Nina West is the stage name of Andrew Levitt, a drag queen, performer, comedian, the 2008 national holder of the "Entertainer of the Year" title, as well as one of the Season 11 contestants of RuPaul's Drag Race finishing in 6th place and being voted Miss Congeniality. Since starting her career in the theatre program at Denison University back in 1999, Nina West has been performing for over 20 years. She has been in over 35 main stage productions and currently writes and produces her own show. West auditioned for "RuPaul's Drag Race" nine times before she made it on Season 11. Besides drag, West started the Nina West Foundation and has raised more than $2 million dollars for organizations benefiting the LGBTQ youth and families. West is an advocate and leader for the LGBTQ community in Ohio. "Nina" comes from the singer Nina Simone, while "West" comes from the fact that she's part of the "Haus of West".