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“Grand Finale” is the sixteenth episode of the sixteenth season of the American television series RuPaul’s Drag Race.[1][2] It originally aired on April 19, 2024. The episode has the season’s contestants return and the top three perform to original songs. The top two contestants also face off in a lip-sync contest. Nymphia Wind is crowned the season’s winner, after defeating Sapphira Cristál in a lip-sync to “Padam Padam” by Kylie Minogue.

Sapphira Cristál and Xunami Muse are both named Miss Congeniality. The episode also has a tribute to guest Cassandra Peterson (also known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark), who receives a lifetime achievement award. Sasha Colby and Malaysia Babydoll Foxx, the winner and Miss Congeniality of the fifteenth season, respectively, also make guest appearances.

Episode

Nymphia Wind (pictured at RuPaul’s DragCon LA in 2024) is crowned the season’s winner.

The episode begins with RuPaul performing “Pink Limousine”. On the main stage and in front of a live audience, RuPaul welcomes fellow judges Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, Ts Madison, and Ross Mathews. RuPaul shares that the contestants have been tasked with performing to original songs and the top two will face off in a lip-sync contest to win the competition. All of the season’s contestants enter the stage one at a time to RuPaul’s song “Hustle That Cat”,[3] the runway category being “Grand Finale Eleganza”. One at a time, the top three contestants perform, then receive final critiques from the judges and participate in interviews with RuPaul on the main stage. Nymphia Wind performs to “Queen of Wind”, Plane Jane to “Bodysuit”, and Sapphira Cristál to “DANCE!”. After the performances, RuPaul pays tribute to Cassandra Peterson (also known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark). RuPaul gives her the Giving Us Lifetime Achievement Award.[4]

RuPaul invites the top three contestants back out to the stage and announces that Nymphia Wind and Sapphira Cristál are the finalists. RuPaul introduces a video montage of the contestants discussing their relationships with their families and friends. Then, season fifteen winner Sasha Colby returns to perform to “Her” (2022) by Megan Thee Stallion and participate in an interview with RuPaul. Following a promotion encouraging viewers to vote, the season’s contestants return to present red, white, and blue outfits to the song “I Got the Power”. Malaysia Babydoll Foxx, who was season fifteen’s Miss Congeniality, joins to announced this season’s winners: Sapphira Cristál and Xunami Muse.[5] Nymphia Wind and Sapphira Cristál return to the stage and face off in a lip-sync contest to “Padam Padam” (2023) by Kylie Minogue. Nymphia Wind wins the lip-sync, making Sapphira Cristál the season’s runner-up.[6][7][8]

Production and broadcast

Cassandra Peterson (pictured in 2011) makes a guest appearance to receive a lifetime achievement award.

The episode originally aired on April 19, 2024. It was filmed on the same sound stage as “Lip Sync LaLaPaRuza Smackdown – Reunited“.[9]

The Los Angeles Times said Nymphia Wind’s use of the word “country” (in reference to Taiwan) during her stage interview with RuPaul was “a source of delight” in Taiwan.[10] Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle described Sapphira Cristál’s song as “a Lizzo-esque anthem of empowerment” and said it “was the best customized to fit her personality”.[11] Multiple endings were filmed.[12] The top three contestants were filmed watching the finale.[13] The crowning ceremony took place at The Edge at Hudson Yards in New York City.[14][15]

Fashion

For her main stage entrance, Nymphia Wind wears a yellow outfit resembling a banana. During “Padam Padam”, she wears an outfit inspired by bubble tea,[16][17][18] with balloons representing tapioca pearls.[19]

During her performance of “DANCE!”, Sapphira Cristál wears a bodysuit and an orange wig.[11] She wears fangs (or “vampire teeth”)[20] during “Padam Padam”, and later revealed she had planned to incorporate fake blood into her performance.[19][21]

Reception

Jason P. Frank of Vulture rated the episode four out of five stars.[22] Kevin O’Keeffe of Xtra Magazine said Sapphira Cristál’s performance of “DANCE!” was “so dynamite”.[23] Stephen Daw ranked the “Padam Padam” performance second in Billboard's list of the season’s lip-sync contests.[24] According to Out South Florida, the final lip-sync received comparisons to the lip-sync between Sasha Velour and Shea Couleé on the ninth season.[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ “‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 16 Finale: And the Winner Is…” People. Archived from the original on 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2025-02-25.
  2. ^ Guzzo, Bianca (2024-04-20). “RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 Episode 16 RECAP: Grand Finale”. IN Magazine. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  3. ^ Sim, Bernardo. “Watch the queens’ finale looks in exclusive ‘Drag Race’ preview clip”. Out. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  4. ^ James, Michael (2024-04-20). “Drag Race Crowns A Winner In Historic Finale”. Star Observer. Archived from the original on 2025-12-06. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  5. ^ Daw, Stephen (2024-04-24). “‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Runner-Up Sapphira Cristál Feels ‘Very Seen’ After Miss Congeniality Win”. Billboard. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  6. ^ “‘Drag Race’ crowns a winner! See which season 16 queen won”. Entertainment Weekly. OCLC 21114137. Retrieved 2025-02-25.
  7. ^ “‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 16 finale recap: I hear it and I know”. Xtra Magazine. Pink Triangle Press. 2024-04-21. ISSN 0829-3384. Archived from the original on 2024-09-13. Retrieved 2025-02-25.
  8. ^ Swift, Andy (2024-04-20). “RuPaul’s Drag Race Finale Recap: Did The Right Queen Win Season 16?”. TVLine. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  9. ^ Sim, Bernardo. “Here’s who won ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ season 16”. Out. Archived from the original on 2026-01-24. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  10. ^ “On global stage, ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Taiwanese winner says the word China hates”. Los Angeles Times. 2024-05-01. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  11. ^ a b Guerra, Joey (April 19, 2024). “Nymphia Wind is top banana and wins ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 16”. Houston Chronicle.
  12. ^ Boyle, Kelli (2024-04-22). “‘Drag Race’ Winner Nymphia Wind Explains That Moment of Shock With Sapphira”. TV Insider. Archived from the original on 2026-01-12. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  13. ^ Sim, Bernardo. “Watch the ‘Drag Race’ S16 finalists react to the crowning | Out.com”. Out. Archived from the original on 2026-01-18. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  14. ^ Botelho, Renan (2024-04-20). “‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 16 Finale: Sapphira Cristal, Nymphia Wind & More”. Women’s Wear Daily. Penske Media Corporation. ISSN 0043-7581. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  15. ^ Rodriguez, Jeremy (2024-04-24). “Sapphira Cristál is OUR winner”. Philadelphia Gay News. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  16. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (2024-06-21). “‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 16 Winner Nymphia Wind on How Her Boba Tea Reveal Almost Went Wrong and a Potential Return for ‘All Stars’“. Variety. Archived from the original on 2025-01-04. Retrieved 2025-02-25.
  17. ^ “Nymphia Wind declared winner of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ season 16”. ABC News. Archived from the original on 2025-01-03. Retrieved 2025-02-25.
  18. ^ “‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Winner Nymphia Wind Breaks Down Her Viral Bubble Tea Lip Sync Look: ‘A Sight to Behold!’ (Exclusive)”. People.com. Archived from the original on 2025-01-15. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  19. ^ a b Duncan, Charlie (2024-04-23). “Drag Race star shares unused finale lip sync stunt: ‘Too many unknowns’“. PinkNews. Archived from the original on 2025-07-24. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  20. ^ Huff, Matthew. “And the Winner of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 16 Is…”. Parade.
  21. ^ “‘Drag Race’ star Sapphira Cristál explains vampire lip-sync, reveals unused heart gag”. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  22. ^ Frank, Jason P. (2024-04-19). “RuPaul’s Drag Race Season-Finale Recap: All Hail”. Vulture. Archived from the original on 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2025-02-25.
  23. ^ “‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 16, Episode 16 power ranking: An iconic final three”. Xtra Magazine. 2024-04-21. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  24. ^ Daw, Stephen (2024-04-23). “Every Lip Sync From ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 16, Ranked”. Billboard. Archived from the original on 2025-09-17. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  25. ^ Cook, Michael (2024-06-06). “Nymphia Wind Wins ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 16 & Continues To ‘Dream Big’“. Out South Florida. Retrieved 2026-03-13.