The 18th season of the American television series RuPaul's Drag Race premiered on MTV on January 2, 2026. Hosted by RuPaul, the reality competition series shows 14 drag queens competing for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar". Myki Meeks won the title alongside a cash prize of $200,000, and a year's supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics. Nini Coco was the runner-up, Jane Don't was voted Miss Congeniality, and Juicy Love Dion was declared "Queen of She Done Already Done Had Herses".
RuPaul remained the host and head judge of the series, while television personalities Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, Ts Madison, Ross Mathews, and fashion stylist Law Roach resumed their role as regular judges.
Development On August 20, 2024, MTV announced the series renewal for Season 18 along with its companion series RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked. Casting for the eighteenth season began on September 30, 2024 with a deadline of December 6, 2024.
Marketing Season 17 winner Onya Nurve presented the contestants through the series official YouTube channel on December 2, 2025. The promo theme was "Let There Be Light," with the contestants wearing ethereal and flowy looks, and the corresponding marketing being radiant and glowy.https://www.instagram.com/p/DRxNVsEiXzd/?img_index=3 An official trailer was released on December 9, 2025, which featured the contestants and the season's celebrity guest judges.
Contestants
+ Contestant Age Hometown Outcome Myki Meeks 29 Orlando, Florida Nini Coco 29 Denver, Colorado Darlene Mitchell 34 Los Angeles, California3rd place Juicy Love Dion 24 Miami, Florida 4th place Jane Don't 32 Seattle, Washington 5th place Discord Addams 34 St. Petersburg, Florida 6th place Kenya Pleaser 27 7th place Athena Dion 38 Miami, Florida 8th place Mia Starr 39 West Palm Beach, Florida 9th place 38 Montgomery, Alabama 10th place Ciara Myst 31 Indianapolis, Indiana 11th place Briar Blush 25 Boston, Massachusetts 12th place Mandy Mango 29 13th place DD Fuego 37 New York City, New York 14th place
Notes:
Contestant progress
Lip syncs Legend:
Episode Top contestants Song Winner 1 Nini Coco vs. Vita VonTesse Starr "Enough (Miami)"(Cardi B) Nini Coco Episode Bottom contestants Song Eliminated 2 DD Fuego vs. Mandy Mango "Too Much"(Dove Cameron) DD Fuego 3 Briar Blush vs. Mandy Mango "Love in Real Life"(Lizzo) Mandy Mango 4 Briar Blush vs. Kenya Pleaser "Lights Camera Action"(Kylie Minogue) Briar Blush Episode Top contestants Song Winner 5 Juicy Love Dion vs. Mia Starr "Pretty Ugly"(Zara Larsson) Juicy Love Dion Mia Starr 6 Athena Dion vs. Jane Don't "Jerkin'"(Amyl and the Sniffers) Athena Dion Bottom contestants Song Eliminated Ciara Myst vs. Myki Meeks "Toxic"(Britney Spears) Ciara Myst 7 Juicy Love Dion vs. Vita VonTesse Starr "Houdini"(Dua Lipa) Vita VonTesse Starr 8 Kenya Pleaser vs. Mia Starr "Head Over Heels"(The Go-Go's) Mia Starr 9 Athena Dion vs. Juicy Love Dion "Call Me When You Break Up"(Selena Gomez, Benny Blanco, Gracie Abrams) Athena Dion Episode Top contestants Song Winner 10 Jane Don't vs. Kenya Pleaser "Feels Like Another One"(Patti LaBelle) Jane Don't Episode Bottom contestants Song Eliminated 11 Juicy Love Dion vs. Kenya Pleaser "Total Eclipse of the Heart"(Bonnie Tyler) Kenya Pleaser 12 Discord Addams vs. Nini Coco "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)"(Ariana Grande) Discord Addams 13 Jane Don't vs. Nini Coco "Garden of Eden"(Lady Gaga) Jane Don't 14 Juicy Love Dion vs. Nini Coco "Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl"(Chappell Roan) Juicy Love Dion Episode Eliminated contestants Song Winner 15<ref name="episode15"/> Athena Dion vs. Ciara Myst "Born Naked"(RuPaul ft. Clairy Browne) Ciara Myst Mandy Mango vs. Mia Starr "Just What They Want"(RuPaul) Mia Starr DD Fuego vs. Vita VonTesse Starr "Main Event"(RuPaul) Vita VonTesse Starr Mia Starr vs. Vita VonTesse Starr "Call Me Mother"(RuPaul) Mia Starr Ciara Myst vs. Kenya Pleaser "Pretty Gang (Ellis Miah Remix)"(RuPaul) Kenya Pleaser Discord Addams vs. Jane Don't "Sissy That Walk"(RuPaul) Jane Don't Jane Don't vs. Juicy Love Dion "Cha Cha Bitch"(RuPaul ft. AB Soto) Juicy Love Dion Kenya Pleaser vs. Mia Starr "Peanut Butter"(RuPaul ft. Big Freedia) Mia Starr Juicy Love Dion vs. Mia Starr "Cover Girl"(RuPaul) EpisodeFinal contestantsSongWinner16Myki Meeksvs.Nini Coco "Every Girl You've Ever Loved"(Miley Cyrus ft. Naomi Campbell) Myki Meeks
Guest judges RuPaul and Michelle Visage remained as the regular judges, with Carson Kressley, Law Roach, Ts Madison, and Ross Mathews reappearing as alternating judges. Various celebrity guest judges set to appear were revealed on December 9, 2025. Starring celebrity guest judges are listed below in order of episode appearance.
Cardi B, rapper Dove Cameron, singer and actress Sarah Sherman, comedian and actress Annaleigh Ashford, actress, singer and dancer Zara Larsson, singer and songwriter Amy Taylor, musician and activist Leland, singer and songwriter Brooke Shields, actress Benny Blanco, record producer Iman, model and actress Atsuko Okatsuka, stand-up comedian Danielle Pinnock, actress, comedian and writer Julianne Nicholson, actress Teyana Taylor, singer and actress
Special guests Special guests who appeared in episodes, but did not judge on the main stage.
Episode 1 Bob The Drag Queen, winner of season 8 Kim Chi, contestant on season 8 Raja, winner of season 3, and contestant on All Stars season 7 Jamal Sims, choreographer and director Erika La'Pearl, celebrity make-up artist Tokyo Stylez, celebrity hairstylist and wigmaker
Episode 2 David Benjamin Steinberg, songwriter and music producer
Episode 8 Zane Phillips, actor Froy Gutierrez, actor Chris Renfro, actor
Episode 9 Gabe Lopez, singer/songwriter and producer Carlos Basquiat, dancer and choreographer
Episode 11 Alyssa Edwards, winner of Global All Stars, and contestant on season 5 and All Stars season 2
Episode 14 Zane Phillips, actor
Episode 16 Bob The Drag Queen, winner of season 8 Kim Chi, contestant on season 8 Raja, winner of season 3, and contestant on All Stars season 7 Miley Cyrus, singer, songwriter, and actress Crystal Envy, contestant and Miss Congeniality on season 17 Norvina, president of Anastasia Beverly Hills Onya Nurve, winner of season 17
Episodes
Ratings The season 18 premiere,You Can't Keep a Good Drag Queen Down!, set an all-time record for the franchise, delivering the highest season premiere rating in Drag Race history.
References