SPOILER ALERT: This article includes details from the season 16 finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
On April 19, 2024, Nymphia Wind, Plane Jane, and Sapphira Cristál took the stage for the grand finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16. After a final epic lip sync between Nymphia Wind and Sapphira Cristál to Kylie Minogue’s “Padam Padam”, it was Nymphia Wind who walked away with the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” — and GLAAD was there to witness herstory!
Season 16 marks the first time a Taiwanese queen competed and the first East Asian to win the flagship franchise of the Emmy-winning reality competition series. Nymphia Wind is also the third AAPI queen to win following season 3 winner Raja who is of Indonesian and Dutch descent as well as season 16 winner Sasha Colby who is Native Hawaiian.
Prior to the grand finale, GLAAD hit the official Drag Race red carpet to chat with queens from Season 16 and beyond! Hear from Sapphira Cristál, Jimbo, Kandy Muse and more below…
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Fan-favorite and mother hen of the season Sapphira Cristál was also a winner, earning the title of Miss Congeniality along with Xunami Muse. Having two queens tie for Miss Congeniality is another first iin Drag Race herstory
Season 16 of Drag Race spoke to the current climate and challenges for the queer community. In addition, a robust roster of celebrity guest judges proved their allyship to the queer community, kicking off with Oscar-winning Charlize Theron, who visited the queens to give her full support in and outside of Drag Race.
“There’s a lot of energy being put towards the [LGTBQ] community not existing,” Theron said to the queens in the Werk Room. “I truly believe that all of that is coming from a place of fear. The beauty of who you guys are, what your community brings to all of us, and the truth of who you are, and what you represent will come out. Don’t give up.”
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Other guests who praised and supported the queens on the season included Sara Michelle Gellar, Becky G, Joel Kim Booster, Adam Shankman, Icona Pop (Caroline Hjelt + Aino Jawo), Isaac Mizrahi, Jamal Sims, Kaia Gerber, Kelsea Ballerini, Kyra Sedgwick, Law Roach, Mayan Lopez, Ronan Farrow, and Melissa McCarthy.
“I adore you all,” McCarthy said to the queens during the ‘Rusical’ episode of the season. “Drag is a big part of why I have a career. I was going to drag shows when I shouldn’t have been and it literally gave me the courage to get up on stage. I started in drag… in a big old red wig (as) ‘Miss Why’. So when I look at you fighting to carve out your space, it makes me so proud.”
She continued, “I just want to thank you for it and root for you… you’re all gorgeous ladies and I just love you. Just keep doing what you’re doing. It’s not only wildly entertaining and brings joy, [but] it’s important… fight for it because it’s worth it.”
The finale also announced the ninth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars which will premiere with two episodes on May 17, exclusively on Paramount+.