After 17 seasons, Liza Minnelli will make her first official appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race as a special guest – and will also receive a special honour! Presented by RuPaul, the award is called the ‘Giving Us Lifetime Achievement Award’ and commemorates those who have made a significant impact on the show, drag and fashion.
This will add to Minnelli’s many awards, including two Grammys, two Golden Globes, an Emmy, three Tonys and an Oscar.
Other recipients of this honour are famous US costume designer Bob Mackie and horror actor Cassandra Peterson, better known as Elvira.
The official Drag Race Instagram announced the news with the caption: “It’s Liza with a Z! 💋 Mama @rupaulofficial will present the legendary Liza Minnelli with the Giving Us Lifetime Achievement Award at the #DragRace Season 17 finale ✨ @officiallizaminnelli”
View this post on Instagram
The actor is getting the award because of the various indirect appearances she’s made on the show, due to many Liza Minnelli impersonations across all the Drag Race franchises. Some of these were from contestants including Hannah Conda, Alexis Michelle and Scarlett BoBo in their Snatch Game performances.
Reactions to the icon’s long-awaited appearance include Carson Kressley’s “Wowza with a Z!” and Hannah Conda’s “Our queen! This is the moment”. Some other fans believe the announcement was an April Fool’s joke, as it seems too good to be true.
View this post on Instagram
The news came the same day that PBS premiered Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story. The documentary is about the celebrity’s life, particularly confronting a range of personal and professional challenges she faced following the death of her mother, Judy Garland, in 1969.
Liza Minnelli will appear in the Drag Race season finale on Thursday, April 18, alongside the five queens in the running to win, namely Sam Star, Suzie Toot, Jewels Sparkles, Lexi Love and Onya Nurve.
© 2025 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: 20034580.
GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.
Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.
comments. Please sign in to comment.