Onya Nurve Snatches the Crown as Drag Race Season 17 Ends with Sparkle and Surprise

Onya Nurve Snatches The Crown As Drag Race Season 17 Ends With Sparkle And Surprise (IMG SOURCE: ew.com)

LOS ANGELES, CA — What a ride. Season 17 of RuPaul’s Drag Race just wrapped, and let’s be real—it delivered. Big drama, bigger looks, and a finale that brought out legends. And yes, we’ve got a brand-new queen reigning supreme.

So, who walked away with the crown? That would be Onya Nurve—a theater queen out of Cleveland with killer instincts and even sharper performances. If you’ve been following all season, you know she brought heart, humor, and high camp from day one. But it was that final lip sync to Lady Gaga’s Abracadabra that sealed the deal. No stunts, no reveals—just raw performance and pure presence. And honestly? She was the moment.

Her closest competition, Jewels Sparkles, didn’t go down easy. She served style and sass all the way to the end. But Onya had that special something—call it star power or just plain magic—that left the judges gagged.

And as if that weren’t enough, the finale pulled out a surprise no one saw coming: Liza Minnelli. Yep, that Liza. At 79, she stepped onto the stage and gave us a soulful, seated rendition of Ring Them Bells. It was sweet, nostalgic, and honestly a little emotional. You could feel the love in the room—especially from the queens who’ve spent years honoring her legacy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNyml_kMqYc

This season also gave us plenty of other standout moments—Crystal Envy took home Miss Congeniality, and fan-fave Suzie Toot was crowned Queen of She Done Already Done Had Herses. So yeah, the love was being spread around.

But back to Onya. In post-finale interviews, she talked about staying grounded, focusing on her craft, and wanting to be a light for Black queer youth. That’s the kind of energy we love to see in a Drag Race winner. Not just fierce—but full of purpose.

So what’s next? All Stars Season 10 is already around the corner, dropping May 9 on Paramount+. Get ready, because if this season proved anything, it’s that the drag bar just keeps getting higher.