The RuPaul’s Drag Race universe has another winner, after a glittering season 18 grand finale ended with Myki Meeks taking the crown. The finale aired on 17 April, with Meeks defeating Nini Coco in the final lip-sync after Darlene Mitchell was cut at the top-three stage.
Season 18 had always looked as though it would be a tight finish, but the race opened up dramatically after frontrunner Jane Don’t was controversially eliminated in fifth place. By the finale, the top three had distinct momentum behind them: Darlene Mitchell had emerged as a fan favourite, Myki Meeks had surged late with a string of strong performances, and Nini Coco still felt like a real threat despite stumbling near the end of the competition.
The final episode began with each of the top three queens debuting original songs, before RuPaul made the cut to the final two. According to multiple recaps, Mitchell was eliminated first, leaving Meeks and Coco to battle it out in the last lip-sync of the season.
Fans were also treated to a surprise appearance from Miley Cyrus, who accepted the show’s Giving Us Lifetime Achievement Award during the finale. Entertainment Weekly reported that Cyrus used the moment to celebrate drag, call herself “a drag queen”, and deliver an emotional speech to her younger self.
Another expected but still satisfying moment came when Jane Don’t was named Miss Congeniality. That result was confirmed in coverage from The Hollywood Reporter and widely reflected in recap coverage and fan reaction afterwards.
When it came time to hand over the title, RuPaul crowned Myki Meeks as the winner of season 18. Meeks took home the US$200,000 prize, along with a makeup collaboration with Anastasia Cosmetics, while Nini Coco finished runner-up.
The finale did not stop there. Almost immediately after announcing Meeks as the new winner, RuPaul confirmed that RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 11 is officially on the way, with the next instalment set to premiere on 8 May 2026. Reporting around the finale says the season will launch with a special two-episode premiere.
As for the cast, speculation is already in full swing. But at this stage, the names circulating remain just that — speculation. While fan communities and entertainment sites are already trading heavily AI-assisted guesses and disappearance theories, no official full cast announcement was verified in the sources I checked.
