Herstory was made Friday night when the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 15 winner was announced. The winning queen received a cash prize of $200,000 — a franchise record.
The top 4 heading into the finale were: Anetra, Luxx Noir London, Mistress Isabelle Brooks and Sasha Colby. This is the first time since Season 8 that the semifinalists are all queens of color: Anetra is Filipino, Puerto Rican, Japanese and German; Luxx is Black, Mistress is Mexican American, and Sasha Colby is Hawaiian.
The Season 15 finale was taped earlier this month at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. All four queens performed a lipsync number to an original piece, with the top two advancing to a final showdown for the crown. Multiple outcomes were filmed, so even attendees had to wait until the show aired on MTV to find out who won.
Warning, spoilers ahead. Do not continue if you do not want to find out the winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 15.
After each semifinalist performed their lip sync, Luxx and Mistress were eliminated.
Anetra and Sasha Colby moved on to the final round. It marked the first time two Asian queens made the top 2 since Season 3, when Raja and Manila Luzon vied for the title.
The duo lip-synced to Amii Stewart’s “Knock on Wood.”
In the end, Sasha Colby, the polished pageant queen from Los Angeles, took home the top prize and the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar. She is the first regular season winner to enter the competition as trans (Season 14 winner Willow Pill transitioned after filming, while trans competitor Kylie Sonique Love won “All Stars” 6).
Malaysia Babydoll Foxx won Miss Congeniality.
See Sasha Colby take her winner’s walk below:
