On April 14, two hours before one of their names would forever be associated with the word “winner," Anetra, Luxx Noir London, Mistress Isabelle Brooks and Sasha Colby, also known as the final four contestants of Season 15 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race," walked the red carpet in the Hard Rock Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, the location of the season finale viewing party.
While the finale had been recorded in Los Angeles a few weeks prior, the show’s tight grip on spoilers and leaks has led to a tradition of filming multiple endings so the live audience — and the queens themselves — wouldn’t know the true winner until the airing of the final edit. Suffice to say, the tension was high.
But if drag can teach any lesson, it might be to not take life too seriously, so good times were still being had as the final four as well as previous winners Sasha Velour from Season Nine and Willow Pill from Season 14, who also acted as the night’s emcee, took questions on the carpet.
Below, find a recap of our conversations.
Mistress Isabelle Brooks previews her upcoming tour
First to speak to TODAY was Mistress Isabelle Brooks, a 24-year-old Houston queen proud of her roots in traditional drag and always ready with a joke and a fair dose of shade. Wearing a purple gown and matching tulle boa, Mistress didn't seem overly concerned with the results of the evening. “I don’t think the crown necessarily dictates who won. Regardless of anything, I’m the winner,” she said.
On an episode from this season, RuPaul called her "a star." She appreciated the compliment — but the words didn't come as a surprise.
“I knew before I went on ‘Drag Race’ that I was a star,” she told TODAY with a smile. “Hearing that from the queen of drag means everything but she’s just confirming what we all knew.”
The Texas queen’s softer side came to the forefront during the season when she and fellow seasoned queen Malaysia Babydoll Foxx took on the role of drag mothers to two greener queens in the cast, the first-ever identical twin (and TikTok famous) contestants, Sugar and Spice.
When asked what was next for the first family of Season 15, Mistress gave TODAY an exclusive announcement of their plans for later this year.
“We’re going to go on a tour this Thanksgiving. So in November, be expecting our family tour. We’ve been putting the girls through drag boot camp. When you see them come kick, flip, and split … Imagine Kennedy Davenport but in twin form. That’s what they’re going to be giving. So make sure to come check out our tour. We’re going to debut it at DragCon.”
Luxx Noir London says it's 'bonkers' RuPaul knows who she is
Next, it was time for New Jersey’s own Luxx Noir London to speak with TODAY.
The 23-year-old, known for her unapologetic confidence and fashion prowess, arrived in a gown she made herself with black trash bags, a can of Bud Light as a handbag, and a teased mane of orange hair — a nod to her favorite “Drag Race” legend Alaska who wore the same look to her Season Five finale viewing party. Alaska carried a can of Miller Lite, so Luxx’s twist with choosing Bud Light could be interpreted as a nod to trans TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney, whose recent partnership with the beer company has caused backlash from anti-trans groups.
A "Drag Race" super fan, Luxx has garnered a reputation throughout the season as someone always ready with a reference to former seasons or to RuPaul’s career outside the show. She made the host well up with tears after choosing to wear a recreation of an early RuPaul outfit.
“It is absolutely bonkers to know that, one, RuPaul knows who I am; two, that she’s seen me; but three, that she likes me. It’s kind of crazy! She’s mother. She’s my ultimate. She’s my idol. If there’s anyone’s career who I want to reflect, it’s RuPaul’s,” Luxx told TODAY.
Anetra on her 'resting b---h face'
Up next, Anetra, a 25-year-old queen from Las Vegas known for her incredible dancing and performing abilities, enters the carpet in a purple gown with feather trim and trumpet skirt and her signature makeup “scar” across her left eye.
She had become a fan favorite almost right from the jump, literally, with her first episode performance in which she duckwalked and chopped planks of wood with her arm and leg (thanks to her years of competitive tae kwon do training) going viral.
It also hasn’t hurt that the fans, who often try to decide on the contestant from each season they find most attractive out of drag, have settled on this queen as a frontrunner for the Season 15 heartthrob. In slang terms, this would be called the “trade of the season.” So do any of the fans have chance with her?
“Anetra is single,” she told TODAY, “but Anetra also has very high standards… and trust issues.”
One of the few negative critiques Anetra received throughout the season was dealt by head judge Michelle Visage, who lovingly told the queen to watch her “resting b---h face” while walking the runway and to let the audience know with her face that she’s having fun.
A noticeably larger smile was seen gleaming from Anetra’s face from the following episode on. When TODAY asked her what other changed she made to avoid the dreaded “RBF," Anetra said, “I think brow position is a lot, I try not to paint as pissed. I still like to look bold and pissed but I think it’s all in the eyes. Tyra always says to ‘smize’. So I would say, ‘smize’.”
Sasha Colby on the 'longest week' of her life
“This has been the longest, slowest week of my entire life!” exclaimed Sasha Colby, the final finalist to join TODAY on the red carpet.
The 37-year-old Hawaii native has been an icon within the drag community for over a decade, winning the highly coveted “Miss Continental” drag pageant in 2012 and inspiring legions of queens in Los Angeles, where she currently lives, and around the world. Her legacy is already strong: One of her drag daughters, Kerri Colby, competed on the previous season of “Drag Race."
Known for her pop star level dancing ability and editorial runway looks, Sasha arrived to the carpet in a strappy and shimmery gold ensemble with her signature sleek ponytail falling all the way down to her ankles.
“To finish it and come out a better drag queen and a better person is really amazing” she told TODAY. “When you think you’ve learned everything, the universe will give you something else to learn.”
Even with a legacy already in place that most queens would dream of, there is still excitement for Sasha Colby about what’s ahead thanks to the launching pad of “Drag Race.”
“I know from the track record of 14 seasons already and so many franchises, and seeing so many girls who haven’t won be so successful, gives me hope that I can make any of my dreams true if I really work hard.”
While open-hearted and charmingly silly at times on the carpet, this queen can flip the sultry and bold switch unlike almost anyone this competition has seen before.
She even caused RuPaul to exclaim, “I’m amazed by you. I’m the motherf---g queen of drag! I’m amazed by you!”
So, how does she give it to the best of the best? “I have to give it to myself first. I have to get my jollies and then mother can baby bird feed you. I tell girls that are just starting drag, if you believe anything, believe in yourself and believe in the story you’re telling, and the audience will be with you. But the second you break or you doubt yourself, it’s lost.”
The queens also addressed anti-trans and anti-drag legislation
On the red carpet, the queens took time to speak on recent anti-drag and anti-trans legislation in states around the U.S. as the season aired.
“These people feel threatened and scared because we’re living a joyous life and having a good time,” Mistress Isabelle Brooks said, “so keep being visible and make sure you educate yourself and vote.”
“We don’t go out there and do anything to harm anyone,” said Luxx Noir London, “we don’t have any ill will. We don’t want your children. We don’t want to invade your schools and hometowns with glitter and feathers. We just want to live happy lives the way everyone else wants to.”
“It’s not really about the drag or if drag is art because hello, hi, how are you? Drag is very much clearly art,” Anetra told TODAY. “It’s because it’s attached to the queer community. Straight people have been doing drag. Adam Sandler does drag, Tyler Perry does drag in movies and media and it makes millions and millions of dollars. So I think it’s funny that now that it’s queer people and there’s a queer face on it, it becomes easier to poke and prod.”
“It’s all deflecting,” Sasha Colby, who is also a trans woman, said. “We’re not going anywhere. We haven’t gone anywhere. We’ve been persecuted, we’ve been vilified, we’ve been fetishized, and that’s all the reason why we’re not going anywhere. Because whether or not they want to admit it, we are a vital part of society.”
So, who won?
Once the carpet was rolled up and the venue was filled, it was time to start the episode, with the finalists upstairs watching the events unfold.
By the end of the 90-minute episode — which included presented lip sync routines, performances by Orville Peck, Leland, and Jinkx Monsoon, and an inaugural lifetime achievement award given to legendary designer Bob Mackie — RuPaul announced that the winner of Season 15 was Sasha Colby.
In her first appearance as the crowned winner, Sasha Colby delivered a powerful message to the electrified room.
“It is such a privilege to be able to be on this show and to now have a platform to help everyone who looks like us,” she said, gesturing to her fellow finalists, all of whom, like her, are people of color, “not feel so scared about what’s going on in the world and to know that they still need to be doing drag, honey. Because we’re not going anywhere, baby! Thank you. I love you. Aloha.”