The fifteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race premiered January 6, 2023. The reality competition series moved to MTV for broadcast, instead of VH1 in the United States.
This season features the largest cast in the show's history, with sixteen queens competing for an amount of $200,000, the largest cash prize in the show's history. It is also the first season to feature biological twins, Sugar and Spice. Series judges Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, and Ross Mathews returned, and Ts Madison, who had previously appeared as a recurring guest judge, joined the judges panel.
The season was won by Sasha Colby, the third trans person to win the main series of RuPaul's Drag Race‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Star Jinkx Monsoon Launches Fragrance Inspired by Her Trans Identity Journey and Greek Mythology’s Queen of Olympians RuPaul's Drag Race star Willow Pill comes out as trans: 'Starting to finally feel bits of happiness' and first winner of the main series to be openly trans throughout their entire season, with Anetra as the runner-up. Malaysia Babydoll Foxx was named Miss Congeniality.
Production In November 2021, RuPaul announced a casting call for season fifteen of RuPaul's Drag Race on social media. The casting call was open until January 7, 2022, the day season fourteen premiered. In August 2022, VH1 officially announced the show's renewal, as well for its companion series, RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked. This season also included the milestone for its 200th episode of the series.
In December 2022, it was announced that season 15 would begin with a special two-part premiere on January 6, 2023, on MTV instead of VH1. Later that month, season 14 winner Willow Pill revealed the season's cast, with a record-breaking sixteen queens competing. The drag racing themed promotional images accompanying the cast announcement drew comparisons to the promotion for the show's debut season.
Post-production Following the two-part season premiere, subsequent episodes were sixty minutes long, including commercials. This was a reversion to the previous format for seasons one through nine before the show expanded to ninety minutes in season 10. Further, instead of airing Untucked immediately after each main episode, MTV aired the new reality program The Real Friends of WeHo between the main episode and Untucked. The shortened format and programming lineup change elicited backlash from the show's fan base.
On February 9, it was announced that beginning with the March 10 episode, episodes for the remainder of the season would be returning to the ninety-minute format. On August 9, ninety minute edits of the entire season (including the previously truncated episodes 3–10) were released on Paramount+ in the United States and WOW Presents Plus worldwide.
Contestants
Ages, names, and cities stated are at time of filming.
+Contestants of RuPaul's Drag Race season 15 and their backgrounds Contestant Age City Outcome Sasha Colby 38 Los Angeles, California Anetra 25 Las Vegas, Nevada Luxx Noir London 22 East Orange, New Jersey 3rd place Mistress Isabelle Brooks 24 Houston, Texas Loosey LaDuca 32 Ansonia, Connecticut 5th place Salina EsTitties 31 Los Angeles, California 6th place Marcia Marcia Marcia 25 New York City, New York 7th place Malaysia Babydoll Foxx 32 Miami, Florida 8th place Spice 23 Los Angeles, California 9th place Jax 25 New York City, New York 10th place Aura Mayari 30 Nashville, Tennessee 11th place Robin Fierce 26 Hartford, Connecticut 12th place Amethyst 27 West Hartford, Connecticut 13th place Sugar 23 Los Angeles, California 14th place Princess Poppy 26 San Francisco, California 15th place Irene Dubois 29 Seattle, Washington 16th place
Notes
Contestant progress
Lip syncs Legend:
Episode Contestants Song Eliminated 2 Amethyst vs. Irene Dubois "7 Rings"(Ariana Grande) Irene Dubois 3 Amethyst vs. Princess Poppy "Ain't No Mountain High Enough (Eric Kupper Remix)"(Diana Ross) Princess Poppy 4 Spice vs. Sugar "You Better Run"(Pat Benatar) Sugar 5 Amethyst vs. Salina EsTitties "Q.U.E.E.N."(Janelle Monáe ft. Erykah Badu) Amethyst 6 Jax vs. Robin Fierce "In Your Room"(The Bangles) Robin Fierce 7 Aura Mayari vs. Jax "Sweetest Pie"(Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa) Aura Mayari Episode Contestants Song Winner 8 Malaysia Babydoll Foxx vs. Marcia Marcia Marcia "Boys Don't Cry"(Anitta) Marcia Marcia Marcia Loosey LaDuca vs. Spice "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)"(Joan Jett) Loosey LaDuca Luxx Noir London vs. Salina EsTitties "It's All Coming Back to Me Now"(Céline Dion) Salina EsTitties Jax vs. Mistress Isabelle Brooks "Tell It to My Heart"(Taylor Dayne) Mistress Isabelle Brooks Anetra vs. Sasha Colby "I'm in Love with a Monster"(Fifth Harmony) Sasha Colby Malaysia Babydoll Foxx vs. Spice "Don't Go Yet"(Camila Cabello) Malaysia Babydoll Foxx Anetra vs. Jax vs. Luxx Noir London "The Right Stuff"(Vanessa Williams) Luxx Noir London Contestants Song Eliminated Anetra vs. Jax "Finally"(CeCe Peniston) Jax 9 Salina EsTitties vs. Spice "Thats What I Want"(Lil Nas X) Spice 10 Malaysia Babydoll Foxx vs. Salina EsTitties "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"(Beyoncé) Malaysia Babydoll Foxx 11 Anetra vs. Marcia Marcia Marcia "Boss Bitch"(Doja Cat) Marcia Marcia Marcia 12 Loosey LaDuca vs. Salina EsTitties "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)"(Kate Bush)Salina EsTitties 13 Loosey LaDuca vs. Luxx Noir London "For the Girls"(Hayley Kiyoko) Loosey LaDuca 14 Anetra vs. Mistress Isabelle Brooks "When Love Takes Over"(David Guetta ft. Kelly Rowland) None Episode Final contestants Song Winner 16 Anetra vs. Sasha Colby "Knock on Wood"(Amii Stewart) Sasha Colby
Guest judges Ariana Grande, singer and actress Maren Morris, singer-songwriter Amandla Stenberg, actress Janelle Monáe, singer, rapper, and actress Megan Stalter, comedian Harvey Guillén, actor Julia Garner, actress Ali Wong, stand-up comedian and actress Orville Peck, South African country musician based in Canada Hayley Kiyoko, singer, dancer, and actress
Special guests Guests who appeared in episodes, but did not judge on the main stage.
Episode 1 Albert Sanchez, photographer Vivacious, contestant on season 6
Episode 6 Freddy Scott, composer and actor Leland, producer Old Gays, social media personalities and activists
Episode 7 Danny Trejo, actor
Episode 10 Charo, singer, actress, musician and comedian Frankie Grande, Internet personality Love Connie, drag performer
Episode 12 Miguel Zarate, choreographer
Episode 13 Norvina, president of Anastasia Beverly Hills
Episode 14 Miguel Zarate, choreographer
Episode 15 Kevin Bacon, actor Susan Bysiewicz, lieutenant governor of Connecticut Aquaria, winner of season 10 Asia O'Hara, contestant on season 10 Coco Montrese, contestant on season 5 and All Stars season 2 DeJa Skye, contestant on season 14 Derrick Barry, contestant on season 8 and All Stars season 5 Maddy Morphosis, contestant on season 14 and Golden Boot Award winner
Episode 16 Bob Mackie, fashion designer Leland, producer Orville Peck, South African country musician Vanessa Williams, singer, actress, and former Miss America Jinkx Monsoon, winner of season 5 and All Stars season 7 Kornbread "The Snack" Jeté, contestant on and Miss Congeniality of season 14 Willow Pill, winner of season 14
Episodes
Ratings
References