The fifteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race premiered January 6, 2023. The reality competition series moved to MTV for broadcast, instead of VH1 in the United States.
This season features the largest cast in the show's history, with sixteen queens competing for $200,000, the largest cash prize in the show's history. It is also the first season to feature biological relatives, twins Sugar and Spice. Series judges Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, and Ross Mathews returned, and Ts Madison, who had previously appeared as a recurring guest judge, joined the judges panel.
The season was won by Sasha Colby, the first trans woman to win the main series of RuPaul's Drag Race, with Anetra as the runner-up. Malaysia Babydoll Foxx was named Miss Congeniality.
Production
In November 2021, RuPaul announced a casting call for season fifteen of RuPaul's Drag Race on social media. The casting call was open until January 7, 2022, the day season fourteen premiered. In August 2022, VH1 officially announced the show's renewal, as well for its companion series, RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked. This season also included the milestone for its 200th episode of the series.
In December 2022, it was announced that season 15 would begin with a special two-part premiere on January 6, 2023, on MTV instead of VH1. Later that month, season 14 winner Willow Pill revealed the season's cast, with a record-breaking sixteen queens competing. The drag racing themed promotional images accompanying the cast announcement drew comparisons to the promotion for the show's debut season.
Following the two-part season premiere, subsequent episodes were sixty minutes long, including commercials. This was a reversion to the previous format for seasons one through nine, before the show expanded to ninety minutes in season 10. Further, instead of airing Untucked immediately after each main episode, MTV aired the new reality program The Real Friends of WeHo between the main episode and Untucked. The shortened format and programming lineup change elicited backlash from the show's fan base. On February 9 it was announced that, beginning with the March 10 episode, episodes for the remainder of the season would be returning to the ninety minute format. On August 9, ninety minute edits of the entire season (including the previously truncated episodes 3–10) were released on Paramount+ in the United States and WOW Presents Plus worldwide.
Contestants
Ages, names, and cities stated are at time of filming.
Notes:
Contestant progress
Lip syncs
Legend:
Guest judges
Ariana Grande, singer and actress
Maren Morris, singer-songwriter
Amandla Stenberg, actress
Janelle Monáe, singer, rapper, and actress
Megan Stalter, comedian
Harvey Guillén, actor
Julia Garner, actress
Ali Wong, stand-up comedian and actress
Orville Peck, South African country musician based in Canada
Hayley Kiyoko, singer, dancer, and actress
Special guests
Guests who appeared in episodes, but did not judge on the main stage.
Episode 1
Albert Sanchez, photographer
Vivacious, contestant on season six
Episode 6
Freddy Scott, composer and actor
Leland, producer
Old Gays, social media personalities and activists
Episode 7
Danny Trejo, actor
Episode 10
Charo, singer, actress, musician and comedian
Frankie Grande, Internet personality
Love Connie, drag performer
Episode 12
Miguel Zarate, choreographer
Episode 13
Norvina, president of Anastasia Beverly Hills
Episode 14
Miguel Zarate, choreographer
Episode 15
Kevin Bacon, actor
Susan Bysiewicz, lieutenant governor of Connecticut
Aquaria, winner of season ten
Asia O'Hara, contestant on season ten
Coco Montrese, contestant on season five and All Stars season two
DeJa Skye, contestant on season fourteen
Derrick Barry, contestant on season eight and All Stars season five
Maddy Morphosis, contestant on season fourteen and Golden Boot Award winner
Episode 16
Bob Mackie, fashion designer
Leland, producer
Orville Peck, South African country musician
Vanessa Williams, singer, actress, and former Miss America
Jinkx Monsoon, winner of season five and All Stars season seven
Kornbread "The Snack" Jeté, contestant on and Miss Congeniality of season fourteen Willow Pill, winner of season fourteen