oRuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race Franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV, WOW Presents Plus, and, beginning with the ninth season on VH1. The show documents RuPaul in the search for "America's next drag superstar." RuPaul plays the role of host, mentor, and head judge for this series, as contestants are given different challenges each week. RuPaul's Drag Race employs a panel of judges, including RuPaul, Michelle Visage, an alternating third main judge of either Carson Kressley or Ross Matthews, and a host of other guest judges, who critique contestants' progress throughout the competition.
The title of the show is a play on drag queen and drag racing, and the title sequence and song "Drag Race" both have a drag-racing theme. To date, there have been twelve winners of the show: BeBe Zahara Benet, Tyra Sanchez, Raja, Sharon Needles, Jinkx Monsoon, Bianca Del Rio, Violet Chachki, Bob the Drag Queen, Sasha Velour, Aquaria, Yvie Oddly and Jaida Essence Hall.
RuPaul's Drag Race has spanned thirteen seasons and inspired the spin-off shows RuPaul's Drag U, RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars and RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race. The show has become the highest-rated television program on Logo TV, and airs internationally, including in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Israel. The show earned RuPaul five consecutive Emmys (2016 to 2020) for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program.
Each episode features a so-called maxi challenge that tests competitors' skills in a variety of areas of drag performance. Some episodes also feature a mini challenge, the prize of which is often an advantage or benefit in the upcoming maxi challenge. Following the maxi challenge, contestants present themed looks in a runway walk. RuPaul and a panel of judges then critique each contestant's performance, deliberate amongst themselves, and announce the week's winner and bottom two competitors. The bottom two queens compete in a so-called Lip Sync for Your Life; the winner of the lip sync remains in the competition, and the loser is eliminated. Generally, the contestant that the judges feel has displayed the most "charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent" is the one who advances. The final three or four contestants remaining compete in a special finale episode wherein the season's winner is crowned.
Mini challenges are quick, small assignments that RuPaul announces at the beginning of an episode. One of the most popular mini challenges, which recurs from season to season, is the library challenge. In it, contestants satirically criticize one another in a process called "reading", which was popularized by the film "Paris is Burning". Maxi challenges vary in the skill they test; some are group challenges that involve singing and acting, while others feature comedy, a talent of choice, dancing, or makeovers. The winner receives a material or monetary prize. Through the show's fifth season, the winner also received immunity against elimination the following week. Drag Race's most popular seasonal maxi challenge is "Snatch Game", a spoof on "Match Game" wherein contestants impersonate celebrities or famous fictional personas.