RuPaul’s Drag Race continues to top itself year after year, and it shows no sign of slowing down after receiving 10 Emmy nominations for the show’s 16th season.
“Thankfully, we draw from such a deep well of queen talent across the country,” explains EP Mandy Salangsang at a virtual panel for Deadline’s Contenders Television: The Nominees. She was joined by senior producer and judge Michelle Visage, judge Ts Madison and choreographer Jamal Sims. “Every season obviously brings with these talented queens such variety, such diversity, such unique and new talent and visions.”
“When people interview me, they’ll say, ‘What makes this different than any other season?,’” says Visage. “The queens make it different. Each batch is an incredibly talented, gifted group of individuals that brings so much to this platform.”
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As a judge, Visage’s approach to critiquing the queens comes from a place of tough love. “I’m a mother to a queer child,” she says. “I’m on this earth as an ally… to help make this world a better place for all humans, but mostly for LGBTQIA+ humans because they have a harder go of it on this earth… It’s really hard out there if they’re wanting to be in this game for more than 15 minutes. I want them to show all of themselves while they have the moment, because you don’t know if they’re going to be here for one week or if they’re going to be here for 13 weeks, so I think they should lay it all on the line every single episode.”
Ts Madison’s approach to judging may be different, but her motivation also comes from the same place of advocacy in the queer community. “When I’m judging the girls, I’m always judging them from the place of ‘I’m a self-made star,’ so they have the opportunity to have a stage that reaches the entire world,” says Madison. Having that stage is incredibly important for Madison, who says, “This is our show, our queer community show. I remember this happening in the airport recently, I got on the plane and I thought about it and I was like, ‘Oh my God, there’s no other show that belongs to us, except RuPaul’s Drag Race.’”
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While it’s not new for RuPaul’s Drag Race to receive multiple Emmy nominations, this is the first year the series has been nominated for Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming. The recognition has meant a lot to Sims, who has been a longtime member of the Drag Race family.
“I have to say that this is such an honor, because other Emmy-nominated dance programs are professional,” says Sims. “We have to remember that we’re not working with professional dancers here on the show. They’re contestants, and some of them have never had dance training before. So, to me, it feels like I’m part of the competition. I actually do want each one of them to succeed when I’m choreographing, and that’s what’s so important.”
“I just want to give Jamal his flowers because he works tirelessly and endlessly,” adds Visage. “Some of the queens have never done a step in their life and he makes sure that they have got it down, so they’re comfortable and they’re showing the best of what they can do. He does so much more that he is letting on.”
“He just brings with him an enthusiasm and an energy and instills in these queens the belief that no matter how daunting the task may be… he helps them believe and know that they can deliver,” says Salangsang. “And boy, do they.”
Check back Monday for the panel video.
