The seventeenth season of the American reality competition series RuPaul's Drag Race premiered on January 3, 2025. This marks the third season to air through cable network MTV. The seventeenth installment of the series documents drag queen RuPaul in search of the "Next Drag Superstar" for the United States.
RuPaul remained as host and head judge of the series. Television personalities Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, Ts Madison, and Ross Mathews continued as regular judges. Fashion stylist Law Roach, who previously appeared as a guest judge, joined the judging panel.
Onya Nurve won the season alongside its title, a cash prize of $200,000, and a years-worth of Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics. Jewels Sparkles was the runner-up and Crystal Envy was voted Miss Congeniality.
Production Development Throughout social media, the host and head judge RuPaul announced a casting call for drag performers to apply for the seventeenth season on October 30, 2023. The final deadline coincided with the premiere episode of season sixteen on January 5, 2024.
Two months later, RuPaul published his memoir titled The House of Hidden Meanings and embarked on a book tour where he was given a flash drive containing an audition tape from drag queen Hormona Lisa. Just months after its sixteenth season concluding, American cable network MTV announced the series renewal, including the companion series, on August 16.
Workroom As season sixteen received several nominations at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, many journalists had the opportunity to visit the main stage and the workroom set. Fans quickly realized the newly constructed set for the upcoming season with journalists for People witnessing previous contestants Mhi'ya Iman Le'Paige and Morphine Love Dion using the main stage for a lip-sync contest. Architectural Digest released a video on August 22, where previous winner Nymphia Wind tours around the set with production designer Jen Chu explaining the scenery and inspiration for the series.
Tribute The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported British drag performer The Vivienne, inaugurated winner of RuPaul's Drag Race UK (2019) and contestant of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (2022), had died on January 5, 2025. Subsequently, the second episode of the season featured an in memoriam segment dedicated to The Vivienne, following the regular credits on January 10.
Marketing A ten-second teaser was released on November 22, 2024, throughout social media, with RuPaul announcing the season premiering in January 2025. Nymphia Wind presented the contestants through the series official YouTube channel on December 4, showcasing their water-themed outfits and background.
Variety first reported on December 11 that All Stars winner Monét X Change would host The Pit Stop, a weekly webseries serving as an aftershow. The first episode premiered through YouTube with alumni contestant Raven as the first guest on January 4, 2025.
Format
The season's double premiere retained the same format as the previous season, where contestants rank each other based on their performances for the main challenge; this format parodies television series The Circle.
Similar to the Chocolate Bar twist from season 14, this season featured a twist where the lip-sync loser is given an opportunity to stay in the contest called the "Badonka Dunk Tank" - the contestant is presented with Michelle Visage sitting on a dunk tank and must chose one of ten random levers, which if successfully struck, would drop Visage into the water and save the contestant from elimination. If they selected the incorrect lever, the contestant will be eliminated.
Contestants
+ Contestant Age Hometown Outcome Onya Nurve 31 Cleveland, Ohio Jewels Sparkles 23 Tampa, Florida Lexi Love 33 Louisville, Kentucky 3rd place Sam Star 24 Leeds, Alabama Suzie Toot 24 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 5th place Lana Ja'Rae 22 New York City, New York 6th place Lydia B Kollins 23 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 7th place Arrietty 28 Seattle, Washington 8th place Kori King 24 Boston, Massachusetts 9th place Acacia Forgot 28 Los Angeles, California 10th place Crystal Envy 27 Asbury Park, New Jersey 11th place Hormona Lisa 30 Chattanooga, Tennessee 12th place Joella 25 Los Angeles, California 13th place Lucky Starzzz 26 Miami, Florida 14th place
Notes:
Contestant progress
Lip syncs Legend:
Episode Top contestants Song Winner 1 Jewels Sparkles vs. Suzie Toot "Woman's World"(Katy Perry) Suzie Toot 2 Crystal Envy vs. Lexi Love "Alter Ego"(Doechii, JT) Lexi Love Bottom contestants Song Eliminated Acacia Forgot vs. Hormona Lisa "Yes, And?"(Ariana Grande) None 3 Joella vs. Lucky Starzzz "(It's Just) The Way That You Love Me"(Paula Abdul) Lucky Starzzz 4 Joella vs. Kori King "Buttons"(The Pussycat Dolls ft. Snoop Dogg) Joella 5 Arrietty vs. Lydia B Kollins "Boogie Wonderland"(Earth, Wind & Fire, The Emotions) None 6 Hormona Lisa vs. Lana Ja'Rae "Get Him Back!"(Olivia Rodrigo) Hormona Lisa 7 Crystal Envy vs. Lana Ja'Rae "Hands to Myself"(Selena Gomez) Crystal Envy 8 Acacia Forgot vs. Kori King "Wet Dream"(Adam Lambert) Acacia Forgot 9<ref name="episode9"/> Kori King vs. Lydia B Kollins "Kiss Me Deadly"(Lita Ford) Kori King 10<ref name="episode10"/> Arrietty vs. Jewels Sparkles "Ya Ya"(Beyoncé) Arrietty 11<ref name="episode11"/> Lana Ja'Rae vs. Lydia B Kollins "Unholy"(Sam Smith, Kim Petras) Lydia B Kollins 12<ref name="episode12"/> Lana Ja'Rae vs. Sam Star "Illusion"(Dua Lipa) Lana Ja'Rae 13<ref name="episode13"/> Jewels Sparkles vs. Onya Nurve "1 Thing"(Amerie) None 14<ref name="episode14"/> Sam Star vs. Suzie Toot "Love Child"(Diana Ross & The Supremes) Suzie Toot Episode Eliminated contestants Song Winner 15<ref name="episode15"/> Hormona Lisa vs. Lydia B Kollins "Say Liza (Liza with a Z)"(Liza Minnelli) Lydia B Kollins Joella vs. Suzie Toot "Training Season"(Dua Lipa) Suzie Toot Acacia Forgot vs. Lucky Starzzz "Step By Step (Junior Vasquez Tribal X Beats)"(Whitney Houston) Lucky Starzzz Arrietty vs. Kori King "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)"(P!nk) Kori King Crystal Envy vs. Lana Ja'Rae "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"(Sylvester) Lana Ja'Rae Lucky Starzzz vs. Suzie Toot "We Found Love"(Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris) Suzie Toot Kori King vs. Lana Ja'Rae vs. Lydia B Kollins "360"(Charli XCX) Kori King Suzie Toot vs. Kori King "APT."(Rosé, Bruno Mars) Episode Final contestants Song Winner 16<ref name="episode16"/> Jewels Sparkles vs. Onya Nurve "Abracadabra"(Lady Gaga) Onya Nurve
Guest judges RuPaul and Michelle Visage remained as the regular judges, with Carson Kressley, Ts Madison, and Ross Mathews reappearing as alternating judges. Various celebrity guest judges set to appear were revealed on December 12, 2024. Law Roach was initially advertised as a celebrity guest judge but was later confirmed to be an alternating judge. Starring celebrity guest judges are listed below in order of episode appearance.
Katy Perry, singer and television personality Doechii, rapper and singer Sandra Bernhard, actress, comedian and singer Julia Schlaepfer, actress Paul W. Downs, actor and writer Hunter Schafer, actress and model Quinta Brunson, actress and comedian Adam Lambert, singer and actor Betsey Johnson, fashion designer Whitney Cummings, actress and stand-up comedian Sam Smith, singer Jerrod Carmichael, actor, comedian and writer June Diane Raphael, actress and comedian Tracee Ellis Ross, actress
Special guests Special guests who appeared in episodes, but did not judge on the main stage.
Episode 1 Angeria Paris VanMicheals, contestant on season 14, and winner of All Stars season 9 Aura Mayari, contestant on season 15 Honey Davenport, contestant on season 11 Jaymes Mansfield, contestant on season 9 and All Stars season 8 Kerri Colby, contestant on season 14 Kimora Blac, contestant on season 9 Kylie Sonique Love, contestant on season 2 and winner of All Stars season 6 Mayhem Miller, contestant on season 10, All Stars season 5 and RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. The World series 2 Morgan McMichaels, contestant on season 2 and All Stars season 3 Trinity the Tuck, contestant on season 9, All Stars season 7, and winner of All Stars season 4 Victoria "Porkchop" Parker, contestant on season 1
Episode 2 Lawrence Chaney, winner of RuPaul's Drag Race UK series 2
Episode 6 Norvina, president of Anastasia Beverly Hills
Episode 7 Alyssa Edwards, contestant on season 5, All Stars season 2, winner of Global All Stars
Episode 8 Gabe Lopez, music producer
Episode 10 Joey Nolfi, journalist at Entertainment Weekly Kandy Muse, runner-up on season 13 and All Stars season 8 Mistress Isabelle Brooks, contestant on season 15 Plane Jane, contestant on season 16
Episode 11 Cheyenne Jackson, actor and singer
Episode 14 Albert Sanchez, photographer Latrice Royale, contestant on season 4, All Stars season 1 and All Stars season 4
Episode 16 Liza Minnelli, actress and singer Xunami Muse, contestant and Miss Congeniality on season 16 Sapphira Cristál, runner-up and Miss Congeniality on season 16 Nymphia Wind, winner of season 16
Episodes
Broadcast The seventeenth season, and its companion series, premiered through MTV with its first episode on January 3, 2025. The season consisted of sixteen episodes and aired weekly at 8:00 p.m. (EST). Episodes were later released throughout various streaming services such as Crave for Canada, Stan for Australia, and on WOW Presents Plus internationally with next-day availability starting on January 4.
Ratings
Accolades + Name of the award ceremony, category, nominee(s) of the award, and the result of the nomination Award Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Competition Program RuPaul's Drag Race rowspan="9" Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program Nick Murray Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program RuPaul Outstanding Lighting Design / Lighting Direction for a Variety Series Darren Barrows, Gus Dominguez, Thomas Schneider, and Steve Moreno Outstanding Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program Nicole Faulkner, Jen Fregozo, Natasha Marcelina, and David Petruschin Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured or Competition Reality Program Paul Cross, Ryan Mallick, Jamie Martin, and Michael Roha Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program Jimmy Bazan, Johanna Gavard, and Miguel Siqueiros Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Reality or Competition Series Jen Chu and Gavin Smith Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked! Gold Derby Awards Best Competition Program RuPaul's Drag Race rowspan="2" Best Reality Host RuPaul
Footnotes
References
External links Kori King at IMDb Kori King on ‘Drag Race’ Experience, Plane Jane & Falling In Love, Out South Florida Kori King Chats The “Drag Race” Experience, Plane Jane, & Falling In Love During Season 17, Werrrk