European readers will recognize Conchita Wurst immediately. American readers might need an introduction, so we're happy to provide it! This musician and drag queen made history when she became the first drag act ever to win the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2014, smashing down barriers on the way. The Austrian, also known as Thomas Neuwirth, is very conscious of both aspects of being a drag queen - she enjoys displaying feminine beauty, but retains an awareness that she's biologically male. That's why she always performs with a beard!
Her motivation for putting herself forward for Eurovision was proving to herself - and the wider world - that she wasn't a joke. After years of being mocked as 'the bearded lady' in her home country, Wurst had the last laugh on the biggest stage of them all. She's sung herself all the way to an estimated fortune of $3m.