What was the initial reward meant for the winner of the Drake lookalike contest? Rapper offers $10,000 as the winning prize

Toronto’s favourite cake shop Casuals Cakery hosted an Aubrey Drake Graham lookalike contest on December 14, 2024. The contest was held at Apt 200 from 4 PM to 6 PM. However, following an endorsement from the rapper, a winning prize of $10,000 was given to the best lookalike.

Before the rapper endorsed the prize money, the initial awards for the contest included a certified Toronto Mans Pack, a Hennessy bottle, and Backwoods cigars, besides other prizes.

However, the rapper texted the organizers saying he would add $10,000 to the contest as the ‘main prize.’ Casuals Cakery shared a screenshot of the conversation on his Instagram page writing:

“I can barely type and a whole shock went through my body. But yes this is true and real & I hope the Drake doppelgängers ready, LETSSSSSSSS GOOOOOOO.”

As per the Toronto-based bakery’s Instagram post, there was no singular winner in the contest but a group of lookalikes who bagged the position collectively. As a result, they had to split the prizes. However, other reports suggested that Makayla Chambers won the top spot.

According to the Toronto Star, Chambers wore a baggy jacket, braided pigtails, and had a drawn beard. She said,

“It feels great. It feels like I made it.”

Although Drake was not present at the event, he shared a few clips from the contest on his Instagram stories, captioning them, ‘I love this city.’ This was not the first time that a lookalike contest was held. Similar events were held for celebrities like Glen Powell, Timothee Chalamet, Dev Patel, and others.

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What did individuals from the event say about the Drake lookalike contest?

Chambers attributed her victory to her unique and distinctive look, which set her apart from the competition and secured her success. She noted that her individuality made her stand out, leading to her victory.

One of the participants John Puente came from New York City to participate in the contest. He was hopeful that he would win the contest. While speaking to the Toronto Star, he said

“I think I have pretty high chances. Anything can happen, but I think my chances are pretty high of taking a victory.”

Around 20 doppelgangers sang and performed to some of the rapper’s top-hits which lasted more than two hours. However, the selected finalists performed a catwalk after which they had to answer the questions in the rapper’s voice. Some of the names the contestants went by for the contest were Stylish Drake, Montreal Drake, and others.

Casual Cakery’s founder Lillianna Brown reflected that the contest showed the fan’s devotion towards the singer. Brown added:

“This is all about Drake, this is all about his fans. This is the community gathering. We’re just honouring and loving the Champagne Papi and the 6 God!”

Brown shared that she used to play Hotline Bling on the saxophone during her middle school years and even created the rapper’s themed prayer candles. She described herself as a longtime fan, dating back to elementary school, and expressed how much the experience meant to her.