RuPaul’s Drag Race lands Emmy nominations
RuPaul’s Drag Race has finally landed an Emmy nomination for Best Reality Show.
The edgy drag reality contest has since in 2009, and has earned a cult following from fans both gay and straight.
However, the show escaped the attention of the Emmy judging panel for years on end, with the repeated snub becoming a running joke among Drag Race fans.
This year, the show has finally been nominated for Outstanding Reality Competition, while RuPaul Charles was nominated in the Reality Competition Host category.
The show’s behind-the-scenes spin-off, RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked, was also nominated for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program.
RuPaul won the best reality host category last year.
Talking to reporters backstage, he said: “I really didn’t expect this.
“I came here thinking, I got invited to the prom and I’m going to dance my ass off tonight but I didn’t expect that I would have this in my hand while I was dancing.
“It’s a very special night not just for me but for all the young people around the world who dance to the beat of a different drummer.”
Elsewhere, Jeffrey Tambor picked up yet another Lead Actor in a Comedy Series nomination for his role as Maura Pfefferman on Amazon’s transgender-themed show Transparent.
Kathryn Hahn and Judith Light, who play Shelly Pfefferman and Rabbi Raquel Fein on Transparent, were nominated for Supporting Actress in a Comedy.
Jane Fonda also picked up a Lead Actress in a Comedy nod for her role in gay-themed Netflix sitcom Grace and Frankie.
Lady Gaga made a guest appearance on this year’s season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and gave an emotional speech about the gay community.
Of her connection with the gay community, she said: “I’m not a gay woman, you know?
“And it’s that touchy sort of subject where can you stand up for people that you are not necessarily fully part of that community in a way that you can understand what you all go through, right?
“But I have always been surrounded by incredibly intelligent, powerful gay men who have lifted me up through lots of changes in my life.
“Becoming famous was very strange and it’s the gay men in my life that helped me to become a woman.
“I don’t know that a lot of people would understand that but it’s because of what you’ve through ― you have survived so much that you inspire me to continue surviving. So thank you for that.”
The show recently found a new home – after ‘going mainstream’.
