RuPaul finally got the industry recognition he deserves for 'Drag Race'

Some condragulations are in order.

RuPaul Charles won the award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program at the 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sunday night, Out reports. This marks the first Emmy win for his long-running drag queen competition series, RuPaul’s Drag Race.

“Earlier this year I was quoted saying I’d rather have an enema than an Emmy,” Ru said in his acceptance speech. “But thanks to the Television Academy, I can have both!”

One-hundred queens have competed for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar since Drag Race began airing on Logo TV in 2009, but the show didn’t receive a single Emmy nomination until this year. For fans of the show, the win—not to mention the industry recognition it symbolizes—is a long time coming.

“Honestly, I really didn’t expect this,” RuPaul, who has consistently broken ground for LGBTQ representation in the mainstream since “Supermodel (You Better Work)” hit the Billboard Hot 100 in 1992, told reporters backstage. “I came here thinking, ‘Wow, I got invited to the prom, and I’m gonna dance my ass off tonight!’ But I didn’t expect to have this [Emmy] in my hand when I was dancing. So, it’s a very special night, not just for me but for all of the young people around the world who dance to the beat of a different drummer.”

Drag Race was also nominated for Outstanding Costumes for Variety, Nonfiction, or Reality Programming, but lost the Creative Arts Emmy to NBC’s The Wiz! Live. The second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars is currently airing on Logo TV, and the ninth (regular) season of the series is expected to premiere in 2017.