‘Drag Race’ adds Liza Minnelli for historic season 17 finale appearance

There’s nothing like playing the Palace… except, maybe Liza Minnelli making her RuPaul’s Drag Race debut on the upcoming season 17 finale.

After decades of community allyship (and four queens across the global franchise portraying her on the Snatch Game impersonation challenge, including Alexis Michelle), the EGOT-winning Hollywood legend will appear on season 17’s final episode later this month, MTV and production company World of Wonder announced Tuesday.

Host RuPaul will present Minnelli with another honor to add to her mantle, as the Cabaret performer will receive Drag Race‘s third annual Giving Us Lifetime Achievement Award, following season 15’s inaugural recipient Bob Mackie and the season 16 honoree, Elvira (also known as actress Cassandra Peterson).

The network also unveiled a first-look photo of Minnelli’s appearance on the Main Stage, where RuPaul will present her with the award. In the shot, Ru and Minnelli look at the camera as they hold hands, while Minnelli sits on a giant throne.

In addition to her decades-long relationship as an LGBTQ community icon, Minnelli’s legacy has played an important role in the history of RuPaul’s Drag Race, with the aforementioned season 9 (and returning All Stars 8) queen Alexis famously winning the Snatch Game challenge for her hilarious portrayal of Minnelli. Three additional queens from the worldwide franchise later chose Minnelli as their Snatch Game celebrities, including Canada’s Drag Race season 1 star Scarlett BoBo, Drag Race Down Under season 2’s Hannah Conda, and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 6’s La Voix — the latter pair of whom also won their respective season’s Snatch Game challenges.

Additionally, Jinkx Monsoon upped the family legacy on All Stars 7, on which she played Minnelli’s mother, Judy Garland, in an all-time-great Snatch Game performance in 2022.

Minnelli is the latest celebrity to join Drag Race season 17, following high-profile guest-judging appearances by Katy Perry, Doechii, Hunter Schafer, Quinta Brunson, and Adam Lambert, among others.

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After last week’s emotional makeover episode, Friday’s installment sees the final five queens — Jewels Sparkles, Lexi Love, Onya Nurve, Sam Star, and Suzie Toot — battling to advance one step closer to the finale.

The RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17 finale airs Friday, April 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. See a first look at Minnelli’s Drag Race appearance above.