5 nerdy drag kings we NEED to see on TV
There is one undeniable, amazing aspect about the recent LGBTQ+ TV landscape: the reign of drag kings is upon us!
Whether it’s Revry’s King of Drag or Shudder’s The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, the past few years have introduced viewers to more drag kings than television has ever seen before. It’s a long-overdue spotlight on these artists who have always been so essential within the queer community. These shows and others like them have introduced viewers — allied and queer alike — to different kinds of art than they’ve ever seen before, making drag kings a part of the mainstream and showcasing some of the best performers working today.
While every drag king is great in their own way, few have earned the love of LGBTQ+ geeks like the nerdy kings. From cosplaying as famous characters, to honoring the franchises that inspire them, to streaming on Twitch in full costume, these kings merge their nerdiest tendencies with exquisite drag to the delight of all.
Inspired by our previous list of nerdy drag queens, let’s take a look at some of the best nerdy drag kings we want to see all over our screens!
Manly Mannington
While we can’t wait to see these kings on TV, a drag performer doesn’t need to be on a series to be successful — just look at Manly Mannington, one of the UK’s most renowned queer performers.
Manly shapes his drag around afrofuturism, with each piece incorporating beautiful parts of his culture and jaw-dropping visions of sci-fi wonder. It’s an innovative style that has earned him attention from some of the biggest LGBTQ+ publications in the UK and beyond. But the fame hasn’t kept him from supporting local kings; Manly currently runs the House of Mannington, which hosts the Black Excellence Cabaret to uplift other queer performers from around his community.
From astounding his own looks to uplifting the work of others, Manly is one of the leading voices currently shaping the UK’s drag scene. With so many accomplishments, we can’t help but wonder: how has he not already been cast on a show!?
King River Glass
Cosplay and drag design have always gone hand-in-hand, with Florida’s King River Glass showing how amazing it can be when these two worlds collide.
A scroll through King’s Instagram reveals an established performer who loves nothing more than playing with color, with almost every look seeing him paint his face in a new vibrant shade and acting as an original character based on this hue. Though they don’t just make drag of their own OCs; the performer holds a deep love for queer fan-favorites like Coraline and The Amazing Digital Circus, with their cosplays showing off a deep passion for subversive animation. Cap all this off with King’s ongoing series teaching interested artists how to get started in drag, and they stand out as an inventive performer trying to make drag open to all potential kings today.
Andro Gin
Some people honor androgyny through their drag — and some people even make the concept their own name! Thus is the case of Andro Gin, an award-winning drag performer who’s revolutionizing how people look at gender in the medium.
We’re slightly cheating with this pick because, as their name clearly shows, Andro is neither a king nor a queen. But it’s this fluidity that has allowed them to truly embrace their art, with the performer offering an almost gruesome style of beauty that creates the punk rock looks their known for today. It’s this aesthetic that earned them a nomination for ‘Drag Royalty’ nominee at the 2025 Queerty Awards and has seen them get featured in numerous pieces on the future of drag.
Andro Gin has already earned so much well-deserved acclaim for their work. It’s time they get featured on a series and are given the chance to showcase their drag to a whole new audience!
Axel Andrews
Glamorous rhinestones and bombastic colors unite through Axel Andrews, a performer who has become a mainstay in Orlando’s thriving drag scene.
Axel embodies a nerdy versatility through their drag; many fans may know the king for his intricate costumes, completely bedazzled ensembles that show off both his body and his great taste. But along with these thirst-inducing looks, Andrews also uses drag to dress as sexy-fied versions of his many nerdy passions. Whether it be performing as his favorite Eevee-lutions from Pokémon or offering the most sickening version of Waluigi we’ve ever seen, he plays with fandom, costuming, and sexuality in a way your average drag fan doesn’t usually get to see. It’s what’s made him such a standout Orlando’s queer nightlife, and it’s why he deserves to be on whatever drag king show comes next.
Hugo Grrrl
Unfortunately, we’re slightly cheating with this pick because Hugo Grrrl has already been on TV — on their own show, in fact!
Hugo’s Rainbow Show aired on New Zealand TV and was hostede this bubbly drag king. Acting as a rainbow version of Mr. Rogers, Hugo educated his child audience about science, self-expression, and all of the many wonders that is drag! He offers a kind of nerdiness that is less video games and more of your favorite shows from childhood, with his endlessly optimistic demeanor offering a sense of inclusive nostalgia that only the luckiest kids got to experience.
Hugo Grrrl is fighting every single day to spread that inclusivity to as many folks as possible through his uplifting drag. And while he’s already spread this message across New Zealand with his own show, it’s time that he gets cast on another to make sure it reaches people all over the world!
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