Aquaria crowned RuPaul's Drag Race season 10 winner
We have a new queen of drag, ya'all! Aquaria has been crowned the 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 10 winner. Aquaria, who has been doing drag since 2014 officially got RuPaul's nod during the season finale on Thursday. She beat fellow contestants Asia O’Hara, Eureka, and Kameron Michaels earning the title of 'America’s Next Drag Superstar' and winning a cash prize of $100,000 in a super intense finale.
Aquaria was ecstatic about the win. "Finally making it to the top of the most influential drag platform of today is proof that no dream is ever unachievable if you have the passion, resilience, love, and work ethic to devote your life to that dream," she said, "Drag will always be a dynamic and powerful art form and it is my duty now to honor the artists who have come before me while continuing to pioneer my own path and history by being open to growth and change as a human and a drag superstar.”
Real name Giovanni Palandrani, Aquaria is of Italian ethnicity and was born and raised in West Chester, a suburb of Philadelphia, PA. Aquaria studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, majoring in Womenswear. In a world full of nines, Aquaria was a 10 in a season filled with stunning looks, sickening lip-syncs, topical conversations and an elimination that left viewers screaming 'Vanjie.' Filmed in front of a packed house at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, season nine winner Sasha Velour was on-hand during the finale to pass on the title to her successor.
"This season will go down as one of the most competitive in ‘Drag Race’ herstory. And still, Aquaria’s many talents distinguished her from the field of amazing queens. This is the dawning of the Age of Aquaria. I can’t wait to see what she does next," said host RuPaul, who is also the producer of the show.
VH1 recently announced the greenlight for season 11 of 'RuPaul’s Drag Race' along with their aftershow 'RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked,' which provides an intimate look into the conversations between the queens as they wait to learn their fate behind the main stage. The winner of the ninth season of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' was Sasha Velour, with Peppermint being the runner-up.