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The most anticipated episode of RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 has finally been released. As this season concluded, the title of 'America’s Next Drag Superstar' was given to the winner alongside the $200,000 cash prize. Out of 14 queens, the three participants that made it to the Grand Finale were New York’s Nymphia Wind, Boston’s Plane Jane, and Philadelphia’s Sapphira Cristál.
Previously on episode 15, the three finalists opted for the judge role as the eliminated contestants appeared on the show for one last time. The LipSync Lalaparuza Smackdown – Reunited episode was a lip sync tournament in which Morphine Love Dion won a $50,000 cash prize and was titled the 'Queen of She Already Done Had Hereses.'
RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 finale, titled Grand Finale, was released exclusively on MTV on April 19, 2024, at 8 pm ET. The episode synopsis reads:
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"The top queens face off in an epic evening of performances and lip syncs, as they compete for the title of America's Next Drag Superstar and a grand prize of $200,000."
Nymphia Wind wins RuPaul's Drag Race season 16
Final performances
RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 finale started with RuPaul Charles's performance of her song Pull Up. Then the judging panel for the Grand Finale was revealed to be Michelle Visage, Ts Madison, Carson Kressley, and Ross Mathews.
Additionally, all drag queens who participated in the drag competition walked on the runway in their unique 'Grand Finale Eleganza' look as a live audience cheered on them. The first person to finalist to perform on the stage was Nymphia, who gave tribute to her Taiwanese culture by wearing a traditional costume.
One of the judges Michelle told Nymphia by the end of her performance that “tonight was the epitome” of her being a drag queen as she uniquely merged the two aspects of her life: her tradition and sense of fashion.
The next performance on RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 finale was Jane's, in which she performed an Erika Jayne-inspired dance while wearing an hourglass black body suit. However, according to Michelle, the body suit reveal didn't impact the audience enough, and they wanted to see more of her personality on the stage.
Meanwhile, Sapphira’s performance was an energetic one. She began with Learned to Love Me and showcased her dance abilities with a traditional choreography. Michelle was glad to see Sapphira expressing her authentic self on stage without fear of judgment.
Winner reveal
After the final performances on RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 concluded, RuPaul took to the stage to present the Giving Us Lifetime Achievement Award to Cassandra Peterson. Then he announced the third position among the three finalists declaring Sapphira and Nymphia the top two contestants as Jane took the third spot. She was given a $25,000 cash prize.
By the end of the episode, viewers saw them competing for the last time on the lip-syn battle stage. Both the finalists, Sapphira and Nymphia gave their best performance and showcased their love for fashion. Sapphira revealed her outfit by unzipping her cape when multiple colored layers and black balloons flew as she displayed a yellow bikini underneath.
Nymphia, on the other hand, showed off her blue color body suit after ripping away her gown. By the end of the episode, Nymphia Wind was announced as the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race season 16.
Stream RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 on MTV and Paramount Plus.
