2025 is making a splashas 14 new queens are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime!RuPaul’s Drag RaceSeason 17 is set to begin as 14 queens share their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent as they hope to become America’s Next Drag Superstar. Emmy® Award-winning hostRuPauland mainstay judgesMichelle Visage,Carson Kressley,Ross Mathews,andTs Madisonwill be joined by a gag-worthy lineup of guest judges for this sickening season.Doechii, Sandra Bernhard, Julia Schlaepfer, Paul W. Downs,Hunter Schafer,Quinta Brunson, Jamal Sims, Law Roach,Adam Lambert, Betsey Johnson,Whitney Cummings, Sam Smith,Jerrod Carmichael,June Diane Raphael,andTracee Ellis Rosswill grace mainstage withKaty Perryserving as the premiere episode guest judge.
This season ushers in a new twist that onlyRuPaul’s Drag Racecan deliver - The Badonka Dunk Tank. Following the lipsync, each eliminated queen has a chance to receive immunity and save themselves from having to sashay away. Queens will choose from 10 levers and if they pick one of the two levers that dunks Michelle Visage, they get to remain in the competition. If not, they will be eliminated. The winner of Season 17 will walk away with the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar and a cash prize of $200,000 served by TodayTix.The season officially begins on January 3rd at 8:00pm, only on MTV.
Acacia Forgot
Los Angeles, CA | @acaciaforgot
This honky-tonk diva puts the country in California. Glitzy, glamorous, and with a penchant for blonde hair,Acacia Forgothas never met a rhinestone she didn’t like. Musically talented, as well as being a singer-songwriter,Acacia plays the guitar, piano, banjo and ukulele.Will this aspiring country star also become America’s Next Drag Superstar?
Seattle, WA | @arrietty_theelf
Arriettyhails from the House of Dubois - her drag mother is none other thanDrag RaceSeason 15’sIrene Dubois. Obsessed with the fantasy genre,this uniquely creative queen designs and sews her own outfits, often with a “futuristic elf” aesthetic. Add in the ability to beat a mean mug when needed, and this talented, twisted queen is ready to go all the way in the competition!
Crystal Envy
Asbury Park, NJ | @thecrystalenvy
With looks so polished, it’s hard to believe this makeup artist and drag queen has only been performing for 3 years. In New Jersey,Crystal Envyswiftly dominated the club scene. Crystal Envy’s name comes as a mixture of their birth name Chris, and the fact that every outfit she wears is bedazzled and sparkly.This pageant princess commands a club crowd, but can Crystal hold that same command over the judges this season?
Hormona Lisa
Chattanooga, TN | @hormona_lisa
This Southern bubblegum babe was infamously plucked from the crowd by RuPaul on the Atlanta stop of his “The House of Hidden Meanings” book tourand invited to Hollywood. Now officially a part of the season 17 cast,Hormona Lisacampy queen - inspired by Disney princesses and vintage screen sirens - hopes to catch the eye of RuPaul again, this time where it counts the most: on the main stage ofRuPaul’s Drag Race!
Jewels Sparkles
Tampa, FL | @thejewelssparkles
Out of drag, this youthful queen has a sweetness and an innocence, and is a self-described “ditzy clumsy bimbo.” But don’t be fooled -Jewels Sparklesintends to enter the competition with intention and strategy. With influences that range fromAriana GrandetoPriscilla Presley, to her Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage,you’d be foolish to underestimate this talented doll as merely a “look queen."
Los Angeles, CA | @thejoelladynasty
Joellacalls herself “The Slaysian Diva,” and with her own unique style of drag, mixing traditional Chinese costume with street fashion and pop culture, you can see why. Having already won local West Hollywood drag bar contests,Joella is now ready to represent plus-size queens in the biggest drag competition in the world.
Boston, MA | @koriking
This boisterous queen has rapidly risen to the top of the Boston scene, amassing a respectable TikTok following along the way. Only in the drag game for 2 years,Kori Kinghas already been awarded Boston’s Best New Performer To Watch award, and is the name on everybody’s lips. She is season 16 finalistPlane Jane’s drag sister, so expect a razor sharp wit, and somebody who tells it like it is!
Lana Ja’Rae
New York, NY | @lanajarae
Lana JaRae’s drag mother isLuxx Noir London, from season 15 ofDrag Race, so expect a level of fierceness from this fashionista! Luxx saw Lana competing in a New York drag competition and was so impressed, she approached her backstage and asked if she could adopt her on the spot. Bringing legs and body to the main stage,Lana is ready to strut away from this competition with a crown!
Louisville, KY | @mslexilove
Lexi Loveis a full-time “playmate” at Play, Louisville, a bar known for its high-energy drag excellence. As a performer,Lexi knows how to turn the party up- but she’s also someone you’d love to kick it with. Having survived a period of homelessness and drug addiction, she has emerged a stronger and more independent queen and is ready for the re-birth of Lexi to take over the world!
Lucky Starzzz
Miami, FL | @theluckystarzzz
Born in Havana, Cuba,Lucky Starzzzis an expressive, colorful, living cartoon! Lucky’s drag meets at the intersection of club kid and camp, and this resourceful queen uses as much paper and spray paint as she does sequins and rhinestones.Lucky describes her drag as “a venus fly trap in a room full of roses.”Can Lucky’s eye-catching creativity catch the eyes of the judges this season and win her the crown?
