NAIA Black is first ever ‘Drag Den Philippines’ winner

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines now has its first ever Drag Supreme after reality show Drag Den Philippines named 26-year-old NAIA Black as its winner.

NAIA, who goes by Brian out of drag, was crowned by host and “Drag Lord” Manila Luzon at a coronation night on Thursday, January 26.

Despite never having won a challenge throughout the show’s 8-episode run, NAIA consistently placed in the top.

To cinch the crown, she competed against fellow finalists Maria Cristina and Shewarma in a national costume round, swimsuit round, long gown round, and lip-sync battle to Sarah Geronimo’s “Kilometro.”

NAIA is relatively new to the drag scene, only learning to do makeup in 2018. She initially performed as Tanya Sativa before changing to her current name. After being stuck doing online performances during the pandemic, she became a regular performer at the famous Butterboy drag brunches.

Speaking to Rappler at a press conference on January 24, NAIA said that she did not let her relative inexperience get in between her and the crown, and instead saw it as an opportunity to experiment.

“I was just experimenting on Drag Den, seriously. I was finding myself, finding my voice,” she said.

“I didn’t come to the competition fully aware of my capabilities, but when I made it to the top three to the finale, and then post-Drag Den until now, I’ve shown such immense growth and I think that’s something that many young artists can hopefully look up to.”

Drag Den Philippines is available on Prime Video. – Rappler.com