This article was published on September 18th, 2021

Vroom vroom vroom is the sound of RuPaul’s worldwide sensation of a show returning center stage by way of Canada for season 2, and it promises to significantly up the drama this year as 12 divas compete to be the next drag superstar of the country. 

The dueling dozen this year include Adriana (Québec City, Que.), Beth (Vancouver, B.C.), Eve 6000 (Toronto, Ont.), Gia Metric (Vancouver, B.C.), Icesis Couture (Ottawa, Ont.), Kendall Gender (Vancouver, B.C.), Kimora Amour (Scarborough, Ont.), Océane Aqua-Black (Québec City, Que.), Pythia (Montréal, Que.), Stephanie Prince (Calgary, Alta.), Suki Doll (Montréal, Que.), and Synthia Kiss (Vancouver, B.C.).

This season will comprise of ten one-hour episodes that follow the drag queens as they vie for the title of Canada’s Next Drag Superstar. Throughout the series, the contestants compete in challenges that test their expertise in several categories, including singing, dancing, acting, impersonation, costume making, and improvisation.

Season 2’s panel of judges are also changed from the first year, with Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman and Stacey McKenzie not returning, and instead Brooke Lynn Hytes will be assisted by three new judges: Amanda Brugel, Brad Goreski, and Traci Melchor, who will be joined every week by a celebrity guest judge. 

One diva will be eliminated at the end of each episode, until only one queen is left clutching the elusive crown, scepter, and title. Throughout the season, the divas share their personal struggles, triumphs, and show the importance of celebrating everyone’s charisma, singularity, dedication, and immense talent.

The showrunner this season, Trevor Boris, had this to say about the upcoming season:

“The secret’s out! We are so excited about our judging panel this season. They make a fabulous team, and the fans are going to love what each brings to the table. Brooke Lynn Hytes is drag royalty and brings so much experience from season one, while Brad is a style icon who is as funny as he is fashionable.”

The Canada Drag Race Season 2 Contestants

ADRIANA 

Hailing from Quebec City, Adriana settled in Canada after joining her mother there from Colombia at the age of 16, not knowing French or English. Since then, she has been a 3-time winner of Quebec’s Drag Artist of the Year and is a standout for her versatility and sexy drag performances, making her a fierce contender to take home the trophy and title. 

BETH

The Métis diva almost certainly will educate the masses about her indigenous side during her stint on the show, and was a semi-finalist in both the Mr/Miss Cobalt competitions as well as Vancouver’s Next Drag Superstar. As a diva that expertly juggles old school glamour with a thoroughly modern perspective, she will give the judges what they want and more more more!

GIA METRIC

Hailing from Vancouver, Gia began her drag career initially in Toronto before settling in Vancouver and rising to the cream of the crop and becoming one of its most well-known and respected performers. Crowned Vancouver’s Entertainer of the Year in 2016 and Vancouver’s Next Drag Superstar in 2018, she placed her heels on the catwalk at New York Fashion Week in 2019. Her performances ooze authenticity and singularity, a stance that has gained her a large following over the years and many more to come after this season. 

ICESIS COUTURE

The Ottawa native is one of the area’s biggest queens and claimed the title of Miss Capital Pride in 2020. As a fierce designer and costumer, she embraces her El Salvadorian roots and is known for making everything she wears from head to toe, including styling her own wigs, blinging herself out, and complementing her outfits with the extra wow factor that fans have come to expect. 

KENDALL GENDER

The Vancouver diva is known as a consummate performer in the community and as a biracial artist and activist, she has used her platform to raise money and awareness for minorities within the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. In 2020, she helped raise over $25,000 for various charities in Canada. Recognized as a first of its kind anywhere in the world, Kendall performed for a crowd of over 50,000 people at the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in Vancouver and is the LGBTQ+ ambassador for Fairmont Hotels in metro Vancouver. 

KIMORA AMOUR

For over 15 years, Kimora has ruled the Carnival scene as a costume design aficionado, winning numerous awards, and hailed as part of the designing team for Miss Cayman Islands’ national costume for the Miss Universe pageant. Hailing from Scarborough, Ontario, Kimora’s passion is drag, but by day, she is a pain management procedural nurse that has been at the front lines throughout the COVID-19 global pandemic. 

OCÉANE AQUA-BLACK

The Quebec City native hosts events throughout the region and Canada at large, including Montreal and Ottawa. An admitted connoisseur of K-pop music, she has been crowned Best Lip-Syncer of the Year in Quebec City, and is known for her penchant for epic lip-sync performance in English, French, Spanish, German, and Korean. When and if the time comes for the girls to lip-sync for their lives, Oceane may be the last diva standing!

PYTHIA

The Montreal resident was born in Greece before moving to Canada at the age of 14. As a costume designer and make-up artist for film and theatre, she has been featured in Cosmopolitan and recognized by pop princess Miley Cyrus as well, who reposted one of her widely seen videos

STEPHANIE PRINCE

Originally from the Philippines, Stephanie is now a resident of Calgary, where she is a self-described rapping and singing assassin. Her high-energy performances and optimistic outlook is sure to win audiences over through the duration of the season. And the other divas may have to feel the burn of her lip-sync capabilities in 5, 4, 3, 2, …

SUKI DOLL

Coming from a family of 8, Suki is big on family and tradition, with her talents as a fashionista and designer elevating her status as a drag queen to be reckoned with. Aside from her work on stage, the Montreal-based Suki is also a proud representative of the Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. 

SYNTHIA KISS

Another entrant from Vancouver, Synthia started her drag career with a bang by winning her first competition in 2016, besting more experienced queens in the city. A performer from her early years, she received a degree in fashion design and has worked on design teams for Kit and Ace, and MEC. How far will her skills take her in season 2?!

Who Is Your Pick To Take The Crown?

Now that we have given you a brief rundown of all the divas ready to slay the stage this season, who are your favorites to take the crown this season? Let HomoCulture know in the comments section below!