Drag Royalty Takes The Throne In Pageant Queens, The New Series You’ll Be Obsessed With

by Christopher Turner

It’s no secret that RuPaul’s Drag Race has been a significant television phenomenon, helping popularize drag as an art form to wider audiences around the world while opening the doors for more groundbreaking representation of the LGBTQ+ community on television. Now the next generation of drag-competition TV is ready to start streaming and build on that legacy.

Pageant Queens: Our Story Behind the Crown is a 12-episode docu-competition that will kick off on Monday, April 20, 2026 and follows ten legendary national titleholders as they move into a lavish South Florida mansion to vie for the ultimate crown, “The Queen of Drag,” and a $50,000 cash prize.

Pageant Queens may build on the legacy of past shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, but the docu-competition is not a race according to the show’s artistic director Michael Silas.

“From the first episode, viewers see that these queens are here to share what drag truly means to them,” Silas says. “It’s an emotional journey that reveals their struggles, triumphs, and untold stories. We’re shining light on the experiences that shaped this art form.”

And, the contestants really have helped shape the art of drag. The competing Pageant Queens hold over thirty-eight national titles from some of the most prestigious drag systems in existence, including Miss Continental, Miss Gay USofA, Entertainer of the Year, Queen, Miss Black Universe, Miss Black America, Miss Glamorous, and Miss Gay America.

The cast features major fan favourites, including Drag Race icon Kennedy Davenport (RuPaul’s Drag Race season 7, All Stars season 3 and Canada Vs the World season 2); Texas powerhouse Layla Larue, who best known for her explosive Missy Elliott impersonations; Laguna Beach’s Shae Shae Lareese, affectionately known as “Mother Gangster”; A’zsia Dupree, “The Bazooka Girl” from Jacksonville, Florida; Tonica E. Cavalli, “The Diamond of the South,”; Joan Jullian, “The Amazon Beauty” from Paris; Tatiyanna Voche from Raleigh, North Carolina; Tiffany T. Hunter, affectionately called “America’s Sweetheart”; Alexis Gabrielle Sherrington, who stands among the most decorated entertainers in drag history; and Buff Faye, a former Entertainer of the Year known for her charisma, humour, and authentic storytelling.

Drag Royalty Takes The Throne In Pageant Queens The New Series Youll Be Obsessed With - CAST — The cast of *Pageant Queens*. ABOVE (top L-R): Alexis Gabrielle Sherrington, A’Zsia Dupree, Buff Faye, Joan Jullian, and Kennedy Davenport. / ABOVE (bottom L-R): Layla Larue, Shae Shae LaReese, Tatiyanna Voche, Tiffany T. Hunter, and Tonica E. Cavalli.

Breaking from traditional reality show formats, Pageant Queens has no eliminations, replacing tried and true elimination rounds with collaboration, introspection, and authentic storytelling. The refreshing break from the traditional reality show format means that all ten icons remain in the competition and viewers witness the queens living together, forming chosen family bonds, and even designing their own pageant by voting on judges, scoring systems, and final performances.

“That strategic layer keeps things exciting,” Stancil explains. “But what makes the series especially powerful is that it’s rooted in truth. We showcase how drag queens truly live between their brunch shows and nightlife performances. We offer a real behind-the-scenes experience.”

Pageant Queens Our Story Behind the Crown begins streaming on Prime on Monday, April 20, 2026. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer for the drag royalty docu-competition below.