RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 Cast: Meet the Queens Competing in 2024
It’s the Ru-veal we’ve all been waiting for: MTV on Wednesday announced which 14 drag queens will be competing for the $200,000 grand prize in the upcoming 16th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
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The new season kicks off on Friday, Jan. 5 (8/7c) with a talent show that will span the first two episodes. Divided into “MTV’s Spring Break” and “Queen Choice Awards” segments, both talent shows will end with the new “Rate-A-Queen” twist in which the contestants will rank each other’s performance; their rankings will determine the week’s tops and bottoms.
And what would a Drag Race cast be without a few fun family connections? This season’s crop of queens includes both the sister of Kornbread “The Snack” Jeté (Season 14) and the daughter of Kandy Muse (Season 13, All Stars 8).
There are also several firsts to celebrate with this cast — Season 16 will feature Drag Race‘s first Mexican-born contestant, as well as the first queen from Thailand. And how about this for a first: Season 16 even features a queen whose name consists of a single letter. Which letter? You’ll have to read onto find out.
Read on for a full breakdown of the 14 queens competing in RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16, then drop a comment with your early favorite(s) below.
AMANDA TORI MEATING
LOS ANGELES (26 YEARS OLD)
“Calling all staff: there’s a mandatory meeting to discuss this funny queen! Ready to take it to the top with her wit, wigs, and energetic moves, this talented wig stylist has done wigs for Drag Race queens Kerri and Sasha Colby, and Beyoncé’s music video dancers. Amanda is the ultimate mix of camp and comedy!”
DAWN
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (24 YEARS OLD)
“The self-described ‘ethereal elf goddess of Brooklyn,’ Dawn is a fitting name for a queen who often stays up late enough to see the sunrise. Designing and constructing almost all of her eccentric looks, this kooky and artistic queen always brings a story when she hits the stage… and she’s hoping for a happy ending at Drag Race!”
GENEVA KARR
BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS (30 YEARS OLD)
“¡Viva México! RuPaul’s Drag Race’s first Mexican-born queen, Geneva witnessed her parents’ struggles as they worked tirelessly to get her family safely to the United States in search of a better life. A dancing queen with a mischievous energy, she plans to be the first Mexican born queen to win the crown!”
SAPPHIRA CRISTÁL
PHILADELPHIA, PA. (34 YEARS OLD)
“Philadelphia’s crown jewel, Sapphira is a serious musician with a six-octave vocal range. This powerhouse performer studied music composition, vocal performance and opera, and in drag she can be found hosting, singing, dancing and performing comedy. Is there anything this diva cannot do?!”
Q
KANSAS CITY, MO. (26 YEARS OLD)
“The only letter of the alphabet you ever need worry about! This talented diva is a theater queen who specializes in the costuming aspect of drag. She makes all of her own looks, plus many commissioned costumes for prior Drag Race stars. Q is ready to go all the way in this competition; one design challenge after the next!”
PLASMA
NEW YORK, N.Y. (24 YEARS OLD)
“Straight out of Old Hollywood, this vintage-inspired femme fatale leaves all of the boys hot and bothered. Raised listening to Julie Andrews, Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand, Plasma channeled her love for divas into drag… and the rest is herstory. Can this queen’s BFA in Musical Theatre Performance raise the roof at RuPaul’s Drag Race? Time will tell!”
XUNAMI MUSE
NEW YORK, N.Y. (33 YEARS OLD)
“This self-described ‘knock-off Naomi Campbell’ is the supermodel of the season. Originally from Colón, Panama, Xunami moved to New York City, where Drag Race superstar Kandy Muse became her drag mother. Signed with a modeling agency in New York, time will tell if this leggy beauty can strut her way to the top!”
PLANE JANE
BOSTON (24 YEARS OLD)
“Fasten your seatbelts! Because yes, that is how you spell this diva’s name. Plane Jane is as glamorous as she is wickedly funny; Boston-raised, but with Russian roots. No stranger to competition, Plane Jane was a competitive ballroom dancer as a child. Now she’s focusing all of her passion on becoming America’s Next Drag Superstar.”
NYMPHIA WIND
TAIWAN/NYC (27 YEARS OLD)
“Banana Time! RuPaul’s Drag Race‘s first queen to hail from Taiwan, Nymphia came to the United States to build on her massive fanbase of “Banana Believers” – a term given to her fans thanks to her signature color yellow, and penchant for the absurd. Inspired by Asian culture, art and tradition, let’s hope she doesn’t slip up in the competition!”
MORPHINE LOVE DION
MIAMI (25 YEARS OLD)
“Body, beauty and ‘mug’: just what the doctor ordered. Morphine started out doing makeup tutorials on social media. Now, she is the self-proclaimed ‘It Girl of Miami.’ Can this trained dancer — who has been featured in Maluma and Bad Bunny music videos — cha cha her way to the top of the competition?”
MIRAGE
LAS VEGAS (29 YEARS OLD)
“A heady mixture of stripper heels and stripper moves: the ‘Legs of Las Vegas’ is here! Hailing from Sin City, this Native American and Mexican beauty towers in 7” heels and legs that go on for days. Already a showgirl sensation on the Strip, this quirky queen is ready for the RuPaul’s Drag Race’s crown!”
MHI’YA IMAN LE’PAIGE
MIAMI (34 YEARS OLD)
“Get ready for your world to be turned upside down! An electrifying performer, Mhi’ya is known as the Queen of Flips. That’s because you can find Mhi’ya performing her thrilling flips and tricks in the sun, on the sidewalks of South Beach. Mhi’ya’s videos of her flipping onto café tables have caught fire on social media– now she’s ready to flip the competition on its head!”
MEGAMI
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (33 YEARS OLD)
“This self-proclaimed ‘geek-chic’ queen started doing drag as a cosplayer at conventions such as Comic-Con, and from there incorporated high fashion into her characterful designs. Proudly claiming Nuyorican culture, Megami means ‘goddess’ in Japanese, and this creative force now hopes to rule the Drag Race world!”
HERSHII LIQCOUR-JETÉ
LOS ANGELES (31 YEARS OLD)
“It’s chocolate! Part of the legendary Haus of Jeté, Hershii counts Drag Race star Kornbread Jeté as her sister. A take-no-prisoners performer with a legion of LA area fans, Hershii is now ready to slay the main stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race. When not performing, Hershii is very family-oriented, and together with her boyfriend is raising two young children.”
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