RuPaul's Drag Race (season 9)

The ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race began airing on March 24, 2017, on VH1. The returning judges included RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Ross Mathews and Carson Kressley. Fourteen drag queens (including one returnee) competed for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar". The prizes for the winner are a one-year supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics, a cash prize of $100,000, and a crown and scepter provided by Shandar. The full list of contestants was revealed on February 2, 2017.[1] This season saw the return of season eight contestant Cynthia Lee Fontaine, who finished the competition in 10th place.

RuPaul's Drag Race
Season 9
Promotional poster for season nine
Hosted by	RuPaul
Judges	RuPaul Michelle Visage Carson Kressley Ross Mathews
No. of contestants	14
Winner	Sasha Velour
Runner-up	Peppermint
Miss Congeniality	Valentina
Companion show	RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked!
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	14
Release
Original network	VH1
Original release	March 24 (2017-03-24) – June 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)
Season chronology

The winner of the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race was Sasha Velour, with Peppermint being the runner-up and Valentina winning Miss Congeniality.

Winner of the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, Sasha Velour.

Contestants

See also: List of RuPaul's Drag Race contestants

(Ages and names stated are at time of filming)

Contestant	Age	Hometown	Outcome
Sasha Velour	29	Brooklyn, New York	Winner
Peppermint	37	New York, New York	Runner-up
Shea Couleé	27	Chicago, Illinois	3rd/4th Place
Trinity Taylor	31	Orlando, Florida
Alexis Michelle	32	New York, New York	5th Place
Nina Bo'nina Brown	34	Riverdale, Georgia	6th Place
Valentina	25	Echo Park, California	7th Place
Farrah Moan	23	Las Vegas, Nevada	8th Place
Aja	22	Brooklyn, New York	9th Place
Cynthia Lee Fontaine	35	Austin, Texas	10th Place
Eureka[lower-alpha 1]	25	Johnson City, Tennessee	11th Place[lower-alpha 2]
Charlie Hides[3]	52	Boston, Massachusetts	12th Place
Kimora Blac	27	Las Vegas, Nevada	13th Place
Jaymes Mansfield	26	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	14th Place

1. Eureka O'Hara is simply known as Eureka on the show[1][2]
2. Eureka was removed from the competition due to the knee injury she sustained in the second episode.

Contestant progress

Contestant	1[4]	2[5]	3[6]	4[7]	5[8]	6[9]	7[10]	8[11]	9[12]	10[13]	11[14]	12[15]	13[16]	14
Sasha Velour	HIGH	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	HIGH	LOW	HIGH	WIN	HIGH	HIGH	SAFE	Guest	Winner
Peppermint	SAFE	SAFE	HIGH	LOW	HIGH	BTM2	SAFE	WIN	HIGH	SAFE	BTM2	SAFE	Guest	Runner-up
Shea Couleé	SAFE	HIGH	SAFE	WIN	WIN	SAFE	HIGH	HIGH	WIN	BTM2	WIN	SAFE	Guest	Eliminated
Trinity Taylor	SAFE	HIGH	WIN	BTM2	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	LOW	HIGH	WIN	LOW	SAFE	Guest	Eliminated
Alexis Michelle	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	HIGH	HIGH	WIN	SAFE	BTM2	LOW	LOW	ELIM		Guest	Guest
Nina Bo'nina Brown	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	LOW	HIGH	BTM2	SAFE	BTM2	ELIM			Guest	Guest
Valentina	SAFE	WIN	HIGH	HIGH	SAFE	SAFE	HIGH	SAFE	ELIM				Miss C	Guest
Farrah Moan	SAFE	SAFE	LOW	HIGH	BTM2	LOW	SAFE	ELIM					Guest	Guest
Aja	SAFE	SAFE	BTM2	HIGH	SAFE	SAFE	ELIM						Guest	Guest
Cynthia Lee Fontaine		SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	BTM2	ELIM							Guest	Guest
Eureka	HIGH	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT								Guest	Guest
Charlie Hides	SAFE	LOW	SAFE	ELIM									Guest	Guest
Kimora Blac	SAFE	BTM2	ELIM										Guest	Guest
Jaymes Mansfield	SAFE	ELIM											Guest	Guest

     The contestant won RuPaul's Drag Race.

     The contestant was the runner-up.

     The contestant was eliminated during the first round of the lip-sync tournament.

     The contestant was voted Miss Congeniality by viewers.

     The contestant won the challenge.

     The contestant received positive critiques and was ultimately declared safe.

     The contestant received critiques but was ultimately declared safe.

     The contestant received negative critiques but was ultimately declared safe.

     The contestant was in the bottom two.

     The contestant was eliminated.

     The contestant was forced to withdraw from the competition on medical grounds.

     The contestant returned as a guest for this episode.

Lip-syncs

Episode	Contestants			Song	Eliminated
2	Jaymes Mansfield	vs.	Kimora Blac	"Love Shack" (The B-52's)	Jaymes Mansfield
3	Aja			"Holding Out for a Hero" (Bonnie Tyler)	Kimora Blac
4	Charlie Hides	vs.	Trinity Taylor	"I Wanna Go" (Britney Spears)	Charlie Hides
5	Cynthia Lee Fontaine	vs.	Farrah Moan	"Woman Up" (Meghan Trainor)	Eureka
6			Peppermint	"Music" (Madonna)	Cynthia Lee Fontaine
7	Aja	vs.	Nina Bo'nina Brown	"Finally" (CeCe Peniston)	Aja
8	Alexis Michelle	vs.	Farrah Moan	"Baby I'm Burning" (Dolly Parton)	Farrah Moan
9	Nina Bo'nina Brown	vs.	Valentina	"Greedy" (Ariana Grande)	Valentina
10			Shea Couleé	"Cool for the Summer" (Demi Lovato)	Nina Bo'nina Brown
11	Alexis Michelle	vs.	Peppermint	"Macho Man" (Village People)	Alexis Michelle
12	Peppermint vs. Sasha Velour vs. Shea Couleé vs. Trinity Taylor			"U Wear It Well" (RuPaul)	None
14	Peppermint	vs.	Trinity Taylor	"Stronger" (Britney Spears)	Trinity Taylor
	Sasha Velour	vs.	Shea Couleé	"So Emotional" (Whitney Houston)	Shea Couleé
		vs.	Peppermint	"It's Not Right But It's Okay" (Thunderpuss Remix) (Whitney Houston)	Peppermint

     The contestant was eliminated after their first time in the bottom two.

     The contestant was eliminated after their second time in the bottom two.

     The contestant was eliminated after their third time in the bottom two.

     The contestant was removed from the competition on medical grounds. As a result, neither contestant in the bottom two was eliminated.

     The contestant was eliminated after the first round of the finale lip-sync tournament

     The contestant was eliminated after the second round of the finale lip-sync tournament.

Guest judges

Listed in chronological order:[17][18]

• Lady Gaga, singer, songwriter, and actress
• The B-52's, new wave band
• Todrick Hall, actor and singer
• Cheyenne Jackson, actor and singer
• Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, actor and model
• Naya Rivera, actress and singer
• Meghan Trainor, singer and songwriter
• Candis Cayne, actress
• Denis O'Hare, actor
• Jennie Garth, actress
• Tori Spelling, actress and television personality
• Fortune Feimster, writer, comedian, and actress
• Tamar Braxton, singer and television personality
• Lisa Robertson, television personality and former QVC host
• Noah Galvin, actor
• Kesha, singer and songwriter
• Zaldy, Emmy-winning fashion designer
• Andie MacDowell, actress
• Joan Smalls, fashion model

Special guests

Guests who appeared in episodes, but did not judge on the main stage.

Episode 2:

• Lisa Kudrow, actress and comedian

Episode 12:

• Todrick Hall, actor and singer

Episodes

See also: List of RuPaul's Drag Race episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original air date
104	1	"Oh. My. Gaga!"	March 24, 2017 (2017-03-24)
The 13 drag queens enter the work room of RuPaul's Drag Race, where they are met by RuPaul and American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga, the latter who posed as a contestant. For the maxi-challenge, each queen were to prepare two runway looks on the main stage in front of RuPaul, Lady Gaga, and co-judges Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley and Ross Mathews: one based on their hometown, and the other being adaptions of Gaga's outfits, for the Miss Charisma Uniqueness Nerve and Talent pageant.[4] During the judges critiques, Eureka, Nina Bo'Nina Brown and Sasha Velour were chosen as the top three participants in the pageant, with Nina Bo'Nina Brown winning the title. Before the episode finished, RuPaul abruptly announced a 14th queen entering the competition.[4] Guest Judge: Lady Gaga Alternating Judges: Carson Kressley and Ross Mathews Maxi Challenge: Showcase a hometown styled outfit and a Lady Gaga-inspired outfit in the Miss Charisma Uniqueness Nerve and Talent pageant. Challenge Winner: Nina Bo'nina Brown Maxi Challenge Prize: A weeklong getaway to The Grand Resort and Spa at Fort Lauderdale Beach.
105	2	"She Done Already Done Brought It On"	March 31, 2017 (2017-03-31)
RuPaul announced a 14th queen entering the competition, which is season 8 contestant Cynthia Lee Fontaine, who previously placed 10th and was crowned Miss Congeniality in her season. For the maxi challenge, each queen competed in a cheer-leading battle between two teams, with Fontaine and Nina Bo'Nina Brown serving as team captains; subsequently, the runway theme on the main stage was "White Party Realness".[5] During the judges critiques, Shea Couleé, Trinity Taylor and Valentina were deemed the best for their performances and runway looks, with the latter contestant winning the challenge. Charlie Hides, Kimora Blac and Jaymes Mansfield were criticized for their performances, though Hides was the only contestant out of the three to be commended for her runway look. Hides was declared safe from the bottom two, whist Blac and Mansfield lip-synced against each other to The B-52's "Love Shack"; Blac won the lip-sync, while Mansfield was sashayed away by RuPaul.[5] Returned: Cynthia Lee Fontaine Guest Judges: The B-52's Alternating Judge: Ross Mathews Maxi Challenge: Compete in a cheerleading battle Runway Theme: White Party Realness Challenge Winner: Valentina Maxi Challenge Prize: A wig wardrobe by RockStar Wigs. Bottom Two: Jaymes Mansfield and Kimora Blac Lip Sync Song: "Love Shack" by The B-52's Eliminated: Jaymes Mansfield Farewell message: "You live to love me more each day. P.S. JK I love you all. J.M"
106	3	"Draggily Ever After"	April 7, 2017 (2017-04-07)
The remaining 13 queens were asked by RuPaul to create an original fairytale princess look, for the runway, with a sidekick character to portray on the main stage, in front of the panel of judges. During the judges critiques, Peppermint, Trinity Taylor and Valentina were praised for their runway looks and side kick creations, with Trinity Taylor winning the challenge.[6] However, Farrah Moan, Aja and Kimora Blac were criticized for their performances and looks. Out of the three, Moan was declared safe, while Aja and Blac lip-synced against each other to Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero"; Aja won the lip-sync, whilst Blac was sashayed away by RuPaul.[6] Guest Judges: Todrick Hall and Cheyenne Jackson Alternating Judge: Carson Kressley Maxi Challenge: Create an original fairytale princess with a sidekick Runway Theme: Fairytale Princess Eleganza Challenge Winner: Trinity Taylor Maxi Challenge Prize: $5000 gift card for Casper Sleep. Bottom Two: Aja and Kimora Blac Lip Sync Song: "Holding Out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler Eliminated: Kimora Blac Farewell message: "Hey ladies, I ♡ you all! Sisters 4 ever ♡ Kimmy"
107	4	"Good Morning Bitches"	April 14, 2017 (2017-04-14)
The 12 remaining queens were asked by RuPaul to act in two live morning talk shows, titled Good Morning Bitches and Not On Today; the contestants also had to conduct an interview with American singer and actress Naya Rivera, who served as the weeks co-special judge.[7] Alongside this, the runway theme of the week was Naughty Nighties.[7] During the judges critiques, team Good Morning Bitches—which included Aja, Alexis Michelle, Farrah Moan, Valentina, and subsequent winners Shea Couleé and Sasha Velour—were all deemed safe, while the Not on Today team were up for elimination. Cynthia Lee Fontaine, Eureka and Nina Bo'Nina Brown were all commended for their performances, despite Fontaine being criticized for her runway look. However, Charlie Hides, Peppermint and Trinity Taylor were all criticized for their performances. Peppermint received the worst reviews for her runway out of the three, but was noted by the judges as the better performer.[7] She was ultimately declared safe, while Charlie Hides and Trinity Taylor lip-synced to Britney Spears' "I Wanna Go"; Taylor won the lip-sync, whilst Hides was sashayed away by RuPaul.[7] Guest Judges: Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman and Naya Rivera Alternating Judge: Ross Mathews Maxi Challenge: Produce a live morning talk show Runway Theme: Naughty Nighties Challenge Winners: Sasha Velour and Shea Couleé Maxi Challenge Prize: $1000 and a year-supply of hamburgers courtesy of Hamburger Mary's Bottom Two: Charlie Hides and Trinity Taylor Lip Sync Song: "I Wanna Go" by Britney Spears Eliminated: Charlie Hides Farewell message: "Ladies, I've enjoyed getting to know each + every one of you! Slay it. xo Charlie"
108	5	"Reality Stars: The Musical"	April 21, 2017 (2017-04-21)
The remaining 11 queens featured in the season's first mini-challenge to pose in a sexy selfie with the pit crew of RuPaul's Drag Race; Alexis Michelle won the challenge, and was given the authority to choose roles for the maxi-challenge of Kardashian: The Musical. Alongside this, the runway theme of the week was Faux Fur Fabulous.[8] During the judges critiques, Aja, Eureka, Sasha Velour, Trinity Taylor and Valentina were declared safe. Alexis Michelle, Peppermint and Shea Couleé received high critiques for their performances, though Michelle received negative commentary about her runway look. Shea Couleé was ultimately declared the winner of the challenge. However, Cynthia Lee Fontaine, Farrah Moan and Nina Bo'Nina Brown were all criticized for their performances.[8] Nina Bo'Nina Brown was declared safe from the bottom two, while Cynthia Lee Fontaine and Farrah Moan lip-synced against each other to Meghan Trainor's "Woman Up". Despite their lip-sync, RuPaul removed contestant Eureka from the competition due to an injury that occurred in episode two for the cheer-leading challenge; as a result, Fontaine and Moan were declared safe.[8] Guest Judges: Meghan Trainor and Todrick Hall Alternating Judge: Carson Kressley Mini-Challenge: Shoot a sexy selfie with the pit crew Mini-Challenge Winner: Alexis Michelle Mini-Challenge Prize: $1000 gift card from fiercequeen.com Maxi Challenge: Star in Kardashian: The Musical Runway Theme: Faux Fur Fabulous Challenge Winner: Shea Couleé Maxi Challenge Prize: A Caribbean Cruise by AllOutVacations Bottom Two: Cynthia Lee Fontaine and Farrah Moan Lip Sync Song: "Woman Up" by Meghan Trainor Removed: Eureka Farewell message: "Well... Biggie is out but this is NOT the last of Me!! I need all of you to ALWAYS (lol) #beyourselftofreeyourself ♡ Eureka H!! :p"
109	6	"Snatch Game"	April 28, 2017 (2017-04-28)
The 10 remaining queens were asked by RuPaul to impersonate any character or celebrity for the series' on-going challenge, the Snatch Game; subsequently, the runway theme was Night of 1000 Madonna's, which was repeated for Season 9 due to the criticism it attracted for its first appearance on season 8.[9] During the judges critiques, Aja, Shea Couleé, Trinity Taylor and Valentina were all declared safe. Alexis Michelle, Nina Bo'Nina Brown and Sasha Velour were praised for their performances and runway looks, though Brown was criticized for having the same theme-based outfit as Trinity Taylor's. Moreover, Cynthia Lee Fontaine, Farrah Moan and Peppermint received negative critiques for their performances, while Moan was the only contestant out of the three to have received positive remarks about her runway outfit.[9] Moan was declared safe from the bottom two, while Cynthia Lee Fontaine and Peppermint lip-synced against each other to Madonna's "Music"; Peppermint won the lip-sync, and Cynthia Lee Fontaine was sashayed away by RuPaul.[9] Fontaine finishing in 10th place made her the only contestant to compete in two seasons and be placed in the exact same position after being eliminated. Guest Judges: Candis Cayne and Denis O'Hare Alternating Judge: Ross Mathews Maxi Challenge: Impersonate celebrities in the Snatch Game Runway Theme: A Night of a Thousand Madonnas Challenge Winner: Alexis Michelle Maxi Challenge Prize: $2000 package from Sparkles Rhinestones Bottom Two: Cynthia Lee Fontaine and Peppermint Lip Sync Song: "Music" by Madonna Eliminated: Cynthia Lee Fontaine Farewell message: "Don't stop believe in you!!! Love you, Cucu x xo xo"
110	7	"9021-HO[19]"	May 5, 2017 (2017-05-05)
The 9 remaining queens were asked by RuPaul to act in a 90210 parody spin-off, titled 9021-Ho; as a result of contestant Peppermint falling in the bottom two the previous week, RuPaul had given her the authority to choose the roles towards the show. The runway theme of the week was Big Hair Everywhere.[10] During the critiques, Alexis Michelle, Farrah Moan and Peppermint were declared safe. Shea Couleé, Trinity Taylor and Valentina received positive remarks for their performances and runway looks, with Trinity Taylor eventually winning the challenge. However, Aja, Nina Bo'Nina Brown and Sasha Velour were all criticized for their performances yet praised for their runway. Sasha Velour was declared safe from the bottom two, while Aja and Nina Bo'Nina Brown lip-synced against each other to CeCe Peniston's "Finally"; Nina Bo'Nina Brown won the lip-sync, and Aja was sashayed away by RuPaul.[10] Guest Judges: Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling Alternating Judge: Carson Kressley Maxi Challenge: Act in a classic 90's high-school drama Runway Theme: Big Hair Everywhere Challenge Winner: Trinity Taylor Maxi Challenge Prize: $2000 gift card from Fabric Planet Bottom Two: Aja and Nina Bo'nina Brown Lip Sync Song: "Finally" by Cece Peniston Eliminated: Aja Farewell message: "Love u guys, please dont be too messy without me! XOXO AJA <3 P.S. Ur all gay!"
111	8	"RuPaul Roast[20]"	May 12, 2017 (2017-05-12)
The 8 remaining queens were asked by RuPaul to insult each other for the season's second mini-challenge, often referred as "Reading is Fundamental"; Valentina won the challenge, and was given the authority to assign the line-up for the comedy roast of judge Michelle Visage.[11] During the judges critiques, Nina Bo'Nina Brown and Valentina were declared safe. Peppermint, Sasha Velour and Shea Couleé were praised for their performances, with Peppermint winning the challenge. However, Alexis Michelle, Farrah Moan, and Trinity Taylor were all deemed the worst during the comedy roast, although Taylor received positive remarks for her runway look. Trinity Taylor was declared safe, while Alexis and Farrah lip-synced against each other to Dolly Parton's "Baby I'm Burning"; Alexis Michelle won the lip-sync, and Farrah Moan was sashayed away by RuPaul.[11] Guest Judges: Fortune Feimster and Tamar Braxton Alternating Judge: Ross Mathews Mini-Challenge: Reading Is Fundamental Mini-Challenge Winner: Valentina Mini-Challenge Prize: 4-night stay at Saguaro in Palm Springs Maxi Challenge: Perform a comedy roast of Michelle Visage in front of a live audience Challenge Winner: Peppermint Maxi Challenge Prize: 5-year membership with SquareSpace Bottom Two: Alexis Michelle and Farrah Moan Lip Sync Song: "Baby I'm Burning" by Dolly Parton Eliminated: Farrah Moan Farewell message: "Hey ladies! I love you all sooo much. You are all superstars and it's so special to finally have a real family. Good luck & DON'T F**K IT UP! <3 Farrah Moan"
112	9	"Your Pilot's On Fire[21]"	May 19, 2017 (2017-05-19)
The 7 remaining queens were asked by RuPaul to form two groups of two, and a group of three, to write, produce and star in their own TV show pilot; the teams were: Sasha Velour and Shea Couleé as team one, Nina Bo'Nina Brown and Valentina as team two, and Alexis Michelle, Peppermint and Trinity Taylor as team three.[12] Subsequently, the runway theme for the main stage was Club Kid Couture. During the judges critiques, Sasha Velour and Shea Couleé won the challenge for their runway looks and performances, becoming the first duo to win more than one challenge in the same season.[12] Elsewhere, Peppermint and Trinity Taylor received positive reviews for their runway looks and performances, whilst team member Alexis Michelle attracted contrasting results. Nina Bo'Nina Brown and Valentina received mixed reviews for their pilots and runway look.[12] Alexis Michelle was declared safe from the bottom two, while Nina Bo'Nina Brown and Valentina lip-synced against each other to Ariana Grande's "Greedy".[11] However, the lip-sync was stopped by RuPaul because Valentina had a veil (which was part of her runway look) covering her mouth, effectively hindering the lip-sync performance; she subsequently removed it per request by RuPaul. Later, it became clear that Valentina did not know the words to the lip-sync, which (in addition to their performances) made Nina Bo'Nina Brown the winner of the lip-sync, while Valentina was sashayed away by RuPaul.[11] Guest Judges: Lisa Robertson and Noah Galvin Alternating Judge: Carson Kressley Maxi Challenge: Create, write, and star in their own TV pilots Runway Theme: Club Kid Couture Challenge Winners: Sasha Velour and Shea Couleé Maxi Challenge Prize: $1000 gift certificate from The Spa On Rodeo and a supply of Aquage Professional Haircare products Bottom Two: Nina Bo'nina Brown and Valentina Lip Sync Song: "Greedy" by Ariana Grande Eliminated: Valentina Farewell message: "Ladies, I love you with all my heart. If ever you need me, I'm yours. Con Amor. Valentina"
113	10	"Makeovers: Crew Better Work[22]"	May 26, 2017 (2017-05-26)
The 6 remaining queens were asked by RuPaul to give make-overs of themselves, and six crew members of RuPaul's Drag Race. During the judges critiques, Trinity Taylor won the challenge alongside her partner, with Sasha Velour receiving high critiques. Peppermint was declared safe, while Alexis Michelle, Nina Bo'Nina Brown and Shea Couleé were criticized for their make-over looks. Alexis Michelle was declared safe from the bottom two, while Nina Bo'Nina Brown and Shea Couleé lip-synced against each other to Demi Lovato's "Cool for the Summer"; Shea Couleé won the lip-sync, and Nina Bo'Nina Brown was sashayed away by RuPaul.[13] Guest Judges: Kesha and Zaldy Alternating Judge: Ross Mathews Maxi Challenge: Makeover members of the "Drag Race" crew and prepare a lip sync performance to RuPaul's Song Click Clack. Challenge Winner: Trinity Taylor Maxi Challenge Prize: Two custom gowns made by David Meister, and a $2,000 gift certificate to Klein Epstein Parker for her drag sister Bottom Two: Nina Bo'nina Brown and Shea Couleé Lip Sync Song: "Cool for the Summer" by Demi Lovato Eliminated: Nina Bo'nina Brown Farewell message:"Debbie Downer is gone. SUE ME! Shae Coulee hope you struggle cleaning this LOL. Love you all ♡"
114	11	"Gayest Ball Ever[23]"	June 2, 2017 (2017-06-02)
The 5 remaining queens were asked by RuPaul to create puppets of each drag queen, and impersonate them in the season's third mini-challenge; Sasha Velour won the challenge, and was given the authority to choreograph a special dance routine, resembling the elements of the LGBT community.[14] Additionally, the contestants were asked by RuPaul to create three runway looks; the first influenced by the traditional LGBT rainbow flag, the second incorporating unicorn aesthetics, and the final being a homage to American male group The Village People. During the critiques, Shea Couleé and Sasha Velour received positive critiques, with the former contestant winning the challenge. Alexis Michelle was criticized for all three looks, while Peppermint and Trinity Taylor received mixed reviews. Trinity Taylor was declared safe from the bottom two, while Alexis and Peppermint lip-synced against each other to The Village People's "Macho Man"; Peppermint won the lip-sync, and Alexis Michelle was sashayed away by RuPaul.[14] Guest Judges: Andie MacDowell and Joan Smalls Alternating Judge: Carson Kressley Mini-Challenge: Everyone Loves Puppets Mini-Challenge Winner: Sasha Velour Mini-Challenge Prize: A $500 gift card for Today Tix Maxi Challenge: Compete in a queer culture pageant, design outfits for three different categories - Rainbow-She-Better-Do, Sexy Unicorn, and Village People Eleganza Extravaganza, and create their own gymnastics routine Challenge Winner: Shea Couleé Maxi Challenge Prize: 2 VIP tickets to Cirque du Soleil Zumanity in Las Vegas, including flights and accommodation Bottom Two: Alexis Michelle and Peppermint Lip Sync Song: "Macho Man" by Village People Eliminated: Alexis Michelle Farewell message: "Wishes come true, not free. you're my sisters... always."
115	12	"Category Is[24]"	June 9, 2017 (2017-06-09)
The 4 remaining queens were asked by RuPaul to write, produce and choreograph an original verse for the remix of his song "Category Is"; additionally, each queen were ask to guest star on RuPaul's podcast What's the Tee?, featuring panel judge Michelle Visage.[15] During the critiques, each contestant received positive critiques about their runway looks—which was their best drag style—and for their longevity in the competition. All remaining drag queens were asked to lip-sync to RuPaul's single "U Wear It Well"; for the first time on the show, no contestants were eliminated on the final challenge, and all four advanced into the grand finale.[15] Alternating Judge(s): Carson Kressley and Ross Mathews Main Challenge: Write and record a verse for the remix of "Category Is" and guest star on RuPaul's podcast "What's the Tee?" Lip Sync Song: "U Wear It Well" by RuPaul
116	13	"Reunited"	June 16, 2017 (2017-06-16)[25]
The contestants reminisce over the season. Miss Congeniality was announced; previous Miss Congeniality and season 8 and 9 drag queen Cynthia Lee Fontaine announced that fellow contestant Valentina won the title, which sparked criticism amongst all other queens.[16] During the end of the episode, RuPaul announced that the final four contestants would have to lip-sync in groups of two to see who advances to winning America's Next Drag Superstar.[16] Miss Congeniality: Valentina
117	14	"Grand Finale"	June 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)[26]
The final four queens compete in a sudden death lipsync showdown in the race to crown America's Next Drag Superstar. In the first round, Peppermint and Trinity Taylor lip-sync against each other to "Stronger" by Britney Spears; Peppermint wins the lip-sync, and Trinity Taylor becomes the first finalist to sashay away while Peppermint advances to the final round. In the second round, Sasha Velour and Shea Couleé lip-sync against each other to "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston; Sasha Velour wins the lip-sync, and Shea Couleé becomes the second finalist to sashay away while Sasha Velour advances to the final round. In the third and final round, Peppermint and Sasha Velour lip-sync against each other to "It's Not Right, But It's Okay" by Whitney Houston; Sasha Velour wins the lip-sync and is crowned America's Next Drag Superstar; while Peppermint places as the runner-up. Finals venue: Alex Theatre, Glendale, California Eliminated: Shea Couleé and Trinity Taylor Runner-up: Peppermint Winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Season Nine: Sasha Velour

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of RuPaul's Drag Race

No.	Title	Air date	Rating/share (18–49)	Viewers (millions)
1	"Oh. My. Gaga!"	March 24, 2017	0.5[27]	0.987[27]
2	"She Done Already Done Brought It On"	March 31, 2017	0.4[28]	0.754[28]
3	"Draggily Ever After"	April 7, 2017	0.3[29]	0.673[29]
4	"Good Morning Bitches"	April 14, 2017	0.3[30]	0.588[30]
5	"Reality Stars: The Musical"	April 21, 2017	0.3[31]	0.693[31]
6	"Snatch Game"	April 28, 2017	0.4[32]	0.702[32]
7	"9021-HO"	May 5, 2017	0.3[33]	0.694[33]
8	"RuPaul Roast"	May 12, 2017	0.4[34]	0.738[34]
9	"Your Pilot's On Fire"	May 19, 2017	0.3[35]	0.636[35]
10	"Makeovers: Crew Better Work"	May 26, 2017	0.4[36]	0.720[36]
11	"Gayest Ball Ever"	June 2, 2017	0.3[37]	0.619[37]
12	"Category Is"	June 9, 2017	0.3[38]	0.637[38]
13	"Reunited"	June 16, 2017	0.3[39]	0.685[39]
14	"Grand Finale"	June 23, 2017	0.4[40]	0.859[40]

Future appearances

Aja competed on the third season of All Stars and placed 7th overall.[41]

Eureka O'Hara competed on the tenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race and ultimately placed as a runner-up.[42]

Trinity Taylor, Valentina, and Farrah Moan competed on the fourth season of All Stars. Farrah placed 9th and Valentina placed 7th overall. Trinity won the competition with season 10 contestant Monét X Change.[43]

Shea Couleé competed on the fifth season of All Stars and won the competiton.[44]

References

1. "RuPaul's Drag Race Cast Members". Logo TV. February 2, 2017.
2. "Meet the Queens: Eureka O'Hara - Video Clip from RuPaul's Drag Race". Logo. February 2, 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
3. "Meet the Queens: Charlie Hides - Video Clip from RuPaul's Drag Race". Logo TV. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
4. Henderson, Eric (March 24, 2017). "RuPaul's Drag Race Recap Season 9, episode 1, "Oh. My Gaga!"". Slant Magazine. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
5. Reliable sources citing this episode:
   • Kressley, Carson (March 31, 2017). "RuPaul's Drag Race recap: 'She Done Already Done Brought It On'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
   • Sava, Oliver (March 31, 2017). "Disappointing editing keeps RuPaul's Drag Race from returning to form". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
6. Reliable sources citing this episode:
   • Kressley, Carson (April 7, 2017). "RuPaul's Drag Race recap: Draggily Ever After". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
   • Henderson, Eric (April 7, 2017). "RuPaul's Drag Race Recap Season 9, Episode 3, "Draggily Ever After"". Slant Magazine. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
7. Reliable sources citing this episode:
   • Henderson, Eric (April 14, 2017). "RuPaul's Drag Race Recap Season 9, Episode 4, "Good Morning Bitches"". Slant Magazine. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
   • Sava, Oliver (April 14, 2017). "An abysmal lip sync diminishes an already lackluster RuPaul's Drag Race". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
8. Reliable sources citing this episode:
   • Kressley, Carson (April 21, 2017). "RuPaul's Drag Race Recap Season 9, Episode 5, "Kardashians: The Musical"". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
   • Henderson, Eric (April 21, 2017). "Recap: Kardashian: The Musical". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 5, 2017.<
   • Booster, Joel Kim (April 21, 2017). "Recap: Kardashian: The Musical". Vulture. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
9. Reliable sources citing this episode:
   • Kressley, Carson (April 28, 2017). "RuPaul's Drag Race: Snatch Game". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
   • Booster, Joel Kim (April 28, 2017). "Rupaul's Drag Race Recap: The Snatch Game". Archived from the original on May 3, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
10. Reliable sources citing this episode:
    • Kressley, Carson (May 5, 2017). "RuPaul's Drag Race: 9021-Ho". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
    • Sava, Oliver (May 5, 2017). "Drag Race gets bit by the '90s nostalgia bug with a "9021-HO" acting challenge". Retrieved May 26, 2017.
11. Reliable sources citing this episode:
    • Kressley, Carson (May 12, 2017). "RuPaul's Drag Race: RuPaul". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
    • Henderson, Eric (May 12, 2017). "Season 9, Episode 8, "RuPaul Roast"". Retrieved May 26, 2017.
12. • Sava, Oliver (May 19, 2017). "Drag Race season 9 finally reaches excellence when the queens make TV pilots". Retrieved May 26, 2017.
13. • Sava, Oliver (May 26, 2017). "The Drag Race crew jumps in front of the camera for the makeover challenge". Retrieved May 27, 2017.
14. Sava, Oliver (June 2, 2017). "RuPaul's Drag Race throws the "Gayest Ball Ever" with mixed results". Retrieved June 19, 2017.
15. Sava, Oliver (June 9, 2017). "Drag Race ends the competition with strong performances and a weak runway". Retrieved June 19, 2017.
16. Sava, Oliver (June 16, 2017). "Drag Race's reunion delivers the exciting drama that season 9 lacked". Retrieved June 19, 2017.
17. Nolfi, Joey (March 10, 2017). "Lady Gaga hits RuPaul's Drag Race runway — see the photos". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
18. Nolfi, Joey (March 10, 2017). "Kesha, Lisa Kudrow, Tamar Braxton join RuPaul's Drag Race in season 9 trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
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22. "RuPaul's Drag Race Season 9 Episode Guide". TV Guide. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
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27. Welch, Alex. "Friday cable ratings: 'RuPaul's Drag Race' premieres, NCAA leads". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
28. Welch, Alex. "Friday cable ratings: 'Mama June' and 'Rap Game' tick up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
29. Welch, Alex. "Friday cable ratings: 'Real Time with Bill Maher' holds steady, 'Mama June' leads". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
30. Metcalf, Mitch. "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Friday Cable Originals and Network Finals: 4.14.2017". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
31. Welch, Alex. "Friday cable ratings: Houston vs Oklahoma City NBA playoff wins the night". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
32. Welch, Alex. "Friday cable ratings: Friday cable ratings: NBA Playoffs lead, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' holds steady". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
33. Welch, Alex. "Friday cable ratings: 'Real Time with Bill Maher' and 'RuPaul's Drag Race' hold steady". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
34. Welch, Alex. "Friday cable ratings: 'Bill Maher' holds steady, NBA Playoffs lead". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
35. Welch, Alex. "Friday cable ratings: NBA Playoff games win the night". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
36. Welch, Alex. "Friday cable ratings: 'RuPaul's Drag Race' ticks back up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
37. Welch, Alex. "Friday cable ratings: 'Ancient Aliens' ticks up, 'Bill Maher' takes a hit". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
38. Welch, Alex. "Friday cable ratings: 'Real Time with Bill Maher' ticks up for HBO". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
39. Welch, Alex. "Friday cable ratings: 'RuPaul's Drag Race' holds steady, 'Real Time with Bill Maher' takes a hit". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
40. Welch, Alex. "Friday cable ratings: 'Live PD' leads the night, 'Bill Maher' holds steady". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
41. "'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' season 3 queens announced: See an exclusive cast photo". Entertainment Weekly. October 21, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
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44. Nolfi, Joey (May 8, 2020). "RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars 5 cast announced, series moves back to VH1". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 8, 2020.

External links

• Official website