Ranking RuPaul’s Drag Race Winners!

Hi all!

Today I’m going to be ranking all of the RuPaul’s Drag Race winners including the All Star’s champions. In 2019, I wrote a post about my top 20 favourite Drag Race queens which you can check out here. It’s no secret I live and breathe this reality television show. I never get tired of discussing it and after watching Ally Sheehan rank Mary Kate & Ashley films, I knew I wanted to categorise something I was passionate about too. Before I begin, I have to credit the fantastic fan-artist JusstCartoonss for allowing me to use their incredible art. Please check out their Instagram page! Also, I will not be including the winner of All Stars 5 as nobody has been crowned yet. Jujubee, Shea Coulee or Miz Cracker for the win! Without further ado, let’s get into it! Spoiler Alert!

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE US & UK

1.) BIANCA DEL RIO

Bianca Del Rio (from Season 6) has been voted by the masses as the most deserving queen to win Drag Race and I have to agree. She is the only queen to make it through the entire competition without needing to lip sync for her life or place in the bottom three. Bianca can act, design, perform comedy, engage in improv, style, impersonate, beat a mug (lingo for talented at makeup) and mentor. Not to mention she is beyond hilarious. She has gone on to star in television shows, films and written a book. Whilst her sharp tongue can land her in trouble sometimes, Bianca has a heart of gold. 

2.) JINKX MONSOON

Jinkx Monsoon is the underdog we all rooted for on Season 5. A shy, kooky narcoleptic, Jinkx was soon targeted as a threat and bullied out of jealousy. After seeing just how talented she was at singing, dancing, acting, design and improvisation, everybody began to take her seriously. When Jinkx took the crown, it was the most satisfying victory. She has gone on to release albums, star on stage, in film, on television and toured globally. I’ve mentioned this before but her lip-sync against Detox is iconic. Watch please! 

3.) SHARON NEEDLES

Sharon Needles graced us with her presence in Season 4 and proved to the world that all drag is valid. Not only does she describe herself as: ‘beautiful, spooky and stupid’, she is also the drag mother of Season 10 winner Aquaria; proving talent runs in the family. I fell in love watching Sharon let her freak flag fly. She can design, act, engage in improv and sing! I had the pleasure of seeing her belt Major Tom at Werq the World in February. She has an incredible voice. I will always be a huge fan of her eclectic, runway looks. 

4.) RAJA 

Raja Gemini is our elegant and gorgeous winner of Season 3. This queen knows how to strut on a runway. Not only has she worked on America’s Next Top Model, she is also a makeup artist for singer Adam Lambert. Raja is the first and only Asian-American winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race with Indonesian heritage. Her looks are absolutely iconic. You just have to Google her Marie Antoinette outfit to see how stunning she is. Nowadays, I love watching Raja on Fashion Photo Ruview on YouTube where she ‘toots’ and ‘boots’ designs with fellow queen Raven.

5.) VIOLET CHACHKI 

My opinions of Violet have changed since she was crowned the winner of Season 7. Initially, I felt she was quite conceited and rude on television, but since her reign, Violet has become unspeakably iconic. I witnessed her performance at Werq the World and it was without a doubt the highlight of the evening. She received the biggest standing ovation that night and it was well justified. Violet is most known for her burlesque performances, aerial work and aesthetics. Simply put, she is very visually appealing in and out of drag. 

6.) AQUARIA

Aquaria entered the Season 10 Werk Room with unbridled confidence. She knew from the very beginning that she had what it took to snatch the crown. Aquaria wowed the judges with her conceptual runway looks and poise. She sang, danced and leapt across the stage; fighting for her spot in the finale. I personally have a soft spot for Aquaria, who is constantly trying her best to be a better human. I was thrilled to see her perform at Werq the World earlier this year.

7.) BOB THE DRAG QUEEN 

Bob the Drag Queen (yes that’s her full drag name) had me laughing from the moment she entered the Werk Room on Season 8, until she was crowned the winner at the finale. Referred to as a comedy queen, Bob impressed the judges the most in her Snatch Game performance where she impersonated Uzo Aduba and Carol Channing. She has since gone on to star in films, television and music videos. More importantly, she is a leading black activist, making change across the nation. I loved Bob in Drag Race, but I appreciate her even more now seeing what she has done for the gay and black community.

8.) JAIDA ESSENCE HALL 

Jaida Essence Hall is our newest queen to be crowned from Season 12. Not only was her season slightly tainted due to the Sherry Pie controversy (Google if you’re not sure what I’m referring to), she was also the first champion to lip-sync for the crown over Zoom thanks to COVID-19. Despite the odds, Jaida came out on top as a flawless, design queen who won multiple challenges and proved to the judges week after week why she was a worthy contender. I was so happy that she won. She was truly deserving and I know she’s going to do great things with her legacy.

9.) YVIE ODDLY

True to her name, Yvie is an extremely odd drag queen that can contort her body due to a unique medical condition. She snatched the crown in Season 11 and stole our hearts with her big, booming laugh. Some of my favourite runway looks came from her creative mind. I really like Yvie, but I was equally a fan of runner-up Brook-Lynn Hytes. Since leaving the show, Yvie has been tied up in some questionable controversy and has also been dubbed the queen to do the least with her legacy.

10.) THE VIVIENNE 

The Vivienne is the winner of Season 1 Drag Race UK. In the very first episode, when she won the Queen impersonation challenge, I knew she was going to take the crown. Her scarily accurate impression of Donald Trump in the Snatch Game secured her another win and showed the rest of the girls they had fierce competition. The Vivienne is hilarious, glamorous and hard-working. She has gone on to produce music in Hollywood and provide a voice for those struggling with addiction.

11.) SASHA VELOUR

I just want to be clear about this: Sasha Velour has probably done the most with her legacy since winning Season 9, but I hardly connected with her. This is why she’s so low on my list. I wasn’t a massive fan of Season 9 to begin with and Sasha only caught my attention at the finale when she shook rose petals out of her wig. I love that her androgynous bald look is out of tribute to her mother who battled with breast cancer and she’s definitely the most philosophical winner of Drag Race. Her approach to drag is much more serious and political.

12.) BEBE ZAHARA BENET

I adore Bebe. In fact, she’s on my list of Top 20 favourite Drag Race queens. However, when it comes to actually ranking her against the other winners, she’s not as memorable. There is a reason Season 1 is referred to as the forgotten season. Poor Bebe won when Drag Race hadn’t take off yet, which meant she received less recognition, stardom, opportunities and prize money. For this reason, Ru bought her back on All Stars 3 where she placed in the final four. Bebe is a gorgeous African queen with elegance, style and ‘face, face, face.’

13.) TYRA SANCHEZ

Tyra Sanchez is not only the worst winner to grace Drag Race herstory, she’s also since renounced her Season 2 crown. From the very beginning, Tyra showed unspeakable talent in design and makeup but her attitude was disgusting. She fought with most of her fellow competitors and has continued to bully them along with her fans. Tyra is violent, aggressive and downright rude. Only a month ago, she posted artwork of her holding a fistful of Raven’s hair, who is bound and gagged. She has also asked all of her fans to no longer refer to her as Tyra and that she wants nothing to do with Drag Race any longer. If that wasn’t bad enough, she announced on social media that fellow competitor/rival Morgan McMichaels was dead; posting a fake obituary causing obvious uproar for Morgan’s family and friends. In other words, she’s a horrible person.

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE ALL STARS

1.) ALASKA

Alaska was runner up in Season 5 and winner of All Stars 2. When we first met her, she was eager not to be compared to Season 4 winner and ex-boyfriend Sharon Needles. It wasn’t long before we forgot her romantic association and fell in love with Alaska for the funny and talented queen that she is. Alaska came back fighting in All Stars with a determination like none other. She secured her victory and despite some controversy, I still feel it was well deserved.

2.) CHAD MICHAELS

Chad Michaels was runner up in Season 4 and winner of All Stars 1. Best known as a Cher impersonator, Chad is a well seasoned performer and entertainer. Not only can she turn a look, she is able to deliver comedy, shade and plenty of laughs. She continues to act, sing and perform on stage. Huge fan of Chad! 

3.) TRINITY THE TUCK

Trinity the Tuck made it to the finale of Season 9 and won All Stars 4, alongside Monet X Change. I’m such a huge fan of Trinity. She is so well-rounded and good at what she does. She also has the goofiest, adorable laugh. I really love her podcast Werk and her Drag Race/All Stars winners photo challenge on Instagram (please check it out). Trinity is known for her love of plastic surgery and sassy mouth. She is usually the first one to get into a Twitter argument and wind up on Jakeyonce TV. I can’t help but be captivated by everything she does.

4.) MONET X CHANGE

Monet X Change was originally on Season 10 and won All Stars 4, alongside Trinity the Tuck. I’m about to deliver some very unpopular opinions so please be kind. I really love Monet as a drag queen and person, but I don’t really feel that she deserved to win. She didn’t do that an amazing job on All Stars or in her season. She was given so many critiques by the judges that were barely applied, her designs are a bit basic and she didn’t seem to go above and beyond in the challenges. I’m just not fully convinced crowning her was the best decision…

5.) TRIXIE MATTEL

Trixie Mattel first entered the Werk Room in Season 7 and took the crown in All Stars 3. Similar to Monet X Change, I love Trixie…but she didn’t deserve to win. Even Michelle Visage boldly stated in an interview that Trixie’s win should’ve gone to Shangela. Here is what I think. If BenDelLaCreme hadn’t eliminated herself, she would have undoubtedly won. She nailed almost every challenge. Once she left, Shangela was a clear contender with the crown; not only showing the most growth in the competition but scoring the most wins alongside Ben. When Trixie (who was doing just okay) was crowned, everybody was shocked. It actually made no sense. I still don’t understand what happened there.

Let me know if you agreed or disagreed with my list. It was very difficult to rank believe me! In a few days time, I will be posting a Part 2 which is ranking all of the seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race & All Stars so stay tuned for that! Once again, a huge thank you to JusstCartoonss for the awesome art. 

Peace & Love xoxo