Nina West

Andrew Robert Levitt, professionally known by the drag persona Nina West, is an American drag queen, actor, singer-songwriter, and queer activist based in Columbus, Ohio. Levitt gained national prominence after competing on the eleventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race, where she finished in sixth place and was crowned Miss Congeniality. She later returned to the franchise to compete on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars in 2024.

Raised in Greentown, Ohio, Levitt attended Canton Central Catholic High School before earning a degree in theater from Denison University. During his time in college, he experienced harassment and death threats due to his sexual orientation. Although he initially intended to move to New York City to pursue an acting career, he altered his plans following the September 11 attacks.

Levitt began performing in drag in 2001 under the guidance of drag mother Virginia West. In Columbus, Nina West became the host of the annual Heels of Horror show at Axis Nightclub as well as the competition So You Think You Can Drag? In 2008, she earned the Entertainer of the Year award, wearing an outfit that later served as inspiration for singer Sia's look at the 2016 Coachella festival. Alongside her performance career, Levitt worked in social media and marketing for local venues including Union Cafe and Axis Nightclub.

After auditioning nine times, Levitt was cast in season eleven of RuPaul's Drag Race. During the season, she secured wins in the Diva Worship and Dragracadabra challenges and became the first contestant in the show's history to impersonate an original Match Game panelist by portraying Jo Anne Worley during Snatch Game. Following her elimination in a lip-sync against Silky Nutmeg Ganache, Levitt received public support from figures such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Scott Hoying, and Rihanna. Later projects included an appearance on The View, starring in the animated short film Coaster, appearing as the first person to walk the Primetime Emmy Awards purple carpet in full drag, participating in RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race, and joining the 2021–2022 national tour of the musical Hairspray as Edna Turnblad.

Levitt has expanded into music, releasing three EPs in 2019: Drag Is Magic, John Goodman, and The West Christmas Ever. He also put out a music video for the single Hucks. In media and advertising, Levitt has partnered with brands such as Pantene, Pepsi, and OraQuick, participated in promotional campaigns for films like Trolls World Tour and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, and hosted animated Pride content and educational advertisements for Nickelodeon in 2021.

As a philanthropist and advocate, Levitt focuses on LGBTQIA community causes, including HIV testing, marriage equality, transgender rights, and early childhood education. Through The Nina West Fund at The Columbus Foundation, he has helped raise over $2 million for organizations such as Equitas Health, the ACLU of Ohio, Dress for Success Columbus, and Kaleidoscope Youth Center. His achievements and community service have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Create Columbus Commission Visionary Award, an equality award from the Human Rights Campaign Columbus, the Steven Shellaberger Illuminator Award, serving as Grand Marshal for the 2019 Columbus Pride Parade, a street naming called The Nina West Way, and inclusion in Columbus Business First's 40 Under 40 list.