This week on The It Girl Podcast, Britney Shields is joined by the original It Girl in her life: Mother Shields. In a rare and deeply personal episode, the two sit down to reflect on what it was like to grow up alongside a kid who was always performing, producing, experimenting, and dreaming — sometimes loudly, sometimes awkwardly, always creatively.

They reminisce about years of projects, shows, and schemes, and about all those unforgettable nights shutting down West Hollywood clubs, dancing through history, and celebrating the passing of marriage equality.

Mother Shields shares her wisdom for moms of gay children and drag artists, offering reassurance, encouragement, and hard-earned perspective for families navigating unfamiliar terrain. She also speaks to her broader philosophy on life — why strangers are always drawn to open up to her and Britney, and how listening can be one of the most radical acts of care.

The conversation turns to her vocation as a theatre teacher:

· What it means to feel called to teach

· The rewards and challenges of guiding young people through creativity

· Advice for new teachers just starting out

· How society can better support educators in meaningful, material ways

She also reflects on teaching through the pandemic, the toll it took on students’ mental health, and the lasting effects educators are still grappling with today.

It’s a warm, grounding, and honest episode about creativity, parenting, education, and showing up — for your kids, your students, and your community.

For the season finale, The It Girl Podcast transforms into a full-blown awards show with a special episode celebrating the inaugural It Girl Awards — a chaotic, heartfelt, and highly opinionated tribute to the people, moments, and cultural obsessions that shaped the year.

Every category was born organically from conversations on the podcast, evolving into a sprawling awards universe that spans pop culture, drag, politics, media, music, and the local LA nightlife ecosystem. These aren’t industry awards — they’re It Girl canon.

Across the episode, we honor:

✨ The figures who dominated discourse — from undeniable It Girls to Niche Girls, ones who slipped away too soon, and those who found themselves… controversially discussed
✨ Drag artists across every lane — queens, kings, parents, pioneers, producers, and rising stars who carried the scene night after night
✨ Cultural moments in film, television, comedy, and performance that made us feel something — whether that was joy, obsession, or full-body cringe
✨ Political figures, public scandals, and media moments that seeped into our timelines whether we asked for them or not
✨ The music that defined the year — from pop supremacy and viral anthems to albums and performances that lived rent-free in our heads
✨ And the local heroes — venues, parties, photographers, gogo dancers, and nightlife staples that keep the culture alive on the ground

Nominees range from global icons to deeply niche favorites, from household names to community legends — all without revealing who takes home the titles. The joy is in the celebration, the recognition, and the shared language built over a season of listening together.

This finale is less about winners and more about witnessing the culture as it actually exists — messy, interconnected, and shaped by conversation.

Thank you to everyone who tuned in, debated, voted, screenshotted, and cared this season. The It Girl Awards are the capstone, not the conclusion.

Big announcements coming soon. Same delusion. Next season.

This week on The It Girl Podcast, Britney Shields is joined by the luminous Gia Giselle for a powerful, wide-ranging conversation about visibility, survival, and stepping fully into your era. Gia opens up about traveling across America on the Taylor Swift Eras Drag Brunch Tour as a trans woman of color — what it meant to take up space in unfamiliar cities, the joy of performing for new audiences, and the realities of safety on the road.

We talk about Gia’s transformative year, including accessing gender-affirming care that has profoundly increased her sense of safety and confidence in public spaces. She shares how she found her political voice, built an online platform, and learned to speak with clarity and conviction in a moment when visibility truly matters.

Gia also reflects on her path before drag — earning her master’s degree, becoming a teacher, dabbling in marketing and digital media, and eventually finding drag as the place where all her skills, passions, and purpose finally aligned.

Then we get into the It Girls of the week:

· Heated Rivalry reaching a new temperature with its “All the Things She Said” needle drop — an instant gay canon moment — and Jordan Firstman calling out the show’s authenticity, creating the perfect storm of controversy that only makes an It Girl stronger

· The state of the U.S. economy and the very real struggle so many people are facing just to get by

· Tyra Banks’ off-the-rails Sydney club appearance, sending the gays into a collective spiral

· The endless entertainment of Smize & Dream Ice Cream and Tyra’s lasting cultural contribution, from business ventures to Life-Size

· The tragic loss of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, and the disturbing response from the president that has even longtime allies recoiling

· Tinashe and her pursuit to break ground and create opportunities in the music industry that seems intent on shutting her out

· Taylor Swift, and the important distinction between calling her a MAGA Barbie versus a capitalist queen

· Zohran Mamdani’s epic year, and the hope he represents for progressives and democratic socialists

Finally, we close with something special: the announcement of the It Girl nominations for the LA drag community. Gia joins Britney to reveal the nominees for:

✨ It Girl Categories (Cultural):

· It Girl of the Year

· Niche Girl of the Year

· It Girl Who Got Away

· Cancelled Queen

✨ Niche Girl Categories (Local Awards):

· Drag Queen of the Year

· Drag King of the Year

· Drag Parent of the Year

· Pioneer of the Year

· Rising Star of the Year

· Ingenue of the Year

It’s a conversation about movement — across cities, identities, careers, and culture — and what it means to claim your space unapologetically.