RuPaul Charles, the iconic host of RuPaul’s Drag Race, has cemented his place in television history after receiving his tenth nomination for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program — the most ever in the category.
Until now, RuPaul shared the record with Project Runway‘s Heidi Klum and Dancing With the Stars‘ Tom Bergeron, each holding nine nominations. With this year’s nod, RuPaul now stands alone at the top.
He also extends his own record for the most consecutive nominations in the category, having been recognised every year for the past decade. In addition, he remains the person of colour with the most Emmy wins in history, with an impressive 14 trophies already under his belt.
There’s a reason we call her mother.
Season 17 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and its companion series Untucked picked up 10 nominations this year, including:
- Outstanding Reality Competition Program
- Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program
- Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program
Also nominated in the Outstanding Reality Competition Program and Host categories is the ever-dashing Alan Cumming, recognised once again for his work on The Traitors. Both shows took out wins in their categories last year.
Queer Talent Dominates Emmy Race
RuPaul and Cumming aren’t the only LGBTQIA+ stars shining bright in this year’s Emmy spotlight.
SNL’s Bowen Yang has made history as the most-nominated Asian male performer at the Emmys. Yang picked up his fourth nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, bringing his total to five career nominations. He first earned recognition in 2019 as part of Saturday Night Live’s writing team in the Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series category.
Bella Ramsey, who identifies as non-binary, was nominated for Lead Actress in a Drama Series for their role in The Last of Us – their second nod in that category. Despite their gender identity, Ramsey, like many non-binary performers, is forced to choose between male and female acting categories due to the Emmys’ ongoing gendered structure.
Non-binary actor Liv Hewson chose not to submit themselves at all in protest of the gendered awards format. In 2023, they told Variety:
“There’s not a place for me in the acting categories.
It would be inaccurate for me to submit myself as an actress. It neither makes sense for me to be lumped in with the boys. It’s quite straightforward and not that loaded. I can’t submit myself for this because there’s no space for me.”
The 2025 Emmy Awards will be held on 14 September, with comedian Nate Bargatze set to host.
