RuPaul Just Broke An Emmys Record: Most Wins By A Person Of Color
RuPaul just became the most-awarded Black person in Emmy history. At the 73rd Emmy Awards, "RuPaul's Drag Race" won for Outstanding Reality Competition Program, cementing the history-making 11th win for the series creator. In addition to RuPaul's milestone, "Drag Race" is now the most-awarded reality competition show at the Emmys.
With the nominations announced earlier this year, the possibility of RuPaul's achievement became clear. The LA Times actually asked the famed host what this 11th win would mean to him. RuPaul said:
"It does mean something to me. I have all the scars to show you from a career in show business. Actually, I climbed up on stage, the first time for money, in 1982 and I've been doing it ever since. It's been a long, hard road, but I have enjoyed every minute of it. I dig being creative and music and colors and shapes and the laughter from people and discovering something really beautiful in these contestants, every season. So, history sort of means other people are keeping track of things."
At the start of the night, RuPaul was tied with industry veteran Donald A. Morgan, who currently stands at 19 nominations across various categories, with a total 10 Emmy trophies won. But tonight's win for "RuPaul's Drag Race" earns the creator a whopping 11 awards. This was the show's fourth consecutive Emmy in the category, beating out nominees that included Netflix's "Nailed It!," CBS' "The Amazing Race," NBC's "The Voice" and Bravo's "Top Chef." The show also won four awards during the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony and "RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked” won the Unstructured Reality Show category. In case it isn't already clear, RuPaul's franchise is thriving.
In August, "RuPaul's Drag Race" was renewed for season 14, along with the announcement of another season of "RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked" and "RuPaul's Celebrity Drag Race."
RuPaul Is Making History
"RuPaul's Drag Race" sees the titular world-famous drag queen on a search for America's "next drag superstar," playing host, mentor and judge to those who dare to compete. Contestants must use their charisma, uniqueness, talent and bold nerve to beat out the competition and impress the judges. But who are we kidding — this isn't an explanation you need! If you've existed on the internet for even the tiniest amount of time, you're likely familiar with the myriad of gifs and incredible moments that have made the show so popular.
RuPaul's Emmy wins and the show's overwhelming success have proven that the franchise is here to stay, Shantay, so if you aren't already on board, just know how much you're missing out.