Liza Minnelli honored with lifetime achievement award on RuPaul's Drag Race

On April 18, Liza Minnelli made a rare but memorable appearance at RuPaul's Drag Race season 17 finale. The EGOT winner was presented with the show’s Giving Us Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor that began in 2023 for those who have made a mark on the realms of drag and fashion.

Arriving in a glittering black top, dark trousers, a black cap, loafers, and gold bangles, she sat on a throne while her 1972 song “Ring Them Bells” played in the background. The 79-year-old soaked in cheers and love from the contestants ahead of telling the crowd, “I love you!” Her witty charm stayed strong as she bantered with RuPaul. When RuPaul joked that his look took six hours to assemble, Liza shot back,

"I know! Seven for me—I'm older than you."

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Liza Minnelli's unforgettable moment on RuPaul's Drag Race

Liza Minnelli’s appearance at RuPaul’s Drag Race finale was iconic. Accepting her Giving Us Lifetime Achievement Award, she reflected on her colorful childhood days growing up backstage at MGM Studios.

"Everybody would rush to see whatever my mother was doing, and my father, especially, because he was making people do magic,"

Liza shared.

"Oh, he was the best."

Her parents, Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli, were already legends, and it’s clear their creative influence shaped Liza from an early age.

After thanking RuPaul and the show, Liza said,

"I don't know what else to say, except, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be me. You made me."

To that, RuPaul warmly responded,

"Well, you made us, actually."

It was a full-circle moment for a star whose career has long been intertwined with the world that RuPaul's Drag Race celebrates.

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A look back at Liza's illustrious career

Before gracing the stage of RuPaul's Drag Race, Liza Minnelli had already lived multiple lives in the spotlight. She first found success in the Off-Broadway revival of Best Foot Forward in 1963. It wasn’t long before she was solo touring like her mother, dazzling audiences with her voice and presence.

Film roles soon followed. Liza made her mark in The Sterile Cuckoo (1969) and Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970). But it was 1972’s Cabaret that truly made her a household name. For her performance as Sally Bowles, she earned her first Academy Award.

"It's the kind of film that I was just so pleased to be in,"

She told the BBC's Nationwide in 1973.

"I think that Bob Fosse found a new way of making a musical film. You know, it wasn’t like anything else in particular. There was music in it, but nobody burst into song on a bus or anything like that."

Clearly, Liza’s creative journey shares the same fearless spirit celebrated on RuPaul's Drag Race.

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Why Liza Minnelli's impact fits perfectly with

RuPaul's Drag Race

It’s not just her talent that made Liza Minnelli a natural fit for recognition on RuPaul's Drag Race. It’s her connection to the LGBTQ community that runs deep and heartfelt.

In a letter published by Billboard in 2017 to celebrate Pride, Liza wrote,

"Where would I be without the LGBTQ community of dazzling souls who have always supported and understood me on a level that is unique and extraordinary."

She reflected on her childhood, remembering the creative people who worked on her parents' film sets.

"From my earliest memories I understood that some people were different, especially when I met so many of the creative people who were working on films made by my mother and father,"

She said. Liza added,

"Today I celebrate all the special people, past and present, who made it possible for me to be here and to be courageously different. Their examples have shaped me, and without them, my life would be empty."

It’s no wonder RuPaul's Drag Race chose to honor her.

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Past winners and the tradition of honoring icons

The Giving Us Lifetime Achievement Award on RuPaul's Drag Race has quickly become a beloved tradition. Since its introduction in 2023, it’s been given to trailblazers who’ve left their mark on drag culture and beyond.

And with Hollywood royalty like Liza Minnelli joining the list of honorees, the RuPaul's Drag Race award's prestige only grows. Following her win, the night continued with all the camp and glamour fans expect from RuPaul's Drag Race.

In true drag race fashion, past winners like Cassandra have shared their advice with a playful edge.

"My advice is take your time, be true to yourself,"

Cassandra said during the April 2024 RuPaul's Drag Race episode.

"And try to show as much skin as possible."

It’s the kind of cheeky, heartfelt spirit that fits Liza's legacy perfectly and shows why she’s so beloved by the RuPaul's Drag Race family.