'RuPaul's Drag Race': How to Watch, What Time, What Channel

The Emmy-winning competition series RuPaul's Drag Race is back for a 12th season, with host and judge RuPaul on the search for the next drag superstar. The series airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on VH1. This year, 13 contestants are competing and each episode will feature a roster of special guests and judges.

Even if you cannot be near a television to watch the show, you can watch it live at VH1.com with your cable or satellite account. VH1 is also available on many Internet TV streaming platforms, like Hulu Live Plus TV, Fubo and Sling.

The winner of this season will receive $100,00, a year's supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics and the "America's Next Drag Superstar" title. The competitors are Aiden Zhane, Brita, Crystal Methyd, Dahlia Sin, Gigi Goode, Heidi N Closet, Jackie Cox, Jaida Essence Hall, Jan, Nicky Doll, Rock M. Sakuta, Sherry Pie and Widow Von'Du. No one was eliminated at the end of the first episode.

RuPaul is joined by Michelle Visage, Ross Mathews and Carson Kressley on the judge's panel.

Rapper Nicki Minaj was a special guest judge for the season premiere, but many other celebrities will join the show to weigh in. The upcoming guest judges include actors singers Robyn, Chaka Khan, and Normani; actors Thandie Newton, Daisy Ridley, Daniel Franzese, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bennett, Leslie Jones, Olivia Munn, Rachel Bloom, and Whoopi Golberg; model Winnie Harlow; and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

RuPaul's Drag Race is one of the most awarded reality shows on television today, racking up 13 Emmy wins since its premiere in 2009. In 2019, the series won Outstanding Reality Competition Program and Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition for a second consecutive year. RuPaul also won Outstanding Host in 2016 and 2017.

The RuPaul's Drag Race franchise also includes international editions, as well as the spin-offs RuPaul's Drag U and RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars.

"With each new generation of queens, the RuPaul's Drag Race revolution continues to drive culture," RuPaul told NBC News. "And as more and more new viewers discover the show, the phenomenon continues to open hearts and minds with love, laughter and a whole lotta sass."

When the show became the first reality show to win both Outstanding Reality Competition Program and Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition in 2018, RuPaul explained the appeal of the series.

"There's an interesting balance of entertainment and deep stories that really touch our audience," he said at the time. "We started out this show to celebrate the art of drag, and in doing so we brought along a bunch of kids who had varied backgrounds. We have challenges that are fun, but these kids bring their courage and their stories, and that is what the heart is."

Photo credit: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for VH1 "RuPaul's Drag Race"