Onya Nurve has officially been crowned the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17. With four challenge wins, a standout Snatch Game performance, and a powerful final lipsync, she proved herself as a fierce and deserving queen.
A Dream Come True
Speaking on Good Morning America, Onya described the moment RuPaul called her name. “It was surreal. You hear RuPaul call girls’ names for 16 seasons,” she said. “To hear her say my name, and as a winner—it was amazing.”
Reflecting on her journey, she shared a message to her younger self. “I would tell little Onya Nurve that I am so proud of you. I’m so proud of the work that you put in this 31 years of living and finally you can say it paid off.”
She also offered advice to parents of queer children. “I would say, talk less and listen more. I feel like parents sometimes they feel like they have to tell their child something. When you have a queer child, it’s a good opportunity to just listen and hear what they have to say. Call them by their appropriate pronouns and learn from them.”
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Confidence and Growth
In the season finale, Onya reflected on her time in the competition. “I was so confident in coming into this. I had nothing to be afraid of. I’ve definitely had a lot of highs this season. I have won four challenges. One of my favorites would have to be the Snatch Game. I just had a ball.”
She also opened up about personal growth. “I think one of my biggest struggles in the competition besides the sewing challenges, would probably be getting out of my own way and not taking everything so serious. At first, I was so focused on the game, but I realized that the relationships that you build with your community is way more important. Everything that I’ve done so far is about to pay right the hell off.”
Staying True to Herself
After her powerful lipsync against Jewels Sparkles, Onya explained her approach in an Entertainment Today interview: “I did have a couple of reveals I was working on, but I’ve never been a queen of reveals. I don’t do tricks, gags, and goops in my regular life,” she said. “It came to be about what type of queen I am. I figured if I never did reveals before I got on Drag Race, why would I do them now? I’m a great performer, and I put all my bets on that. I don’t need ‘em. I am the gag and the goop!”
What the Crown Means
Before the final results, Onya shared what winning would mean to her.: “It would mean the world. It would mean that everything that I’ve done in my life has paid off. I could continue to spread joy. I think I would be a perfect representation for this crown and I could show other entertainers that look just like me dreams come true.”
And when the crown was finally hers, her first words summed it all up: “It DO take Nurve!” With charisma, uniqueess, NURVE, and talent, Cleveland’s Onya Nurve has proven that she is a Queen—and she’s just getting started.
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