Drag Race Crowns A Winner In Historic Finale
It’s been an amazing three months as RuPaul’s Drag Race has powered ahead with their sixteenth season.
Fourteen queens have battled it out across the season in one of the tightest competitions yet, with a series full of twists and turns.
Today a winner has finally been crowned.
Drag Race features a season of firsts
Drag Race season sixteen has featured a series of firsts across this year and the finale was no exception.
The season launched with with queens being informed of the grand prize, a whopping $200,000 again.
Kicking off the first two episodes RuPaul chose to shakeup the format introducing the ‘Rate A Queen’ twist.
In a series first contestants were tasked with rating each other to decide the tops and bottoms of the week, with the winner scoring themselves immunity to use in an upcoming episode.
Series finalists Plane Jane and Sapphira Crist谩l both secured themselves immunity potions which they held until later in the season.
After some of the tightest competition in Drag Race Herstory RuPaul announced the eliminated queens would return for a LipSync Lalaparuza Smackdown and the chance to win $50,000.
Revealing a dazzling new main stage the returning queens battled it out with powerhouse performer Morphine Love Dion taking home the $50,000 prize.
Heading into the finale Plane Jane, Nymphia Wind and Sapphira Crist谩l left a legacy of iconic performances behind them, with the crown being anyone’s to snatch.
Drag Race delivers a stunning finale
For the first time in Drag Race herstory all three finalists entered the finale with at least three wins each.
Both Plane Jane and Sapphira Crist谩l held four wins each with Nymphia Wind close behind with three.
The finale took place on what fans are hoping will be the dazzling new main stage for the program.
Returning to the stage used for the LipSync Lalaparuza Smackdown, formerly the Celebrity Drag Race stage, RuPaul introduced the remaining three queens.
Each queen was tasked with lip syncing to a new original song, with RuPaul choosing which two queens would move on to the final lip sync for the crown.
Before the top two could be announced however RuPaul introduced the recipient of the “Giving Us Lifetime Achievement Award.”
The host invited the iconic Cassandra Peterson, known for her alter ego Elvira to the stage to receive her award.
You’re a winner baby!
After deliberating over the incredible performances delivered by all the finalists, it was time for a decision.
Ultimately despite delivering a stunning performance, Plane Jane was asked to sashay away, placing third.
However it wasn’t all a loss for Plane Jane with RuPaul revealing she would receive a cash tip of $25,000 for her time on the show.
“I’m a little unprepared I thought I was going to be moving on” she exclaimed when asked what she had to say.
In another first for the season the winner of Miss Congeniality was announced as a tie.
Both Xunami Muse and finalist Sapphira Crist谩l were awarded the title, another first as the title has traditionally never been awarded to a finalist before.
Both queens received a cash prize of $10,000 with the remaining queens receiving $2,000 each.
With many fans calling for a double crowning this season there was much speculation about who would ultimately walk away with the crown and $200,000.
Before the final two made their last appearance however reigning winner Sasha Colby returned for another first.
The season fifteen winner performed an incredible lip sync for the crowd, something not seen by a winner in previous finales.
The final lip sync battle saw Nymphia Wind and Sapphira Crist谩l delivering show stopping performances to Kylie Minogue’s hit song, Padam Padam, in a nail biting battle.
Ultimately after her stunning and quirky performance, involving a triple reveal, complete with the release of helium balloons, Nymphia Wind was crowned the season 16 winner.
“To those who feel they don’t belong remember to live fiercely and live your truth, this is for Taiwan” she declared.
Nymphia Wind becomes the second asian queen to win the US series since Raja won season three.
Sapphira Crist谩l was awarded $25,000 was runner up.
During the airing of the finale it was also announced that Drag Race All Stars, Season nine will debut on May 17.
