RuPaul Charles was a staple of the New York City drag scene when he broke out with his hit dance song “Supermodel (You Better Work)” in 1993. Today, he’s also known as the superstar host of RuPaul’s Drag Racehaving won eight Emmy Awards for Outstanding Host for a reality competition series that began in 2016.
RuPaul has already hosted RuPaul’s Showa late-night celebrity talk show on VH1, When the Logo, an LGBT-focused offshoot of MTV Networks, is lit green RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2008. As the host and head judge of the reality competition, RuPaul’s mentors drag performers who enter the Werk Room each season to face challenges that may involve costume designing, makeup, singing, dancing, lip-synching, and runway walking as they try to avoid elimination.
RuPaul’s star power caught Emmy voters by season eight, where he earned his first statuette. His rebellious personality showed as he accepted the award: “Earlier this year, I was quoted as saying that I would rather get an enema than an Emmy,” he said, wearing a pink and white polka dot suit. “But thanks to the Television Academy, I can have both!”
The series itself (which moved from Logo to VH1 to MTV) won back-to-back reality competition Emmys from 2018 to 2023.
With his sixth straight win in 2021, RuPaul broke the record for the most decorated Black artist in Emmys history (previously held by cinematographer Donald A. Morgan). It’s a record he still holds, with 14 hosting and production wins Drag racing.
While its Emmy streak was broken in 2024 by TraitorsAlan Cumming, RuPaul’s Success Goes Beyond Awards Season. Drag racing It celebrates queer sounds and has provided the foundation for drag queens to break into the mainstream. Drag racing Alumni include multimedia expert Trixie Mattel, podcast host Bob the Drag Queen, Broadway and TV star Jinx Munson, and comedian Bianca Del Rio.
And with the show’s 18th season — plus four spinoffs — vying for the 2026 Emmys, don’t count Ru out for another round.
This story first appeared in the June standalone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To obtain the magazine, click here to subscribe.
