Attention drag enthusiasts! The first-ever ‘King of Drag’ has been crowned.
In June, the landmark series – which is the first to feature an all-drag king cast – made its anticipated premiere on the LGBTQIA+ streaming service Revry.
Hosted by legendary comedian and actor Murray Hill, the series follows 10 drag king talents as they compete across ‘Weenie challenges’ and ‘Beefy challenges’ for a chance at securing the title ‘King of Drag’ and a bevvy of prizes – including $10,000, a one-year supply of e.l.f Cosmetics and e.l.f Skin, a custom suit courtesy of Sharpe Suiting, talent management with Queerup Agency, a round trip flight to Seattle, Washington to headline the Emerald City Kings Ball, and a crown and sceptre from Fierce Drag Jewels.
The show’s first-ever cast of King of Drag included: Alexander the Great, Big D, Buck Wylde, Charles Galin King, Dick Von Dyke, Henlo Bullfrog, King Molasses, King Perka $exxx, Pleasure K, and Tuna Melt.
In addition to Murray, the show featured acclaimed drag king Tendoroni, Drag Race season nine winner Sasha Velour and Drag Race season 13 finalist Gottmik as regular judges.
The competition also had a stacked guest judge lineup, including Lisa Rinna (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), Cole Escola (Oh, Mary!), Liv Hewson (Yellowjackets), Bridget Everett (Somebody Somewhere), Paul Feig (director of Bridesmaids), Kylie Sonique Love (Drag Race All Stars 6 winner), Carmen Carrera (Drag Race season 3) and more.
After five weeks of incredible drag moments, eliminations and heartwarming confessionals, the final three kings – King Molasses, Dick and Henlo – headed to the grand finale, where they were tasked with creating a unique performance for the judges.
While all three talents delivered engaging performances, King Molasses and Dick were saved, while Henlo was eliminated.
With the crown at their fingertips, Dick and King Molasses were asked to compete in a final lip sync of the show’s theme song, ‘KING’ by Frankie Simone.
Naturally, the two talents laid it all out on the stage, delivering effortless swag, costume reveals, comedic moments and infectious energy throughout.
However, only one could win, and that king ended up being King Molasses, becoming the first-ever ‘King of Drag’.
“This is the first drag king competition of its kind, and to have won it, it’s kind of out of this world,” he said in a confessional. “The type of recognition that is really just across the board, across the country, across the world, across drag at large. It’s also chill.”
Since the season finale, fans have flocked to social media to celebrate King Molasses’ win, with one viewer on X/Twitter writing: “THATS MY WINNAH.”
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Another fan tweeted: ” Well, we all knew from episode 1. He has so much winner energy, and even when he was in the bottom, he always served a great show. Congrats!!!!”
A third fan added: “King Molasses is drag excellence.”
King Molasses also received support from Drag Race All Stars 9 winner Angeria Paris Van Michaels.
“Congratulations to King Molasses, the first crowned King of Drag!! Well deserved!! My favorite from the start!!” she wrote.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, King Molasses opened up about his victory and how he hopes it will impact pop culture and the drag industry.
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“This moment is so much bigger than me in terms of what this cast represents in media and the show’s groundbreaking nature. I situate myself as someone who works hard, and this is what comes with hard work,” he explained to the publication.
“This is a stepping stone for us in terms of what we consume and talk about drag.”
As for what his reign as the first-ever ‘King of Drag’ will look like, King Molasses said: “I want to show that drag kings are no different from drag queens. We work hard in the community, and because we’re kings, we have to work even harder to support ourselves.
“That added challenge is what makes us shine. I want my reign to establish our credibility as artists. We’re always going to be compared to drag queens, but I want my reign to put to bed the ambiguity about what a drag king is.”
We can’t wait to see what the future holds for King Molasses!
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