Trixie and Katya

Trixie and Katya is a comedy duo consisting of drag queens Trixie Mattel (Brian Firkus) and Katya Zamolodchikova (Brian McCook). The two have been known for their individual careers as entertainers and often as a popular double act. They first met as contestants on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race and quickly became audience favourites, developing an even larger audience as they began to appear together in December 2015 on YouTube.

Trixie & Katya
Katya (left) and Trixie (right) performing in 2017
Born	Brian Michael Firkus (1989-08-23) August 23, 1989 (age 35) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. Brian Joseph McCook (1982-05-01) May 1, 1982 (age 42) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupations	Drag queens comedians actors musicians
YouTube information
Website	trixieandkatya.com
Channels	Trixie & Katya
Years active	2015–present
Genre	Comedy

Style and performance

The comedic style of Trixie and Katya developed through the filming of their webseries UNHhhh and is often based around drag and improvisational comedy. The pair have also acted together on live stage productions and feature as a double act in a variety of drag performances including a stage production drag remake of cult film Romy and Michele's High School Reunion titled Trixie and Katya's High School Reunion^[1] as well as a live show in Las Vegas in 2019.^[2] Their comedy often plays on the contrast between the two drag queens, with Trixie being a self-described workaholic and entrepreneur, and Katya having a much more chaotic and carefree personality which is often the catalyst for the absurdist humor that many of their conversations develop into.^[3] The two often make fun of LGBT stereotypes as well as popular culture. In their live shows they often incorporate music from their own individual careers as well as a variety of sketches, improvisation and dance choreographed by Laganja Estranja.^[4][5]

Trixie and Katya often credit their editors Christopher Smith and Ron Hill for much of the success of UNHhhh, citing that their style of editing is an important part of the comedy style of the show.^[6]

Web series and TV

The two first appeared together on the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race first aired on March 2, 2015, although not as a duo but as individual contestants on the show. They first appeared as a double act on World of Wonder's YouTube channel on December 31, 2015 as guest hosts of the web series Fashion Photo RuView,^[7] usually hosted by fellow drag queens Raja and Raven. The positive reception for that episode resulted in World of Wonder launching UNHhhh, a comedy web series featuring the duo. The series became one of the most successful shows on the WOW Presents YouTube channel and earned them their first Streamy Award nomination for Show of the Year at the 7th Streamy Awards.^[8]

In November 2017, Trixie and Katya's web series was suspended after its second season and the two started The Trixie & Katya Show on the TV network Viceland. The show was similar to UNHhhh but its format was adapted for a television audience.^[9] The Trixie & Katya Show was cancelled after one season and the series returned to YouTube for its third season in October 2018.^[10] On 21 April 2021, UNHhhh debuted its sixth season.^[11]

In November 2019, Trixie and Katya began starring in I Like to Watch, a comedy web series produced and streamed by Netflix on its YouTube channel.^[12]

On December 12, 2020 Trixie and Katya hosted the 10th Streamy Awards. To adhere to social distancing restrictions, the duo presented the awards by driving a party bus around Los Angeles.^[13]

On May 27, 2021, the two announced the launch of their own YouTube channel^[14] which also features a video version of their podcast.

Books, podcast and newsletter

On July 14, 2020 Trixie and Katya released their book Trixie and Katya's Guide to Modern Womanhood,^[15] which is also available as an audiobook read by the authors. The book is a mixture of self-help and comedy. On April 8, 2022 Penguin announced that Trixie and Katya's second book in a similar vein to the first, Working Girls: Trixie & Katya's Guide to Professional Womanhood, would be released on October 25, 2022.^[16]

On October 6, 2020 the duo premiered a new podcast called The Bald and the Beautiful. The show features various guests who often join Trixie and Katya in their conversations.^[17] As of June 2021 it became available as a video podcast as well as audio.

On August 18, 2021 Trixie and Katya released Gooped, a humorous lifestyle newsletter and blog on the online platform Substack.^[18]

Tours and live shows

On July 7, 2021 the duo announced their first US tour together called Trixie and Katya LIVE.^[19] On May 27, 2022 they released tickets for a European leg of the tour scheduled for November and December 2022.^[20] The two were accompanied in their tour performances by fellow drag queen Kelly Mantle.^[21]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award-giving body	Category	Work	Results	Ref
2017	Streamy Awards	Show of the Year	UNHhhh	Nominated	[22]
2019		Unscripted Series		Nominated	[23]
2020		Show of the Year		Nominated	[24]
		Unscripted Series		Won	[24]
2021	Queerty Awards	Podcast	The Bald and the Beautiful	Won	[25]
	Canadian Podcast Awards	Outstanding Foreign Series		Won	[26]
	Streamy Awards	Show of the Year	UNHhhh	Nominated	[27]
		Unscripted Series		Nominated
2022	Queerty Awards	Podcast	The Bald and the Beautiful	Runner-up	[28]
	Webby Awards	Best Podcast Ad		Won	[29][30]
		Best Podcast Ad (People's Voice)		Won
		Arts & Entertainment Social Video	I Like to Watch	Nominated	[31][32]
		Arts & Entertainment Social Video (People's Voice)		Won
	Streamy Awards	Show of the Year	UNHhhh	Nominated	[33]
		Unscripted Series		Nominated
		Editing		Nominated
2023	Signal Awards	Best Video Podcast	The Bald and the Beautiful	Bronze	[34][35]
		Best Co-Host Team		Gold
		Best "Stan" Podcast		Silver
		Best LGBTQ+ Podcast		Silver
	Queerty Awards	Best Read	Working Girls: Trixie and Katya's Guide to Professional Womanhood	Won	[36]
	GLAAD Media Awards	Outstanding Podcast	The Bald and the Beautiful	Nominated	[37]
	Shorty Awards	Comedy Podcast		Audience Honor	[38][39]
	Streamy Awards	Show of the Year	UNHhhh	Nominated	[40]
2024	Queerty Awards	Web Series		Runner-up	[41][42]
	Webby Awards	Podcasts (Comedy)	The Bald and the Beautiful	Won	[43]

References

1. Grant, David (23 November 2017). "You'll rewatch Trixie Mattel and Katya's "Romy and Michele" interpretative dance… time after time". Queerty. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
2. "Interview: Trixie and Katya Take Vegas!". Five Senses Reeling. Obsessed. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
3. Tanzer, Myles. "Trixie and Katya are out of their minds and they're going to take over the world". Fader. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
4. Scott, Kate (5 April 2022). "Review: Trixie and Katya Go Above and Beyond at Auditorium Theatre". Third Coast Review. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
5. Kirsty, Bright (28 February 2022). "Trixie Mattel Keeps On Going and Going". werrrk.com. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
6. Morris, Lauren. "Exclusive – Drag Race's Katya and Trixie Mattel reveal their highlights of season 13: "Some people want to see the world burn and I'm one of those people"". Radio Times. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
7. Trixie & Katya's Fashion Photo RuView, RuView of Raja & Raven, 31 December 2015, retrieved 2021-07-15
8. "7th Annual Nominees". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
9. "Trixie Mattel and Katya Land Their Own Vice Show". www.out.com. 2017-08-19. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
10. "Trixie Mattel & Katya Announce New Season of 'UNHhhh' & More at RuPaul's DragCon NYC Reunion Panel". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
11. "Trixie and Katya Are Back! 'UNHhhh' Season 6 Premieres April 21". The WOW Report. 2021-03-25. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
12. "Trixie and Katya Just Launched a New Show for Netflix". www.out.com. 2019-11-21. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
13. Spangler, Todd (2020-12-03). "YouTube Streamy Awards 2020 to Be Hosted by 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Alums Trixie Mattel and Katya". Variety. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
14. The Trixie & Katya Youtube Channel: Coming June 1st!, 27 May 2021, retrieved 2021-07-15
15. "Trixie and Katya's Guide to Surviving the Pandemic and Staying Home". Vanity Fair. 2020-07-15. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
16. Nolfi, Joey (April 8, 2022). "From cover girls to cover letters, see Trixie Mattel and Katya's new Working Girls book jacket". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
17. Leiber, Sarah Jae. "New Podcast 'The Bald and the Beautiful' from Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamo Available Now". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
18. Trixie, Mattel; Katya, Zamolodchikova (18 August 2021). "Welcome to Gooped". Substack. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
19. Trixie And Katya LIVE: US Tour Announcement, 7 July 2021, retrieved 2021-07-15
20. Yates, Jonny (23 May 2022). "Trixie Mattel and Katya announce 2022 UK and European live tour: dates, presale info and tickets". PinkNews.com. PinkNews. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
21. Scott, Kate (5 April 2022). "Review: Trixie and Katya Go Above and Beyond at Auditorium Theatre". Third Coast Review. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
22. "7th Annual Nominees". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
23. "9th Annual Streamy Nominees". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
24. "10th Annual Streamy Nominees & Winners". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
25. "And the winners of the 2021 Queerties are…". Queerty. 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
26. "Foreign". Canadian Podcasting Awards. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
27. "11th Annual Nominees". Streamy Awards. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
28. "Podcast Nominees". The Queerties. Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
29. "People's Voice - Best Podcast Ad". Webby Awards. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
30. "The Bald and the Beautiful with Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamo". The Webby Award Winners. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
31. "People's Voice - Arts & Entertainment". Webby Awards. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
32. "I Like To Watch". The Webby Awards Winners. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
33. Escandon, Rosa. "YouTube Streamy Awards Announce 2022 Noms". Forbes. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
34. "@trixiemattel on Twitter: "The Bald and the Beautiful is nominated for 4 Signal Awards!! Go vote for us now"". Twitter. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
35. "Post by @studio71us". Instagram. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
36. "Best Read Nominees". The Queerties. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
37. Complex, Valerie (2023-01-18). "GLAAD Announces Nominees For The 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
38. "15th Shorty Award Finalists". shortyawards.com. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
39. "The Bald and the Beautiful". Shorty Awards. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
40. Spangler, Todd (24 July 2023). "Streamy Awards 2023 Nominations: Full List". Variety. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
41. "@trixiemattel: "3 nominations!! Thank you @Queerty ! Go vote now!"". Twitter. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
42. "Web Series Winners". The Queerties. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
43. "Top Comedy: Podcasts - The Webby Awards". Webby Awards. Retrieved 24 May 2024.