“RuPaul’s Drag Race” is upping the ante.
MTV said Tuesday that the prize money for “Drag Race” will rise to $200,000, the highest amount since the show first appeared on ITV in 2009. The prize increase comes as the Emmy-winning reality competition series switches from VH1 to MTV.
The purse for the 15th season of the pop-culture phenomenon is $50,000 higher than last season, which featured a host of surprises, including the show’s first straight male drag queen.
The new season of the show, winner of 26 Emmys, will begin Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. with a two-part premiere. It will feature 16 new queens competing for the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar.” The season will also include the 200th episode of the series.
Emmy-winning aftershow “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked,” will premiere on MTV immediately following the program, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the backstage drama on the set.
The show’s YouTube channel offered a “Meet the Queens” program Tuesday hosted by Season 14 winner Willow Pill, including interviews with each contestant. Casting is a key element of the show’s success.
The new season’s 16 queens are:
- Amethyst, a TikTok star from West Hartford, Connecticut.
- Anetra, a stage performer from Las Vegas.
- Aura Mayari, a stage performer from Nashville, Tennessee.
- Irene Dubois, a Seattle performer who dubs herself “The Alien Queen.”
- Jaz, of Queens, New York, who incorporates gymnastics into her act.
- Loosey LaDuca, a construction worker by day from Ansonia, Connecticut.
- Luxx Noir London, of East Orange, N.J., the season’s youngest contestant.
- Malaysia Babydoll Foxx, the first queen from Miami to appear on the program.
- Marcia Marcia Marcia, of New York, who brings a Broadway background to the contest.
- Mistress Isabelle Broks, of Houston, who calls herself “Houston’s Heavyweight Champ.”
- Princess Poppy, another TikTok star, out of San Francisco.
- Robin Fierce, billed as Connecticut’s Grand Diva, from Hartford.
- Salina EsTitties, with a background in TV and film, from LA.
- Sugar, a TikTok star whose twin sister, Spice, is also competing. The L.A. performers are the first identical twins to appear on the program.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and World of Wonder.
Also upcoming is a third season of “RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race.” The premiere date has yet to be announced.
The franchise is also expanding its global offerings, with new editions launching in Brazil, Germany and Mexico and a “Drag Race Global All Stars” to stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the works.