今日吃瓜

The finalists for the 2026 MEDEAs have been announced and voting is now open!

Melbourne鈥檚 Drag Excellence Awards are returning for their third year and now you can vote for your favourites in the Melbourne Drag, Dance and Burlesque industry for this years awards.

But .

The Medea’s return for 2026

There’s a lot to love and celebrate in the queer creative scene in Melbourne and the MEDEAs are once again providing the perfect platform for the community to come together.

“The MEDEAs were created out of a need to celebrate and unify the Melbourne Drag, Dance and Burlesque artists who already work so harmoniously together and acknowledge excellence in our fields as well as pay homage to the venues, technical artists and heart and souls of our community in a night of unbridled glamour and festivity.”

Established in 2024 the MEDEAs are the night of nights for the community to come out in full force and celebrate all of their achievements in Drag, Dance and Burlesque from the last twelve months.

Thirty one awards will be handed out in the night of community celebrations on Monday June 15 at The Corner Hotel, with the public now able to vote and have their say on who will take home the awards.

 

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The categories celebrate a range of performers including Drag Queens and Kings, events, venues, DJ’s and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

This years lists of finalists features plenty of new and returning faces from previous up for the prestigious awards.

You can , but, don’t forget to grab your tickets!

Check out the full list of finalists below.

Melbourne鈥檚 Favourite Drag Business

• Dragged To
• Offworld Aesthetics
• Book a Queen
• PQ Talent

Melbourne鈥檚 Favourite Burlesque Related Business

• Maison Burlesque
• Eros Embellishments
• Drawing Straws
• Stoned by Saint Eve
• Bottoms Up

Melbourne鈥檚 Favourite Dancer

• Egson Ham
• Keely Wins
• Harry Coombes
• Stevie Fernando
• Nathan Smith

Melbourne鈥檚 Favourite Drag King

• Teddy Clitter
• Roxy Rawhide
• Randy Roy
• Bruno Salsicce
• Mr Misty Eyed

Melbourne鈥檚 Favourite Drag Queen

• Max Dragqueen
• Eliza Lot
• Bathsheba
• Tilly Capulet
• Strewth

Melbourne鈥檚 Favourite Burlesque Performer

• Florence Fable
• Kitty Obsidian
• Juniper Fox
• Moxie Delite
• Winter Greene
• Bendy Ben

Melbourne鈥檚 Favourite Burlesque Event

• Whoop De Doo Revue
• Soft Bodies
• Yummy/Decadence
• Pipers Playhouse
• Smut

Melbourne鈥檚 Favourite Queer Venue

• Pride of Our Footscray
• UBQ
• Sircuit / Mollies
• The 86
• Poof Doof

Melbourne鈥檚 Favourite Burlesque Venue

• The 86
• Speakeasy Theatre
• Pride of Our Footscray
• 24 Moons
• Hail Lilith

Rising Drag Star

• The Birthday Girl
• Chicago Fierce
• Dilonce
• Andii G
• Zero

Rising Burlesque Star

• Miss Gender
• Betsy Mae
• April Le Feu
• Pip Stachio
• Dominica De La Muerte

Best King Event

• Genesis
• Teddy鈥檚 World
• It鈥檚 Camp
• Mushrooms Dungeon Crawl
• Kongapalooza

Best Variety Event

• Debutante
• Teddy鈥檚 World
• Granny Bingo
• Let鈥檚 Get Quizzacal
• Gabriella Labucci Drag Bingo

Best Boutique Event

• Club Broadway
• Pop Chops
• Barba
• Bar Kylie
• Unicorns

Best Festival

• Midsumma
• ChillOut
• Vic Pride Street Party
• Gaytimes
• Australian Burlesque Festival

Best Drag Production Show

• Mayhem Show
• Showcase at UBQ
• Yummy-Decadence
• Flaunt 鈥� Gold Show
• Hot and Steamy 鈥� Swirl and Sweat Shows

Technical Contribution of the Year

• Emily Rose
• MCL Productions
• JXN Miles
• Mitchell Sheldrick
• NoStressIfNot

Outstanding Achievement in the Media

• Dean Arcuri 鈥� Q今日吃瓜
• Art Simone 鈥� Concealed with Art Simone
• Lazy Susan & Zelda Moon 鈥� Death to Everyone Podcast
• Jimi the Kween 鈥� Music
• Joy FM

Community Spirit

• Strewth
• See You in Swell
• Kitty Obsidian
• Milo Hartill
• Monique Anderson

Costume Designer of the Year

• Sequinpolarbears
• James Penrose
• Isis Avis Loren
• Tamara Claire Keane
• Polly Filla

Wig Stylist of the Year

• Mimi LeMinge
• Plugs Bunny
• Styled By Esther
• Clepto Nymph

DJ of the Year

• Rosie Rai
• Sunny Bones
• PopChops
• Jesse Boyd
• Nick Jay
• DJ Enn

MX Congeniality

• Linh Uendo
• Eliza Lot
• Xena Ghost
• Rubi Taboo
• Electra Kute

Choreographer of the Year

• Daytona
• Eliza Lot
• Little X
• Nathan Smith
• Adrian Spuria

Bitch of the Year

• Bathsheba
• Holi Dae Knight
• Tash York
• Xena Ghost
• Teddy Clitter
• Rubi Taboo
• Amena Jay
• 2Joocee

Burlesque Performer of the Year

• Florence Fable
• Bendy Ben
• Juniper Fox
• Winter Greene
• Kitty Obsidian

Drag Queen of the Year

• Lynduuh
• Bathsheba
• Max Dragqueen
• Eliza Lot
• Tilly Capulet

Drag King of the Year

• Teddy Clitter
• Roxy Rawhide
• Bruno Salsicce
• Randy Roy
• Andii G

The聽Trailblazer Award, Lifetime Achievement Award and Belle of the Ball will be announced by organisers on the night.