These queens made it to the very top of their ‘Drag Race’ seasons.
After going through so many challenges that involve acting, writing, singing, dancing, comedy, improv, design, sewing, modeling, and branding, it’s a landmark achievement for any drag performer to reach the grand finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Seasons one through eight, which aired on Logo TV, had Drag Race finales consisting of a top three. With the introduction of the lip sync for the crown smackdown format in season nine, Drag Race finales started to include a top four. The only exception during the show’s VH1 era was season 14, which featured a top five instead.
With the move to MTV, fans wondered if the season 15 finale format would be changed in any significant way. Now that we’ve got an official lineup of finalists for season 15, it’s time to look back at every single Drag Race queen who made it to the grand finale and check out their track records.
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15 airs Fridays on MTV.
BeBe Zahara Benet (Season 1 Winner)
BeBe Zahara Benet became the first-ever winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race after winning two maxi challenges and only landing in the bottom two once. During that sole lip sync for her life, Benet sent Ongina home.
Nina Flowers (Season 1)
Nina Flowers got to the finale of Drag Race season one without ever landing in the bottom. In turn, Flowers won a maxi challenge in the competition and was considered a fan-favorite.
Rebecca Glasscock (Season 1)
Despite lip syncing for her life twice and only winning one maxi challenge, Rebecca Glasscock clawed her way to the finale of season one alongside Benet and Flowers.
James Ross a.k.a. Tyra Sanchez (Season 2 Winner)
James Ross competed as Tyra Sanchez on the second season of Drag Race and ultimately snatched the crown. Throughout the competition, the queen won three maxi challenges and never landed in the bottom two.
Jujubee (Season 2)
Jujubee got to the season two finale without winning a maxi challenge but having lip synced for her life three times. Overall, Jujubee sent home Sahara Davenport, Pandora Boxx, and Tatianna.
Raven (Season 2)
Raven won two maxi challenges on the show: a branding challenge that revolved around autobiographies, and the makeover challenge. Meanwhile, Raven also had two bottom placements prior to reaching the finale.
Raja (Season 3 Winner)
Raja won one of the most competitive seasons in Drag Race herstory given that all of the season three finalists had similar track records. Overall, Raja won three maxi challenges and only landed in the bottom two once.
Alexis Mateo (Season 3)
Alexis Mateo became a finalist in the third season of Drag Race after also winning three challenges. Alas, Mateo had to lip sync for her life three times, which put her at a big disadvantage.
Manila Luzon (Season 3)
Manila Luzon had the exact same track record as Raja in the competition: three maxi challenge wins and one bottom placement. In the end, though, Luzon was the runner-up of season three.
Sharon Needles (Season 4 Winner)
The winner of season four, Sharon Needles, became the first queen in Drag Race herstory to win four maxi challenges during a singular season. Needles only lip synced for her life once, against Phi Phi O’Hara, but their lip sync was void due to Willam’s disqualification from the show.
Chad Michaels (Season 4)
Chad Michaels won two maxi challenges on season four and only landed in the bottom two once, which was a pretty solid track record for a finalist.
Phi Phi O’Hara (Season 4)
Largely considered the “villain of the season” by viewers, Phi Phi O’Hara still fought her way to the grand finale. In the competition, O’Hara won two maxi challenges and only had one bottom placement.
Jinkx Monsoon (Season 5 Winner)
Jinkx Monsoon won the coveted Snatch Game as well as an acting challenge during season five of Drag Race. Besides those two maxi challenge wins, the Seattle queen lip synced for her life once, against Detox, right before the finale – where Monsoon was crowned America’s Next Drag Superstar.
Alaska (Season 5)
Alaska never had to lip sync for her life on season five. In turn, she won two maxi challenges in the competition. Despite being a strong contender for the crown, Monsoon had a significantly stronger story and fan-favoritism on the show.
Roxxxy Andrews (Season 5)
Like Monsoon, Roxxxy Andrews also got to the finale of Drag Race season five with two maxi challenge wins and a single bottom placement. And yet, it seemed pretty clear that this wasn’t Andrews’ year given the “villain” edit that she was given.
Bianca Del Rio (Season 6 Winner)
Bianca Del Rio absolutely steamrolled the competition on season six, which turned her into the first-ever New York City winner of Drag Race. In total, Del Rio won three maxi challenges and never had to lip sync for her life.
Adore Delano (Season 6)
Adore Delano clawed her way to the top of season six after lip syncing twice on the show and winning three maxi challenges. Throughout the competition, Delano won a rapping challenge, a branding challenge, and a design challenge.
Courtney Act (Season 6)
Without having to lip sync for her life at any point on season six, Courtney Act was another strong contender for the crown. The Australian superstar also won two maxi challenges on Drag Race, proving how talented and polished she’s always been.
Violet Chachki (Season 7 Winner)
Not a lot of viewers could foresee that Violet Chachki would go on to win season seven of Drag Race, but she was indeed crowned America’s Next Drag Superstar in the end. Chacki’s solid performance in the competition included three maxi challenge wins and zero lip syncs for her life, which equaled Sanchez’s and Del Rio’s track records in past seasons.
Ginger Minj (Season 7)
Ginger Minj also won three maxi challenges on Drag Race season seven, but she landed in the bottom two twice. There’s no denying that those bottom placements put her at a disadvantage despite being a finalist in the season.
Pearl (Season 7)
It was a roller-coaster ride for Pearl to get to the finale of season seven. Overall, that journey included two maxi challenge wins and two lip syncs for her life, having sent home queens like Trixie Mattel and Miss Fame.
Bob the Drag Queen (Season 8 Winner)
Bob the Drag Queen was the season eight frontrunner throughout the entire competition. In total, Bob won three maxi challenges: an acting challenge, the Snatch Game, and a branding challenge about political campaigns. On the flip side, Bob only lip synced for her life once.
Kim Chi (Season 8)
With two maxi challenge wins and no bottom placements, Kim Chi got to the grand finale of Drag Race season eight with a very solid track record. Nonetheless, Bob just felt like a stronger contender to become America’s Next Drag Superstar, which meant that this wasn’t Chi’s year.
Naomi Smalls (Season 8)
The judges largely saw Naomi Smalls as a “runway queen,” despite her best attempts at proving them wrong time and time again. Over the course of season eight, Smalls won one maxi challenge and lip synced for her life once, sending Acid Betty home.
Sasha Velour (Season 9 Winner)
Sasha Velour was one of the fan-favorites of Drag Race season nine, but with just two maxi challenge wins, she didn’t exactly have the strongest track record of the competition. And yet, the introduction of the lip sync for the crown smackdown gave us Velour’s iconic rose petal reveal, which solidified her as America’s Next Drag Superstar.
Peppermint (Season 9)
Peppermint won a maxi challenge on Drag Race and lip synced for her life two times, sending home Cynthia Lee Fontaine and Alexis Michelle. Though she was considered an underdog in terms of track record, Peppermint made it to the first-ever top-four finale in Drag Race herstory.
Shea Couleé (Season 9)
With four maxi challenge wins and only one bottom placement, Shea Couleé had the absolute strongest track record of Drag Race season nine. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to gag the judges and the fans with her lip sync performance at the finale, which ended up giving Velour the edge to snatch the crown.
Trinity the Tuck (Season 9)
In technical terms, Trinity the Tuck also had a stronger track record than Velour on season nine. Trinity won three maxi challenges during that season, and her sole lip sync for her life was the absolute obliteration of Charlie Hides. Much like Couleé, however, Trinity got outperformed by Peppermint at the finale.
Aquaria (Season 10 Winner)
Aquaria won three maxi challenges and never landed in the bottom two. That track record, plus her storyline as a queen who grew up on Drag Race, justified her title as the winner of season 10.
Asia O’Hara (Season 10)
A huge fan-favorite throughout the entirety of Drag Race season 10, Asia O’Hara unfortunately fumbled her “butterfly reveal” performance at the finale. Alas, O’Hara did win two maxi challenges and only landed in the bottom once, making her a strong finalist in the competition.
Eureka (Season 10)
Eureka won two maxi challenges and also lip synced for her life twice, so her track record was pretty evened out going into the finale of season 10.
Kameron Michaels (Season 10)
Kameron Michaels secured a spot at the Drag Race season 10 finale after winning one maxi challenge and lip syncing for her life three times. Kameron tied a lip sync with Eureka and then sent home Monét X Change and Miz Cracker, which was very impressive.
Yvie Oddly (Season 11 Winner)
Despite only winning one maxi challenge, Yvie Oddly had a very impressive overall performance throughout season 11 of Drag Race. Even her singular bottom two placement turned into the legendary “Sorry Not Sorry” lip sync against Brooke Lynn Hytes, which basically felt like another challenge win for Oddly. In the end, she was the deservedly crowned America’s Next Drag Superstar by Mama Ru.
A’Keria C. Davenport (Season 11)
A’Keria C. Davenport won two challenges in season 11 and had to lip sync for her life twice before getting to the finale. In the competition, A’Keria first sent home Honey Davenport in the gag-worthy six-way lip sync for your life that followed the “Diva Worship” challenge, then eliminated Ra’Jah O’Hara a few episodes later.
Brooke Lynn Hytes (Season 11)
Brooke Lynn Hytes had a strong track record among the season 11 finalists, with three maxi challenge wins and two bottom placements. However, she ultimately didn’t win the lip sync for the crown against Yvie Oddly and finished as the runner-up of the season.
Silky Nutmeg Ganache (Season 11)
After a very chaotic journey in season 11, Silky Nutmeg Ganache made it to the grand finale with her undeniable charisma, veteran drag experience, and bigger-than-life personality. Though the judges certainly loved Ganache, season 11 was ultimately not her year to snatch the crown.
Jaida Essence Hall (Season 12 Winner)
The finale of Drag Race season 12 was entirely filmed on Zoom as a result of new measures from the 2020 lockdown. After winning three maxi challenges and only placing in the bottom once, Jaida Essence Hall snatched the crown with a lip sync filmed in her very own living room.
Crystal Methyd (Season 12)
Crystal Methyd was an underdog throughout season 12, but her ascension eventually landed her a spot in the grand finale. In the competition, Methyd won one maxi challenge and lip synced for her life once, sending Jackie Cox home right before the finale.
Gigi Goode (Season 12)
One of the most spotless track records in Drag Race herstory came from Gigi Goode, who was a finalist on Drag Race season 12 after winning four maxi challenges and never landing in the bottom.
Symone (Season 13 Winner)
Symone won four maxi challenges over the course of season 13, and also lip synced for her life twice. During her journey to become America’s Next Drag Superstar, Symone won a performance challenge, an acting challenge, a branding challenge, and a makeover challenge.
Gottmik (Season 13)
Without any bottom placements throughout Drag Race season 13, Gottmik managed to win two maxi challenges on the show – making it all the way to the grand finale.
Kandy Muse (Season 13)
Kandy Muse won a maxi challenge and had to lip sync for her life three times. Overall, Muse sent home Tamisha Iman and Olivia Lux, and was saved by RuPaul after losing a lip sync to Symone during the competition.
Rosé (Season 13)
Rosé also got to the season 13 finale without placing in the bottom even once. In turn, this New York City queen won three maxi challenges on the show.
Willow Pill (Season 14 Winner)
Willow Pill won the ball challenge of Drag Race season 14 and placed high several other weeks over the course of the season. On the other hand, Pill had two bottom placements that season: once for the Snatch Game (where, with the exception of DeJa Skye, the entire cast was in the bottom), then again for the rumix challenge.
Angeria Paris VanMicheals (Season 14)
With two maxi wins and two bottom placements, Angeria Paris VanMicheals’ track record was evened out as she arrived at the grand finale of season 14.
Bosco (Season 14)
Bosco had a truly wild trajectory in season 14 that included three maxi challenge wins and two lip syncs for her life. She lost one of those lip syncs and was officially eliminated, but was then saved by the “chocolate bar” twist of the season. Bosco then went on to become a Drag Race finalist.
Daya Betty (Season 14)
Daya Betty was effectively eliminated in the second episode of Drag Race season 14, but was brought back to the competition during episode three along with Orion Story. In total, Betty’s Drag Race track record included one maxi challenge and three lip syncs for her life.
Lady Camden (Season 14)
After winning three maxi challenges and only landing in the bottom once – as a result of the catastrophic season 14 Snatch game – Lady Camden got to the Drag Race finale with arguably the strongest track record within the cast.
Anetra (Season 15)
Anetra walked that f*cking duck to the finale of Drag Race season 15 after winning three challenges and having two bottom placements. Anetra’s maxi wins included the Variety Show, the Rusical, and the makeover challenge.
Luxx Noir London (Season 15)
Despite having to lip sync for her life once, Luxx Noir London won two maxi challenges and had a high placement throughout most of season 15. Ultimately, Luxx fought hard to guarantee her spot at the finale.
Mistress Isabelle Brooks (Season 15)
Mistress Isabelle Brooks only landed in the bottom once, lip syncing against Anetra right before the finale. In turn, she won the “Daytona Wind 2” acting challenge. As one of the ultimate fan-favorites all season long, Brooks earned a well-deserved spot at the Drag Race finale.
Sasha Colby (Season 15)
Sasha Colby entered Drag Race season 15 as a well-established drag legend, and she did not disappoint in the competition. After winning four maxi challenges and never landing in the bottom, Colby collected yet another title to her resumé: Drag Race finalist.