Meet the Cast of 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' Season 9
Mama Ru said, "Bring back my girls," and the girls have returned for RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 9. And as is often the case with the All Stars seasons, the format for Season 9 is getting switched up yet again (and thankfully it does not appear that we'll be competing in pairs).
Channeling the success of the non-elimination all winners format of All Stars 7 and likely in an attempt to draw some more high-profile queens after All Stars 8 was criticized for a lackluster cast, All Stars 9 will also be an eight-person cast of queens. Each week the eight contestants will compete, but like in All Stars 7, no one will be sent home, which means that none of these legends will have prepared dozens of looks only to be shipped out in Episode 1.
Paramount+
Also new this season is how the prize money will be distributed. Rather than the queens themselves taking home the grand prize of $200,000, the eight queens will be competing on behalf of charities. Each queen has selected a philanthropic group to play for, and the money they earn during the season will be given to that charity.
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 9 will premiere on Paramount+ on May 17, 2024.
Below is our breakdown of the eight queens competing in RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 9 along with a little bit about the charities that they'll be playing for.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' Season 9
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 9 cast
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Angeria Paris VanMichaels
Season 14 (3rd/4th/5th Place)
Since she was eliminated (along with Bosco and Daya Betty) in the semi-finals of the Season 14 finale, it's been pretty obvious that APVM would be returning to Drag Race at some point. The zany pageant queen with a thick Southern accent instantly impressed Ru on Season 14 before getting in her head a bit and faltering as the competition progressed. On paper, Angeria seems like a strong contender for the All Stars 9 crown, especially armed with more expensive looks than she brought her first time out.
Charity: National Black Justice Collective — Since 2003, NBJC, now known as the National Black Justice Collective, has been America’s leading national civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+ and same gender loving (LGBTQ+/SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS. Its mission is to end racism/anti-Blackness and LGBTQ+ bias, stigma and discrimination so that every member of the beautifully diverse community can be free.
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Gottmik
Season 13 (3rd/4th Place)
The GAG of the All Stars 9 casting list is Gottmik IMHO. There are a handful of queens in the Drag Race pantheon who I'd classify as "too big for Drag Race" and Gottmik is certainly one of those. Since losing her Season 13 finale lip sync to Symone, Gottmik has launched a podcast with Violet Chachki, written a book with Gigi Gorgeous and starred in the music video for Sam Smith and Kim Petras' "Unholy." The non-elimination format change for All Stars 9 is clearly a large factor in her return to the show, and she is clearly the frontrunner. The transmasculine star will be devouring her competition on the runway (and let us not forget she won both the ball and Snatch Game on her season), so if you're betting on a winner, bet on her.
Charity: Trans Lifeline — Trans Lifeline is a grassroots hotline, advocacy and micro-grants non-profit offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis—for the trans community, by the trans community.
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Jorgeous
Season 14 (6th/7th Place)
The gorgeous Jorgeous is back to once again say "hellotus!" Of the All Stars 9 cast, her return is perhaps the most baffling given her arc on Season 14 (where she competed against Angeria). While Jorgeous did receive the infamous "you were born to do drag" comment from RuPaul, she struggled in most things that weren't design/lip sync-based and was constantly in the bottom. When she and DeJa Skye were finally sent packing, it almost seemed like a relief for the ghost puncher. Perhaps without the threat of elimination, however, Jorgeous will be able to let loose a bit more and surprise us.
Charity: National Alliance of Mental Illness — The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental health conditions.
Related: RuPaul's Net Worth Is Definitely a Lot More Than a Cash Prize of $200,000
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Nina West
Season 11 (6th Place)
The sole Miss Congeniality of All Stars 9 will be Columbus, Ohio's crown jewel, Miss Nina West. The comedy queen, actor and activist became a fan favorite in Season 11, where she brought veteran professionalism to a group of messier newbies. She took home wins in two comedy challenges before the makeover challenge (and a lip sync against assassin Silky Nutmeg Ganache) finally sent her home in 6th place. Since her exit, fans have been clamoring for her return, and it will be a delight to watch Nina on our TVs for a whole season.
Charity: The Trevor Project — The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. Trevor offers 24/7 crisis services, connecting highly trained counselors with LGBTQ+ young people whenever they need support. To drive prevention efforts, The Trevor Project also operates robust research, advocacy, education and peer support programs.
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Plastique Tiara
Season 11 (8th Place)
If there is one queen who will be competition for Gottmik on the runway it will be Nina West's fellow Season 11 queen, Plastique Tiara. Plastique, one of the fishiest queens to ever grace the main stage, is THE queen of social media. Not only is she in an elite club of Ru girls with 2M+ Instagram followers (the other members are Trixie Mattel, Katya, Bianca Del Rio, Adore Delano and Violet Chachki), but she also boasts a MASSIVE 11.6 million on TikTok, more than any other queen including RuPaul (by about 10 million). While her track record on the show was a bit rocky and she only won on design challenge, she certainly will be bringing more star power than most of her competitors.
Charity: The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) — The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) serves the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community in their pursuit of belonging and prosperity that is free from discrimination, slander and violence. Launched in 2021 in response to the rise in anti-Asian hate and to address the long-standing underinvestment in AANHPI communities, TAAF convenes all sectors to fight against hate and violence, reclaim narratives and celebrate stories through core pillars of Anti-Hate, Education, Narrative Change and Resources & Representation. Through high-impact initiatives, events and investments in national and local nonprofits, TAAF is creating a permanent and irrevocable sense of belonging for millions of AANHPIs in the United States. For additional information about TAAF, please visit www.taaf.org.
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Roxxxy Andrews
Season 5 (Runner-Up) & All Stars 2 (4th Place)
Rolaskatox is in the house! Roxxxy Andrews is back, baby, and ready to represent for the old-school seasons of the show. She's also possibly back for a bit of redemption. On Season 5, Roxxxy linked up with Detox and Alaska early on, forming a bit of a mean girls clique, with Roxxxy seen as the chief antagonist to eventual winner Jinkx Monsoon. When she returned (again with Detox and Alaska) for All Stars 2, her legacy was dinged a bit as she fell to the bottom five times and was saved by either Detox or Alaska on four of those trips, much to the chagrin of the fandom and her stronger competitors. Drag and Drag Race has evolved QUITE a bit since 2016, so it will be exciting to see what Miss Andrews has cooked up in the eight years since she's competed.
Charity: Miracle of Love — Miracle of Love, Inc. (MOL) is an organization founded by Mr. Stafford in 1991 for the distinct purpose of providing accessible HIV/AIDS prevention programming and supportive assistance to service the multicultural needs of communities in Central Florida, namely Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties. Today, Miracle of Love, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation under the laws of the Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). This community-based minority HIV/AIDS organization is the oldest in Central Florida. MOL continues to be, with over 29 valuable and outstanding years of service, a repository for education, support, care, community advocacy and referral services.
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Shannel
Season 1 (4th Place) & All Stars 1 (3rd/4th Place)
And speaking of old-school queens. It's literally impossible to find one more old-school than Shannel, who not only competed on the original season of Drag Race but also All Stars. Both of Shannel's seasons were wonky thanks to them being first-time outings for production, and you could argue that Shannel wasn't given a full opportunity to shine on either. All Stars 1 (which forced queens to compete in pairs) was especially heinous and Drag Race seems to be working its way down that cast list to give everyone a second, second chance (Shannel will be the 7th out of 12 queens from the season to return for a third time...Tammie Brown next, please.) Shannel's over-the-top Vegas energy should be on full display this season, and while the younger queens may underestimate her, they will quickly learn to regret that.
Charity: Anxiety and Depression Association of America — The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) is a global nonprofit committed to advancing research and helping people overcome anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, bipolar disorder and related conditions.
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Vanessa Vanjie Mateo
Season 10 (14th Place) & Season 11 (5th Place)
Last, but never the least, is the meme queen herself, Miss Vanjie (Miss Vanjie, Miss Vanjie). After being eliminated first on Season 10 and delivering perhaps the most iconic exit of all time, she returned on Season 11, where she was clipped right before the finale by her lover Brooke Lynn Hytes. Ru adores Vanjie, so her return seemed inevitable, and we'll get plenty of her here. As the third Season 11 queen on a cast of just eight, it will be fascinating to see if any sort of alliances form between her, Nina and Plastique, as different as they are.
Charity: ASPCA — The ASPCA believes every animal deserves to live a life free from suffering. For more than 150 years, the ASPCA has been on the frontlines to save, transform and protect the lives of millions of dogs, cats, equines and farm animals in the fight against animal cruelty and homelessness.
