The Voice Season 29 Premiere Date With Kelly Clarkson & More Revealed

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Some people wait a lifetime for a moment on The Voice.

Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, and John Legend are returning as coaches for the next season of NBC’s The Voice, which will be called The Voice: Battle of Champions and premiere on February 23, 2026. Along with the returning coaches, some new rules are being introduced to make the competition even more exciting.

This season, the coaches will go head-to-head in a new challenge called the “Triple Turn Competition” during the Blind Auditions. They’ll compete to get the most singers to have three chairs turn. The coach who wins will get a special advantage called a “Super Steal” during the Battle Rounds – they can block another coach from taking a singer they want.

To add another twist, each coach can also bring back two singers they previously coached for battle rounds called “sing-offs.” The coach who wins the most of these sing-offs is guaranteed to have a contestant in the season 29 finale.

This season, a new group called the “voting block” will be added. It’ll include former contestants from The Voice and dedicated fans of the show. They’ll get to be in the live studio audience and vote for their favorite singers during the semi-final and final rounds.

The show recently changed its format after host Carson Daly introduced the “Carson Callback Card” this season. This new feature allowed Daly, who has hosted the show since it began in 2011, to give singer Ryan Mitchell another chance to perform for the coaches, and Reba McEntire ultimately chose him for her team.

This season introduced the ‘Mic Drop’ button, which lets each coach choose one of their team members to compete for a chance to perform at the Rose Parade on January 1st.

Michael Bublé has chosen Max Chambers for his team, and Niall Horan recently picked the group DEK of Hearts.

For more behind-the-scenes secrets about The Voice, keep reading…

The winner of The Voice receives a recording contract with Universal Music Group, although the exact financial details aren’t publicly disclosed.

Although NBC and the show’s creators haven’t officially stated the prize money, rumors suggest the winner receives $100,000.

Previous winners of the show have confirmed they receive prize money. For example, Todd Tilghman, the winner of season 18, told People magazine in 2020 that the winnings would likely help cover his expenses for a while, and he wasn’t planning any major life changes immediately.

He also mentioned that, because he’d promised his children a Disney World vacation, he’d probably end up spending money on that as well.

Not that the value of the music opportunities that open up for the winners should be discounted.

Adam David, winner of season 27, told Parade in May 2025 that he has a collection of songs and wants to work with his songwriter friends. He plans to release music and then tour. “We’re going to put out some music, and we’re going to hit the road,” he said.

Besides directly contacting singers like Frenchie Davis – who hadn’t been on American Idol for eight years – The Voice used to hold auditions in cities across the country. More recently, the show has moved the initial talent search online. Judges now review video submissions and hold virtual auditions to find potential contestants, who might then get the opportunity to perform for the coaches and hopefully earn a chair turn.

To audition, participants need to be 13 years or older. Each contestant has 90 seconds to introduce themselves and showcase their singing. While they can choose any song, the show recommends selecting one that highlights their vocal strengths and reflects their artistic style.

As a huge fan, I’ve always been amazed by how much goes into getting these contestants ready! I learned from executive producer Audrey Morrissey that the judges spend five or six days just listening to auditions – around 18 to 20 each day! But it doesn’t stop there. Once someone makes it to the blind auditions, they spend several days with the show’s team beforehand. They rehearse with the band, get help with their wardrobe and styling, and even practice where they’ll be standing and how the cameras will see them on stage. It’s incredible how much preparation goes into each performance!

The show also involves filming introductory packages for each contestant and their families, which came as a surprise to Ddendyl Hoyt, a former contestant from season six. She explained to the Washington Post in 2014 that she didn’t realize reality TV was filmed like a dramatic series. “Everything is shot in separate segments, and that’s actually the most time-consuming part of the whole process,” she said.

You can try out for the show as many times as you like, but only once each season. Even if you don’t succeed in the initial auditions, or if you make it to the blind auditions but aren’t chosen for a team, you’re welcome to try again later.

Coach Reba McEntire, who mentored Asher HaVon to victory on season 25, explained to Newsweek in 2023 that she doesn’t like to be overly critical as a judge. Instead, she prefers to offer encouragement, saying she’d tell contestants to try again next season with a song that better showcases their abilities and comfort level. She believes in giving helpful advice to inspire them to return.

Starting with season 28, a new card called the Carson Callback was introduced. It allows host Carson Daly to give a second chance to a contestant who didn’t receive any chairs turned during their audition.

The show’s huge costume team makes sure contestants look fantastic once they’ve joined a team and are performing on stage.

We carefully select outfits for each artist to create fantastic styles,” Morrissey explained to SheKnows. “Then, for each live performance, those looks are tailored to fit the specific show.”

The celebrity coaches aren’t working around the clock, but they’re dedicated to preparing their teams for the battle rounds and everything that comes after.

According to Morrissey, the coaching lasts for four days, while the competitions themselves run for two.

The level of involvement a coach has with each artist varies, she explained. Some coaches enjoy being heavily involved in all aspects of the performance, meticulously planning every detail. Others prefer to concentrate on the musical side, like the song selection and how it’s arranged.

Morrissey also noted that some coaches prefer to communicate by text message, while others use email. He explained that all communication outside of what’s filmed becomes more frequent as the competition progresses and the pressure increases.

Former contestant Hoyt explained to the Post that the show isn’t just about the contestants themselves. He said, “A lot happens behind the scenes – the staff, including vocal coaches, the band director, and producers, all provide feedback and guidance.”

In a September 2025 interview with Access Hollywood, Snoop Dogg pointed out that the hardworking crew members who support performers often go unrecognized. He explained that these behind-the-scenes individuals handle all the logistics and make it possible for artists to simply focus on their performance.

Between coaches and artists, Morrissey said, “The No. 1 communication is about song choice.”

Okay, so the artists can technically suggest what songs they want to perform, but honestly, it feels like the coaches are the ones really making those decisions. It’s a little frustrating, because I feel like the artists should have more say in what showcases their voice best, but the coaches seem to have the final word, you know?

Frenchie, a contestant from the first season who was coached by Christina Aguilera, shared with Cosmopolitan in 2021 that it was often funny when the judges criticized a song choice, because they were the ones who had approved it in the first place.

However, season 24 winner Huntley praised his coach, Niall Horan, for guiding him, telling NBC Insider that the former One Direction member “has a real talent for choosing songs.”

Coaches all communicate differently—some prefer texting, while others use email, she explained to SheKnows. As the competition progresses and the pressure increases, they communicate with the artists more frequently. Most of their conversations center around choosing the right songs.

Before the show begins, potential contestants are evaluated to make sure they can handle the stress. Throughout the competition, and even afterward, mental health experts are available to support the artists.

Former contestant Kat Perkins explained to Cosmopolitan that the show provided mental health support immediately after elimination. She said that as soon as contestants left the stage, they went to speak with a psychiatrist. This debriefing was crucial, as the experience was incredibly intense and unlike anything they’d ever faced, leaving them emotionally unprepared. Perkins emphasized the importance of processing the experience, calling it traumatic and something no one could truly be ready for.

The coaches are experts in their roles, and their iconic big red chairs have changed over time. These chairs can still spin around with the touch of a button. In 2018, they were updated with a new feature: each coach got three extra buttons allowing them to block another coach, once per round, from recruiting a particular singer.

These chairs are as comfortable as a luxury car seat! They’re built with a strong aluminum frame, have a glossy finish, and even include self-adjusting heaters – Snoop Dogg joked they’re “the butt-warming kings.” Plus, they have two cupholders, a feature specifically requested by former coach Blake Shelton.

Perkins says the impressive ‘whoosh’ sound you hear when the chairs swivel on the show isn’t actually recorded during filming – it’s added later during editing.

It’s easy to miss, she explained to Cosmo, particularly when you’re concentrating and performing for the audience in the studio.

Friendly banter between the coaches has always been a part of The Voice, but over the show’s 16 seasons, it was often hard to tell if Blake Shelton and Adam Levine were genuinely annoyed with each other, or if they were just playing up their rivalry for the cameras.

Blake described their relationship as intense and complicated, saying they often argue but share a deep, almost inexplicable connection. He explained that, like many close friends, they both push each other’s buttons, bringing out both the best and worst in each other. He added that he knows exactly how to provoke his friend.

Translation: “He’s one of the best friends that I have, but I still want to kill him sometimes.”

And even though they haven’t competed against each other since 2019, Adam knows what the fans want.

The original coach shared a photo from the after-party of ‘The Voice’ season 1, jokingly tagging Blake Shelton and mentioning the dips served at his house. He posted it as a throwback ahead of his return to the show for season 27 in February 2025.

These days, coaches are much less likely to publicly share each other’s personal contact information.

Niall explained in an interview with NBC that he was worried their on-screen chemistry would feel fake. He said, ‘We spend so much time together, and I really hoped it wouldn’t come across like one of those TV relationships where everything feels forced and overly enthusiastic—like, ‘Hey, Snoop Dogg!’ I was nervous about that even before we started filming. I just didn’t want it to seem like we were pretending to get along, and thankfully, it hasn’t been like that at all.’

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2025-11-14 06:51