The 2022 Primetime Emmy nominations are here—and RuPaul’s Drag Race and some of the show’s many spin-offs have received 11 nominations. RuPaul's Drag Race, which began airing in 2009, has already been confirmed for a 15th season and has led to many spin-offs attaining success in their own rights, such as RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and many others. In fact, some of the show’s spin-offs have spin-offs of their own, like RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs the World.
RuPaul's Drag Race and its spin-offs have united drag queens from around the United States and across the globe to compete for fame, career opportunities, and cash prizes offered to winners. The series has showcased the joys of drag on an international scale, with new iterations of Drag Race continually launching around the world. Over the years, RuPaul’s Drag Race has been nominated for 56 Emmys and won 24 of the awards.
This year, the main series and three other shows under the Drag Race umbrella have been recognized by the Television Academy, earning 11 nominations for the 74th Emmy Awards. RuPaul’s Drag Race is the most awarded nonfiction or reality program in 2022, garnering eight nominations. The main series has been nominated for awards in the following categories within the reality TV sector—Outstanding Competition Program, Outstanding Casting, Outstanding Cinematography, Outstanding Production Design, Outstanding Directing, Outstanding Sound Mixing, and Outstanding Picture Editing For A Structured Reality Or Competition Program. RuPaul Charles has been nominated for Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Competition Program, an award the reality star has already won six times.
Drag Race will compete with one of its own spin-offs at this year’s Emmy Awards. All Stars also received a nomination in the Outstanding Picture Editing For A Structured Reality Or Competition Program category. RuPaul’s Drag Race Untucked is up for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program, and judge Michelle Visage’s interview series, RuPaul's Drag Race Whatcha Packin' With Michelle Visage, has been nominated for the first time in the Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series category.
Despite its many accolades, the show has not gone without criticism from fans, people across the LGBTQ+ community, and even past contestants. From RuPaul’s many transphobic comments over the years to allegations that the show favors contestants who do feminine drag, RuPaul's Drag Race has been at the center of important conversations about power, gender and LGBTQ+ issues. However, the decorated series and its spin-offs continue to amass viewers and awards—and with the amount of Emmy nominations the franchise received this year, it is likely to win more.
Source: Television Academy