Canada’s Drag Race crowns season 4 winner

Canada’s Drag Race has topped its new queen after a glitzy season crammed with heated moments because of forged members who weren’t afraid to talk their minds.

On Thursday evening’s season finale, Vancouver’s Venus joined the ranks of previous winners Priyanka, Icesis Couture and Gisèle Lullaby after weeks of style, performing and comedy challenges in opposition to the opposite queens, together with the performers who made it to the ultimate 4: Calgary’s Nearah Nuff, Toronto’s Aurora Matrix and Montreal-based Denim.

Venus, who’s the primary Indigenous queen to win Canada’s Drag Race, mentioned after being topped that “to win on Indigenous land is such a monumental second.” She is Métis and has household in rural Manitoba.

“I am curious to see how issues will go after I return to Manitoba, after I go to, like, small city Ste. Anne, the place my grandparents and my aunts and my uncles stay,” she mentioned in an interview with CBC Information. “Possibly there will likely be a bit of parade there?” 

Venus says the forged knew it could be a particular season after they have been filming as a result of that they had years of watching Drag Race to assist carry their fiercest appears and expertise.

The present is a by-product of the wildly well-liked U.S. actuality present Ru Paul’s Drag Race, which has arguably performed the most important position in bringing drag and ballroom tradition into the mainstream, with 16 seasons and a number of spinoffs in nations world wide.

“There’s so many variations and so many franchises and so many seasons that it is actually onerous to maintain issues contemporary, and I believe our group has performed a very nice job of that,” mentioned Brooke Lynn Hytes, who hosts Canada’s Drag Race and is the lead decide.

The present is essentially the most watched Canadian actuality collection on Crave since its debut in 2020, in line with Bell Media.

It additionally noticed a 35 per cent bounce in world viewership this season, in line with Wow Presents Plus, which streams the present internationally.

Hytes mentioned riffs on the format, together with permitting drag queens to avoid wasting one another from elimination and bringing again fan-favourite queens to assist decide, have set the Canadian version aside. As effectively, she mentioned, the willingness of forged members to talk their minds on set went a great distance.

“In the event that they’re upset about one thing, as we have seen, they will say it and that is superb and that is what makes nice TV,” mentioned Hytes.

Canadian queens get worldwide fame

Ten years in the past, drag followers would possibly’ve been hard-pressed to call internationally well-known Canadian drag queens. 

That modified when Hytes, from Toronto, appeared on season 11 of Ru Paul’s Drag Race and have become an on the spot fan favorite along with her professional-level dance abilities (having been a ballet dancer) and elaborate runway appears.

Now, Priyanka, who gained the primary season of Canada’s Drag Race, and fellow competitor Jimbo, who gained season eight of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, are well-known. 

Denim says the reveals have given Canadian drag performers a chance to carry their drag to a world stage. 

“As a result of it isn’t simply Canada that watches Canada’s Drag Race — everybody watches,” Denim mentioned. “It is the very best platform to be on as a drag artist.”

Aurora Matrix grew up watching the U.S. model of Drag Race and mentioned when the collection got here to Canada, they knew it was their second.

“After I first bought on, that was the primary time I actually realized, ‘Drag is about to develop into your full time profession, and there is no turning again.’ “

Canada’s drag scene brings variety

Within the U.S. model, Ru Paul famously says it takes charisma, uniqueness, nerve and expertise to be a profitable drag queen. 

Hytes and the highest 4 queens say there is not a lot that differentiates drag in Canada from its worldwide counterparts. 

European drag tends to be extra cabaret influenced, Hytes mentioned, whereas American drag takes inspiration from the pageant scene, however she famous Canada’s drag could be very totally different city-to-city.

One factor the queens agree on is that Canadian drag is numerous. 

Denim, who makes use of she/her pronouns whereas in drag and he/him pronouns out of drag, was solely the second trans masculine queen to compete on a Drag Race franchise.

She says she’s seeing extra variety in each Canadian drag performers and the forms of drag reveals in addition to the areas they happen.

Denim left Prince Edward Island in 2019 to do drag in Montreal.

“There was not likely a drag scene there but,” mentioned Denim of P.E.I., noting there nonetheless are no LGBTQ bars.

“Since I left, they’ve form of created this complete scene and so they’ve form of been tremendous resourceful find totally different people who find themselves, like, open to internet hosting reveals.”

Denim returned for a viewing social gathering final yr, and a neighborhood on line casino hosted.

Drag neighborhood weathers assaults

Whereas drag is effectively established in giant Canadian centres and is rising in popularity in smaller communities throughout the nation, it additionally typically comes below assault.

Drag performances within the U.S. drew greater than 150 protests in 2022 and 2023, in line with LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD. In addition they famous that as of April 2023, there have been legislative proposals in no less than 14 states that aimed to limit or ban drag.  

In Canada, there have additionally been plenty of protests, and a few libraries and theatres have been threatened for providing drag programming, together with drag storytime occasions.

Although Canada’s drag neighborhood is unfold throughout a large nation, Nearah Nuff says it stands up for itself.

“We face pushback in who we’re as people, and I believe that we’re actually good in standing our floor in terms of protesting our rights as folks,” she mentioned. 

Hytes says that although drag performers are displaying up in additional media, like commercials, tv and films, she’d wish to see it develop even larger.

“I believe it is so vital to have the ability to perceive folks and see the place individuals are coming from and perceive the best way individuals are,” she mentioned. 

Aurora Matrix says it is vital to keep in mind that everyone seems to be totally different, whether or not they’re in drag or not, and everybody deserves to be comfy. 

“Once we come into the workroom, you possibly can see some folks current extra femme, some folks current extra masc, and each are OK. What’s in between is superb,” mentioned Matrix. 

“I believe the present simply actually evokes folks to be themselves — to stay their reality and specific themselves in a means that makes them really feel comfy.”

Canada’s Drag Race has already been renewed for a fifth season and seasons one by means of 4 can be found on Crave.