RuPaul's Drag Race

For the most recent season, see RuPaul's Drag Race season 16. For the franchise, see Drag Race (franchise).

RuPaul's Drag Race
GenreReality competition
Directed byNick Murray
Presented byRuPaul
Judges
Theme music composerRuPaul
Opening theme"RuPaul's Drag Race" theme
Ending theme
List
  • "Cover Girl (Put the Bass in Your Walk)" (season 1)
  • "Jealous of My Boogie" (season 2)
  • "Main Event (Matt Pop 80's Tribute)" (season 3)
  • "The Beginning" (seasons 4–5)
  • "Dance with U" (season 6)
  • "Fly Tonight" (season 7)
  • "Die Tomorrow" (season 8)
  • "Be Someone (Matt Pop Edit)" (season 9)
  • "Kitty Girl" (season 9)
  • "Rock It (To the Moon)" (seasons 10–11)
  • "American" (season 12)
  • "I'm a Winner, Baby" (season 13)
  • "I'm a Winner, Baby (Skeltal Ki Remix)" (season 14)
  • "A Little Bit of Love" (seasons 15–16)
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons16
No. of episodes223 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Fenton Bailey
  • Randy Barbato
  • Tom Campbell
  • RuPaul
  • Steven Corfe
  • Mandy Salangsang
  • Chris McKim
Producers
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time42–60 minutes
Production companyWorld of Wonder
Original release
NetworkLogo TV (2009–2016)
VH1 (2017–2022)
MTV (2023–present)
ReleaseFebruary 2, 2009 (2009-02-02) –
present (present)
Related
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the fifteenth season, MTV. The show documents RuPaul in the search for "America's next drag superstar".[1] RuPaul plays the role of host, mentor, and head judge for this series, as contestants are given different challenges each week. Contestants are judged by a panel that includes RuPaul, Michelle Visage, one of three rotating judges (Carson Kressley, Ross Mathews, or Ts Madison),[2] as well as one or more guest judges, who critique their progress throughout the competition. The title of the show is a play on drag queen and drag racing, and the title sequence and song "Drag Race" both have a drag-racing theme.

RuPaul's Drag Race has spanned sixteen seasons and inspired the spin-off shows RuPaul's Drag U, RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race, and RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars; the companion series RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked; and numerous international franchises including British and Australian and New Zealand versions hosted by RuPaul as well as Chilean, Thai, Canadian, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, French, Philippine, Belgian, Swedish, Mexican, Brazilian, and German editions, and international vs. the World competitions hosted in the United Kingdom and Canada.

The show has become the highest-rated television program on Logo TV,[3] and airs internationally, including in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Israel. The show earned RuPaul eight consecutive Emmy Awards (2016 to 2023) for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program. The show itself has been awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program 4 consecutive times (2018 to 2021), and the Outstanding Reality Program Award at the GLAAD Media Awards. It has been nominated for four Critics' Choice Television Awards including Best Reality Series – Competition and Best Reality Show Host for RuPaul, and was nominated for a Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Make-up for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic). Later in 2018, the show became the first show to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program in the same year, a feat it has since repeated three times.[4][5][6]

  1. ^ Hughes, Scarlett (May 16, 2008). ""RuPaul's Drag Race"!". Right TV. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  2. ^ Nolfi, Joey (December 19, 2022). "Ts Madison joins RuPaul's Drag Race season 15 as rotating judge". Entertainment Weekly.
  3. ^ "For 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Mainstream Is Jumping the Shark". Entertainment Tonight. March 2, 2015. Archived from the original on June 4, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  4. ^ "'RuPaul's Drag Race's Emmys Win: See The Best Reactions". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  5. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Emmys.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  6. ^ "Nominees/Winners | Television Academy". Emmys.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.