“RuPaul’s Drag Race” — which is returning to MTV for its 17th season on Jan. 3 — officially revealed the 14 new drag queen contestants who will vie for the $200,000 grand prize. The Emmy-winning reality phenomenon will premiere with the queens showing off their skills in the annual talent show; the contestants will also continue the “Rate-A-Queen” system introduced in Season 16, but with an unspecified “all-new twist,” per an MTV press release.
The aftershow “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked,” which captures the queens’ conversations and catfights each week as the judges deliberate, will air immediately following each 90-minute “Drag Race” episode.
Here are the 14 queens — including contestants mentored by “Drag Race” alums Trinity the Tuck, Luxx Noir London and Irene (The Alien) Dubois, the drag sister of Season 16 finalist Plane Jane, and a queen whose middle initial stands for “butthole” — and the descriptions provided by MTV.
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Acacia Forgot
Image Credit: PARI DUKOVIC / MTV Los Angeles, CA
“This honky-tonk diva puts the country in California. Glitzy, glamorous, and with a penchant for blonde hair, Acacia Forgot has 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?”
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Arrietty
Image Credit: PARI DUKOVIC / MTV Seattle, WA
“Arrietty hails from the House of Dubois – her drag mother is none other than ‘Drag Race’ Season 15’s Irene (The Alien) 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!”
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Crystal Envy
Image Credit: PARI DUKOVIC / MTV Asbury Park, NJ
“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 swiftly 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?”
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Hormona Lisa
Image Credit: PARI DUKOVIC / MTV Chattanooga, TN
“This Southern bubblegum babe was infamously plucked from the crowd by RuPaul on the Atlanta stop of his ‘The House of Hidden Meanings’ book tour, and invited to Hollywood. Now officially a part of the season 17 cast, this campy 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 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’!”
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Jewels Sparkles
Image Credit: PARI DUKOVIC / MTV Tampa, FL
“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 intends to enter the competition with intention and strategy. With influences that range from Ariana Grande to Priscilla Presley, to her Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage, you’d be foolish to underestimate this talented doll as merely a ‘look queen.'”
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Joella
Image Credit: PARI DUKOVIC / MTV Los Angeles, CA
“Joella calls 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.”
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Kori King
Image Credit: PARI DUKOVIC / MTV Boston, MA
“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 two years, Kori has already been awarded Boston’s Best New Performer To Watch award, and is the name on everybody’s lips. She is Season 16 finalist Plane Jane’s drag sister, so expect a razor sharp wit, and somebody who tells it like it is!”
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Lana Ja’Rae
Image Credit: PARI DUKOVIC / MTV New York, NY
“Lana’s drag mother is Luxx Noir London, from Season 15 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag 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.”
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Lexi Love
Image Credit: PARI DUKOVIC / MTV Louisville, KY
“Lexi Love is 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.”
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Lucky Starzzz
Image Credit: PARI DUKOVIC / MTV Miami, FL
“Lucky Starzzz was born in Havana, Cuba. She is 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?”
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Lydia B Kollins
Image Credit: PARI DUKOVIC / MTV Pittsburgh, PA
“To understand this absurdist, unique queen you only need to know that the ‘B’ stands for b*tthole. Named after Winona Ryder’s character in ‘Beetlejuice,’ Lydia Deetz, and inspired by Tim Burton, John Waters and David Lynch, Lydia B Kollins is a queen who values creativity over perfection. Will the judges find Lydia’s looks BOOTYful, or will her time on ‘Drag Race’ be a disASSter?”
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Onya Nurve
Image Credit: PARI DUKOVIC / MTV Cleveland, OH
“Smashburger cook by day, enchanting and in-demand drag artist by night. Onya Nurve got bitten by the performance bug in high school, and took an artistic career path to drag via a BFA in Painting from the Cleveland Institute of Art. A comedic actress as well as being able to belt out a tune, Onya represents a real threat in this competition!”
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Sam Star
Image Credit: PARI DUKOVIC / MTV Leeds, AL
“Stunning, stylish, Southern! Sam is quite the Renaissance queen, having trained in musical theater, and being a retired gymnast and cheerleader who can do back handsprings! With polished makeup skills and a gorgeous mug, Sam has gone on to win an impressive number of pageant titles for such a young queen; it’s no surprise to learn that Trinity The Tuck is her drag mother and mentor.”
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Suzie Toot
Image Credit: PARI DUKOVIC / MTV
Fort Lauderdale, FL“Suzie’s uniqueness is her greatest strength in drag. A professional tap dancer, with a look rooted deeply in 1920s and 30s fashions, Suzie describes herself as the ‘cross section between Betty Boop and Lucille Ball.’ A skilled actor with a wild sense of humor and excellent comedic timing, Suzie hopes to wow the judges with her quirky take on drag.”
