Hell's Kitchen had a new drag queen to celebrate after the 11th Annual Miss Hell's Kitchen pageant took the stage at Ailey Citigroup Theater on Sunday, drawing a judging panel that included Cynthia Nixon and pop vocalist Loren Allred. The pageant doubled as a fundraiser, with proceeds supporting the LGBT Community Center's Cycle for the Cause, a 275-mile bike ride from Boston to New York City that benefits HIV and AIDS services.
Accounts of who actually won the crown diverge. W42ST reported that the new titleholder is Kiki Ball-Change, while the pageant's own website states that “the new Miss Hells Kitchen is the amazing Freeda Kulo,” according to misshellskitchen.com. Hoodline could not independently confirm which account reflects the official result.
A Night of Gowns, Talent, and a Celebrity Panel
Sunday's show was hosted by Willam, a RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4 alum, who presided over a competition that saw contestants face off in Evening Gown, Talent, Q&A, and Creative Runway categories, per the same broadwayworld.com account. The judging table also included Kellen Stancil, Jake Aebly, and Kyle Schmitt alongside Nixon and Allred, as BroadwayWorld reported ahead of the event.
The evening also honored LGBTQ+ public health leader Dr. Demetri Daskalakis, according to the same report. Miss Hell's Kitchen was founded in 2012 by Shane Terenzi and operates as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, BroadwayWorld noted, with the pageant's own site describing itself as an “out of this world fundraising event designed to support Cycle for the Cause.”
Pedaling for a Cause That's Raised Millions
Cycle for the Cause itself has become a major fixture of the Center's fundraising calendar. The ride has brought in more than $22 million since 1995, according to support.gaycenter.org, with more than 250 supporters, community members, and staff mounting bicycles for one recent edition that alone raised over $2,078,000, per gaycenter.org. This year's ride was scheduled for September 25 through 27 and was set to both start and end in New York City, support.gaycenter.org reported.
A Pageant With a Growing Roster of Hosts
Willam's turn behind the mic continues a tradition of recruiting high-profile talent to front the event. The pageant's organizers partnered with Spotify for the 2025 edition, according to POZ, which also reported that Sabel Scities was crowned Miss Hell's Kitchen 2024 and that a related 2025 New York City event was hosted by Alaska Thunderfuck 5000. A separate listing from Time Out New York noted that comedian Brad Loekle had hosted the pageant in a prior year.
Whichever name ultimately stands as this year's official winner, the pageant's core mission remained consistent with past years: pairing drag performance with a direct line of fundraising support for HIV and AIDS services tied to the Cycle for the Cause ride.
