All the winners and sparkle of the 2026 Melbourne Excellence in Drag and Entertainment Awards

Oh what a night! Check out all the glitz, glamour and winners of Naarm’s queer entertainment night of nights, the 2026 Melbourne Excellence in Drag & Entertainment Awards (the MEDEAs).

Celebrating the vibrant queer performing culture in Naarm, there are plenty of sore heads this morning after the 2026 MEDEAs took place on Monday night.

Taking over the Corner Hotel in Richmond, LGBTQIA+ burlesque and drag artists and behind-the-scenes divas glammed up for a spectacular night.

“These awards are my love letter to you,” said MEDEAs founder and president Leasa Mann, “I say this every year, because every year it’s true, it’s my love letter to Melbourne.

“It’s my love letter to Burlesque and most of all, my love letter to drag, an art form I’ve dedicated 26 years of my life to, which is wild considering the average age of our nominees this year.”

2026 Melbourne Excellence in Drag & Entertainment Awards (the MEDEAs)
Photo by Dean Arcuri

“To everyone in this room tonight, you are more than just my community, you are my family, my safe space and my haven.

“Being a performer is not just a profession, it’s a calling, a vocation, it’s who we are. It’s our identity, our armour, and it’s deeply embedded in our DNA. It gives us the unshakable strength to venture into this world and proudly display our queerness in a time when doing so is an act of rebellion.”

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Community steps into the spotlight

The evening kicked off with Zelia Rose being awarded the Trailblazer Award.

“I struggle to think of a brighter path that he’s been blazed than by our winner this year,” Ruby Slippers said, “a burlesque performer who in 2014 won the title of Miss Burlesque Australia, and since then has represented Australian burlesque on a global stage.”

In its third year, the MEDEAs finally felt it had found its true voice this year.

It’s a brilliant night where our arts and hospitality community get to glam up and serve like nothing else, but it also pushed past the expected and became a space to celebrate something new.

Something powerful.

Many of the drag performers of my youth had mentioned in passing that they didn’t know many of the names of this year’s nominees, which, to them, meant they felt the awards had lost their ‘spark’. They weren’t there on the night.

But they actually missed out, because this year’s MEDEAs actually felt like a space where the communities and performers who often felt like they were on the outside looking in were given their moment to shine, finally. And it felt earned.

Every cheer. So many moments where the room was on its feet. The way they celebrated drag kings and the power of fat bodies and people of colour and trans visibility, it wasn’t casual.

It carried through so many parts of the night, from conversations in the smokers’ area to speeches onstage, that it, at least for me, felt like the community was finally taking ownership of what the night means, and should continue to be.

Burlesque and drag artists shine

MC Tash York opened the night as only she could, singing For the Gaze from Death Becomes Her and setting a standard that future years would do well to consider the lowest bar they need to rise to.

Zelia took to the stage, sharing how grateful they were to be “revered, accepted and loved” for what they do. Sharing the power of being “black and fem in this country…and just being unafraid to show up as an artist.”

“I’m so proud of my career, and I’m so proud of you all as well, for showing up as you are fully and truly.”

Teddy Clitter took to the stage after being announced as Melbourne’s Favourite Drag King, sharing they are “nothing but thankful that I get to do my weekly show at UBQ, and it makes me very happy.”

Kitty Obsidian shared how “ecstatic” they were “that from last year, we’ve doubled our Aboriginal presentation to this award,” when taking to the stage after winning Melbourne’s Favourite Burlesque Performer.

The ‘golden age of drag’

Winning the first of two awards for the night, Matt from Pride of our Footscray shared how amazing it was to be in the “golden age of drag”.

“When I was growing up, there were 10 amazing drag queens in Melbourne, and now there are 150 amazing drag queens, and we appreciate you every week.”

With all the staff in attendance onstage, it was a beautiful moment to be a part of.

One of the best moments of the night was seeing the power of Kings and things celebrating each other, and the power they bring to the community.

“A shout out to the incredible community that we have going here,” Randy Roy said when Genesis was announced as Best King Event.

“Every year it feels like we come up here and we have the message like book drag kings, and like, absolutely, book drag kings. But I think this year, the message that I actually want to convey to everybody is an invitation.

“I would like to invite every single person to have a look at that nominee list, and come to a drag king show.”

Check out our photo galleries of the MEDEAs:

The Award winner list:

Trailblazer Award (Sponsored by Club Broadway) – Zelia Rose
Melbourne’s Favourite Drag Related Business – Dragged to
Melbourne’s Favourite Burlesque Related Business – Bottom’s Up
Melbourne’s Favourite Dancer – Harry Coombes
Melbourne’s Favourite Drag King – Teddy Clitter
Melbourne’s Favourite Drag Queen – Max Dragqueen
Melbourne’s Favourite Burlesque Performer – Kitty Obsidian
Melbourne’s Favourite Burlesque Event – Soft Bodies

Melbourne Excellence in Drag & Entertainment Awards 2026 (the MEDEAs)
Photo by Dean Arcuri

Melbourne’s Favourite Queer Venue – Pride of Our Footscray
Rising Drag Star (Sponsored by Club Broadway) – Dilonce
Rising Burlesque Star – Betsy Mae
Best King Event – Genesis
Best Variety Event (Sponsored by Queerly Beloved) – Granny Bingo
Best Boutique Event (Sponsored by Danish Blue) – Club Broadway
Best Festival (Sponsored by Danish Blue) – Gaytimes
Best Drag Production Show – Mayhem
Technical Contribution of the Year – JXN Miles
Outstanding Contribution In The Media – Lazy Susan and Zelda Moon, Death to Everyone Podcast