RuPaul noted, “With each new generation of queens, the ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ revolution continues to drive culture. And as more and more new viewers discover the show, the phenomenon continues to open hearts and minds with love, laughter and a whole lotta sass.”
There are just 13 queens this season, down from 14 last year, and they include two Los Angeles queens, four New York Queens (although one is the show’s first France national competitor) and, shockingly, the two Missouri contestants. Jackie Cox becomes the first contestant with Iranian heritage to compete on the program. All 13 queens are as follows:
Aiden Zhane (Acworth, GA)
Hailing from rural Georgia, it’s apparent Aiden Zhane is attracted to the darker side of life. Horror films, Marilyn Manson, and weirdness all inform her outlandish – and original – spooky persona.
Brita (New York, NY)
Everyone who knows drag in New York City knows Brita. That’s because this hard-working Polynesian queen captivates audiences with her famous lip-syncs…no less than seven nights a week. (If the name was confusing she used to go by Brita Filter)
Crystal Methyd (Springfield, MO)
The only thing Crystal Methyd is addicted to is attention. And with her quirky fashions, incomparable makeup skills and screwball sense of humor, she’ll certainly be catching the judges’ eyes.
Dahlia Sin (Los Angeles, CA) | Instagram/Twitter: @dahlia_sin
Originally hailing from Brooklyn, Dahlia Sin emerged from the Haus of Aja (of Season 9 and All Stars fame). Now this look queen lives in LA, where she wows the west coast with her urban brand of sexiness.
Gigi Goode (Los Angeles, CA)
This leggy fashion queen is only 21, but enters the competition with a sizeable social media following. Gorgeous fashion illustrations come to life and make her Instagram fans stan.
Heidi N Closet (Ramseur, NC)
Heidi comes from Ramseur, a small country town in North Carolina. She playfully says there’s little to do there except count chickens and cows. But her infectious persona is sure to make her a global name very soon.
Jackie Cox (New York, NY)
The Persian princess of drag has arrived. Born in Canada and with Iranian heritage, Jackie Cox now considers the New York cabaret stage her home. She loves to write her own shows and bring them to life.
Jaida Essence Hall (Milwaukee, WI)
Jaida Essence Hall always strives to be the essence of glamour. She originally wanted to be a fashion designer, and now gets to both live that fantasy and model her own gorgeous creations.
Jan (New York, NY)
Jan is a musical theater queen and skilled singer, who can belt in the original key of a female popstar’s song. Ambitious and driven, she’s looking to slay the Drag Race performance challenges.
Nicky Doll (New York, NY)
The first French contestant to compete in RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nicky Doll relocated from Paris to New York City, where she enchants audiences with her European catwalk, high fashions and seductive charm.
Rock M. Sakura (San Francisco, CA)
Rock M. Sakura’s aesthetic is an amalgamation of anime, manga, and anything pink. With her high-energy death-dropping performance style and dirty sense of humor, this is a queen who defies categorization.
Sherry Pie (New York, NY)
A campy, polished queen who knows her references, Sherry Pie will leave an audience in stitches. And with Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett as her icons, she’s certainly learned from the best.
Widow Von’Du (Kansas City, MO)
The Widow is up in the building. A Missouri girl who lives life out loud, this queen can perform the house down… and dance circles around her competition.
