Onya Nurve is our new reigning queen!
The winner of Season 17 of RuPaul’s Drag Race says that winning the season “feels so surreal.”
“I don’t honestly feel like it’s all clicked yet, be it that it just kind of happened, but I feel a level of relief and that I can find and like be proud and enjoy everything that I’ve done,” she told Blavity’s Shadow and Act shortly after winning. She said that getting through the lip sync meant she had to draw from her self-belief.
“You know, I really just had to be confident in my drag and everything that I’ve done in this show up until that moment and just give them the Onya Nurve experience,” she said. “I have a certain performance style, and I really wanted to show that on that stage, and I felt like I really did a good job.”
Nurve was the queen to beat this season, winning the most challenges and landing in the top several times. She said it feels “really good” to have done so well throughout the season, especially since she didn’t go in with any expectations beyond doing her best.
“I did not know that I was gonna do so well on the show and win so many challenges, but I’ve always been the type of person who wants to do the best at everything and anything, and I try really hard at everything that I do,” she said. “I really think that came into play when it came to a lot of the challenges. I was just—I’m so competitive—so there was no way that I was gonna do a terrible job at anything that was thrown at me.”
Which challenge was Onya Nurve’s favorite of ‘Drag Race’ Season 17
Out of all the challenges, Nurve said her favorite “hands down” was the Snatch Game, in which she portrayed one of her personal idols: Eddie Murphy.
“I love playing characters. I love playing roles. Eddie Murphy is like one of my icons,” Nurve said. “I’ve been watching Eddie Murphy since [I was] a kid. And it was just so awesome to win that challenge?”
How Onya Nurve brought Black culture to the runway and competition as a whole
She also excelled on the runway, bringing Black culture into each of her looks. Nurve said this was her way of honoring the birthplace of so much of American pop culture.
“I feel like our culture has influenced pop culture and drag so much that people forget where a lot of what we see on TV and where it comes from, [and it] comes from Black culture,” she said. “So I love to be a constant reminder of where all this beauty in the world comes from, and anytime I get a chance to do that in my art, you best believe I’m going to do it.”
What does sisterhood mean to Onya Nurve?
Earlier in the season, Nurve discussed her sisterhood back home in Cleveland, alluding to concerns about making friends on the show. But, as she told Blavity’s Shadow and Act, she actually has a strong support system with other queens in her hometown.
“I’ve always had a great relationship with queens back home. I’ve just always been the type of queen that’s just super serious, and I feel like me getting on the show has definitely strengthened my relationships with the girls on the show and with the girls back home,” she said. “It’s honestly such a big deal in Cleveland that I won, and I’ve had so many queens and so many entertainers that have supported me before getting on the show. Me winning has made that bond so much stronger.”
What’s next for Onya Nurve?
Nurve shared a glimpse of what’s on the horizon, including a potential appearance on Abbott Elementary and dreams of Broadway.
“Baby, the world is my oyster. I’m so excited to travel and see so many places in the world that I’ve never been and meet so many amazing people and network. And eventually I wanna get on Broadway, hopefully. Abbott Elementary is in the works in my future, and maybe a little hosting on [Saturday Night Live] would be amazing. There’s so many things I’m excited to do.”
Season 17 of RuPaul’s Drag Race is available to watch on MTV.com and will soon be available on Paramount+.
