Queen Of Our Hearts: Maxi Shield Will Be Posthumously Added To The DIVA Hall of Fame This Year

The DIVA Awards have proudly confirmed that Maxi Shield will be posthumously inducted to the DIVA Hall Of Fame this year.

Maxi was a legend of the Sydney drag industry and a much-loved member of our community for over 25 years. Whilst Maxi left us in 2026 after a very brave battle with ill health, she leaves an impressive and fabulous career where she conquered so many aspects of what a drag career could be. 

Her name now rightly sits with the best in the DIVA Hall of Fame. 

Maxi won her first Diva Awards in 2006 and 2008 as the Queen of Hearts, which summed up the dedication to community activism, body positivity, the fostering of safe spaces, her work in community health and sport and dedicated charity work which was to come. 

Maxi was always thoughtful of her sisters and fellow performers – her campness knew no bounds, and she was a mentor to many baby drags and generous to everyone who had the privilege of collaborating with her.

In 2014, Maxi was one of the first queens to win the new Diva Variety Award for her genius idea to create Meals on Heals which she introduced to many Oxford Street venues giving queens another form of income. 

Maxi’s performance style was incredibly broad, ranging from high-camp cabaret, drag production shows, live hosting, comedy, karaoke, games nights and iconic lip-sync numbers. She was the DIVA Entertainer of the Year in 2015.

She enjoyed long-running residencies at all the Oxford Street queer venues, including Palms, Universal, Stonewall, and The Oxford. She appeared in many of the now legendary huge Mardi Gras Party shows, the Sydney 2000 Olympic Closing Ceremony and the 2002 Sydney Gay Games. 

“Maxi was a trailblazer, a hustler, and an unmistakable force in Australian drag, and more personally she was a true sister,” said Tora Hymen, who worked with Maxi over this whole time. “She carved out a style and legacy entirely her own, built an extraordinary career and loved the art of drag fiercely.”

Maxi along with her performance partner Monique Kelly held one of Sydney’s longest residences, when they hosted a weekly karaoke night at Scruffy Murphys for twelve years. They used to close their live performance with I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by the Proclaimers. The British backpackers used to “eat them up” and some nights the encores were endless. It’s fair to say their shtick would be inappropriate these days, but they were hilarious. 

Maxi didn’t always have an easy relationship with DIVA over the years. She was forthright in her opinions and feedback, but with mutual respect and a shared love of drag, middle ground was usually found.

Off stage, within the community, Maxi was the official mascot of the Sydney Convicts rugby team for two decades, she worked with ACON on several high profile health campaigns including a 2017 HIV prevention video campaign and a 2022 campaign to prevent domestic violence.

If sharing a dressing room with Maxi, she would love to remind you she was friends with Madonna. As Madonna’s national hostess for her Australian Rebel Heart Tour, she hosted all of Madonna’s VIP parties. To top the experience off Maxi was chosen to join Madonna on stage to be her last Unapologetic Bitch in the world.

In TV Maxi appeared, along with her sister Penny Tration, You Can’t Ask That (2021) on the ABC, as well as the 2023 Aussie comedy, The Winner Takes It All.

Maxi was proud to break away from the Oxford Street stage, starring as the Fairy Godmother in the Shake & Stir Theatre Co production of Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas! at the QPAC during the 2023 Brisbane Festival. Maxi played to great acclaim Sharon Strelecki in Fountain Lakes Live at the Sydney Comedy Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe. 

The world knows our Maxi Shield from her successful turn in the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under. Unforgettable performing a legendary lip-sync featuring a surprise prop microphone that stunned the panel and stayed Maxi’s calling card. 

“Whether enjoying life to the fullest or enjoying doing absolutely nothing, every moment with Maxi was perfect and receiving this award at this time is beautiful,” said Fuschia Starr, Maxi’s best Judy. “Celebrating together again and, extremely conspicuous in your absence – just how you often liked it, congratulations.”

Being a ‘Ru Girl’ took Maxi to international fame, but all that was built on a very excellent Sydney drag career. She is and always was a star – and deservedly, now part of the DIVA Hall of Fame.