Canada’s Drag Race

CAUTION: Spoilers ahead for Season 1 of Canada’s Drag Race!

After its debut in 2009, the RuPaul’s Drag Race empire has launched spin-off shows, hosted annual drag conventions, and won multiple Emmys. Equipped with endless reasons to enjoy the show, the Drag Race fan base continues to grow internationally, spawning spin-off shows based in different countries. The most recent international Drag Race addition is Canada’s Drag Race, which just finished up its first season this past Thursday.

The queens of season 1 of Canada's Drag Race. Photo credit: WOW Presents

Canada’s Drag Race is the first English-language version of Drag Race to not be hosted by RuPaul. Instead, a catalog of guest hosts filled the role while RuPaul’s Drag Race season 11 runner-up Brooke Lynn Hytes, frequent RuPaul’s Drag Race guest judge and actor Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, and fashion model Stacey McKenzie served as the main judges of the season. While the judges were probably the least well-received judges in Drag Race history, the contestants captivated the global Drag Race audience, eliciting considerable controversy whenever a fan-favorite queen was eliminated (which was almost every week).

Judges Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman (L), Brooke Lynn Hytes (C), and Stacey McKenzie (R) on the mainstage. Photo credit: NewNowNext

Over the course of ten weeks, we saw the queens write verses, write and produce commercials, sow outfits out of garbage, and tackle a slew of other challenges while trying to fight their way to the top. However, as it works in the Drag Race realm (and virtually, every reality competition show), only one queen can emerge as the winner.

Queens Ilona Verley (L), Tynomi Banks (C), and Jimbo (R) await critiques in their looks for the "Single-Use Queens" runway. Photo credit: Tom + Lorenzo

Hailing from Toronto, the hilarious lip-sync assassin Priyanka took that title Thursday night. Priyanka’s win is particularly historic as she is only the second Asian queen (Priyanka is Indo-Guyanese) to win Drag Race (outside of Drag Race Thailand) after RuPaul’s Drag Race season 3’s Raja, who is Indonesian. Priyanka’s crowning follows Shea Coulée’s win in season 5 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars and Jaida Essence Hall’s win in season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, which many fans have applauded as a much-needed win for diversity in the Drag Race Hall of Fame.

Priyanka stuns in a red and white lehenga on the final runway of the season. Photo credit: Flare

A second season of Canada’s Drag Race has yet to be announced (which is honestly for the better – fans need a break from the almost constant Drag Race content we’ve received in 2020). Until we receive the good news, take a look at some of the best looks and moments from the season.

Jimbo starts the season strong in her Rain-Blow It Up look on the Canuck Couture runway. Photo credit: WOW Presents

Frontrunner Scarlett Bobo is at her best for the Pageant Perfection runway. Photo credit: Scarlett Bobo

Lemon is young and fresh in her look for the Canadian Tuck-She-Do: Denim on Denim on Denim runway. Photo credit: Lemon

Priyanka shows how far she's come as a drag queen in this Mugler-inspired look for the Not My First Time runway. Photo credit: WOW Presents

Scarlett Bobo makes trash into couture for the Single-Use Queens runway. Photo credit: WOW Presents

Ilona Verley pays homage to her indigenous First Nations (Nlaka'pamux) identity in her finale look. She is the first indigenous and Two-Spirit queen in Drag Race herstory. Photo credit: Ilona Verley

Jimbo gives a face-kini fantasy in this eclectic look for the Canadian Tuck-She-Do runway. Photo credit: WOW Presents

Priyanka is both fire and ice in her look for the Québec-ky with the Good Hair runway. Photo credit: Priyanka

Lemon draws inspiration from Toddlers and Tiaras for her look on the Pageant Perfection runway. Photo credit: Lemon

Ilona Verley snaps at Jimbo for not allowing Ilona to voice her worries about her possible elimination. Jimbo decides that she has the time to put Ilona in her place.