Heading into season 12, RuPaul's Drag Race [1] is as colourful and creative as ever, in large part due to the larger-than-life personalities that come on the show to compete for the ultimate drag title. This season, 13 new drag queens [2] are taking the stage in hopes of earning the coveted title of "America's next drag superstar." Among the new batch of contestants are performers from all over the country — and even outside the country! They've all established themselves as some of the best drag artists in the world, and we can't wait to see what they bring in the new season of Drag Race. Ahead, learn a little bit more about each of this season's competitors before the new season premieres on Feb. 28!
Aiden Zhane
Hailing from Acworth, Georgia, Aiden's drag persona embraces punk, gothic, and spooky influences. Who says drag has to be all sparkles and sequins?
Brita Filter
The NYC-based drag queen is famous for her fabulous lip-syncs.
Crystal Methyd
With a gleefully eyebrow-raising name and some extreme eye makeup, Crystal will definitely be turning heads.
Dahlia Sin
Brooklyn-born and LA-based Dahlia has a Drag Race connection already: she's the "drag daughter" of Aja, who appeared on both season nine and All-Stars season three.
Gigi Goode
Gigi has a particularly awesome specialty in her LA-based drag: when she's not glamming it up as iconic characters, she turns fashion illustrations into real-life versions.
Heidi N. Closet
The cheekily-named drag queen from small-town Ramseur, North Carolina does more than just performing. On her website [3], she describes an organisation she's founded, Heidi's Rainbow Brunch, which "is operated by volunteers and a portion of all proceeds are donated to local charities that support the LGBTQ+ community."
Jackie Cox
Jackie is a Canadian-born performer with Iranian heritage and a New Yorker at heart. Not only does she create her own drag performances, but she does some fantastic drag cosplay too.
Jaida Essence Hall
Jaida, who is from Milwaukee, pulls double duty: not only does she perform, but she designs and makes all her own stunning costumes. Her Instagram is packed with sketch-to-stage transformations!
Jan Sport
New Yorker Jan is a Broadway geek at heart. Peep at her Instagram for plenty of musical theatre references and costumes along with her super-glam looks.
Nicky Doll
Nicky is currently based out of New York, but she's actually from much further away: the former Parisian is now the first-ever French contestant on Drag Race.
Rock M. Sakura
The San Francisco drag queen takes major inspiration from anime and manga in her creative looks!
Sherry Pie
Sherry leans heavily into comedy in her NYC drag performances — you're as likely to see her parodying iconic characters as creating her own elaborate looks.
Widow Von’Du
Kansas City might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of drag, but that's where Widow calls home. She's got a not-so-secret talent, too: she's a master with a fan!