The Voice Crowns Season 29 Winner

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Season 29 of The Voice ended on a historic note.

The final four contestants on the April 14th show were Alexia Jayy (Team Adam Levine), Liv Ciara and Mikenley Brown (Team Kelly Clarkson), and Lucas West (Team John Legend).

In the end, Alexia won the Battle of Champions season, a competition judged by coaches who were all past winners themselves.

Adam’s win is his fourth in the competition, putting him in a tie for second place among judges with the most wins – a record currently held by Blake Shelton. Importantly, this is also the first time in the show’s 15 seasons that a Black woman has won.

Alexia quickly became a favorite on the show after her audition of Aretha Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman” – all three judges turned their chairs! Judge Adam was particularly impressed, telling the 31-year-old that she had one of the best voices he’d ever heard on the show.

 

That voice carried Alexia with ease through the season and into finale night, where she performed Patti LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade” and Adele’s “One and Only.”

Kelly was so impressed by the singer’s second performance that she jokingly asked them not to cover her songs ever again. She explained, “I adore Adele, she’s a favorite of mine, but wow! Please, just promise me you won’t sing my songs.”

John complimented Alexia, saying she was consistently outstanding in her performances. Adam added that her voice had a powerful effect on people.

The coach explained that the team inspired people to think about their own lives. By doing so, they created a sense of connection and community, which was truly remarkable. The coach shared that they’d never felt such a powerful shared experience, and expressed immense gratitude for the team’s ability to bring people together – calling them unbelievable messengers.

When it was time to announce the winner, host Carson Daly said Alexia’s name, which made her mother, and her 9-year-old son Matthew, incredibly emotional – Matthew immediately started crying.

Tears that quickly turned into excitement. 

“We won,” Alexia celebrated in an Instagram Story shared after the finale. “Woo!”

She captioned the video, “Just the beginning…,” and she’s right! Alexia is leaving the finale with a home recording studio, a $100,000 prize, and a chance to sign a record deal with Universal Music Group.

Plus, her new single “Rent Free” is officially in the world and ready for streaming. 

Adam reacted to the champion’s victory by saying he wasn’t surprised, adding that no one was more worthy of the title.

For more insight into how The Voice competition comes to life, read on. 

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 right away.

He also mentioned his wife had promised the kids a trip to Disney World, so he figured he’d be 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 go on tour.

Besides directly contacting singers like Frenchie Davis—who hadn’t been on American Idol for eight years—The Voice used to hold live auditions across the country. Now, the show finds talent online. Judges review video submissions and hold virtual open calls, identifying singers who might then have the opportunity to perform for the coaches, hoping to get at least one coach to choose them.

Oh my gosh, okay, so if you want to audition, you HAVE to be at least 13 years old! And get this – you only get 90 seconds to make a first impression! You have to introduce yourself and sing! They say you can sing whatever you want, but honestly, the show’s website basically says to pick a song that really shows off who you are as an artist and what your voice can do. It has to be perfect!

According to executive producer Audrey Morrissey, judges spend five to six days listening to auditions, with around 18 to 20 performers each day. Once a contestant is chosen for the blind auditions, they spend several days rehearsing with the show’s band, getting help with their wardrobe and style, and practicing camera positioning on stage, Morrissey explained in a 2018 interview.

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 don’t make it onto a team after the blind auditions, you’re welcome to try again next season.

Coach Reba McEntire, who mentored Asher HaVon to victory on season 25, explained to Newsweek in 2023 that she prefers to offer constructive feedback rather than harsh criticism. She believes it’s best to tell contestants, ‘If you’d like to try again, consider returning next season with a song that better suits your voice and showcases your abilities.’ She focuses on giving advice and encouraging hopefuls to improve and return.

Starting with season 28, contestants can also receive a ‘Carson Callback’ card. This allows host Carson Daly to give a second chance to an artist who didn’t receive any chair turns from the coaches.

The show has a huge costume department dedicated to dressing the contestants in stylish outfits, but only after they’ve been chosen for a team.

We carefully select outfits for each artist to create amazing stage looks,” Morrissey explained to SheKnows. “Then, for each live performance, we tailor those looks 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 the rest of the competition.

According to Morrissey, the coaching lasts for four days, while the performances themselves take two.

How much a coach helps each performer really 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 – the song itself 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 increases as the competition progresses and the pressure mounts.

Former contestant Hoyt explained to the Post that the show isn’t just about the singers themselves. He said, “A lot happens behind the scenes – the vocal coaches, band director, producers, and everyone else on staff gives you a lot of helpful feedback and guidance, but you don’t see that on TV.”

In a September 2025 interview with Access Hollywood, Snoop Dogg highlighted the often-overlooked contributions of the crew behind the scenes. He explained that many people work tirelessly to make performances possible, allowing artists like himself to simply focus on their performance onstage.

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

Artists can share their opinions on which songs they perform, but ultimately the coaches usually make the final decision.

Frenchie, a contestant on the first season who was coached by Christina Aguilera, shared with Cosmopolitan in 2021 that it was funny when the judges would criticize a song choice, especially since the judges themselves had approved it.

However, season 24 winner Huntley praised his coach Niall Horan, telling NBC Insider that the former One Direction member has a great ear for choosing songs.

Coaches all have different ways of communicating—some prefer texting, while others use email, she explained to SheKnows. As the competition progresses and the pressure increases, they communicate more frequently. Most of their conversations revolve around the artists’ song selections.

Honestly, I’m just so impressed with how much they care for the contestants! It’s not just about finding talent, you know? They actually check before anyone even gets on the show to make sure they can handle the stress. And it’s not a one-time thing either! They have therapists and mental health experts on set the whole time, supporting them through everything, and even after the show is over! It’s amazing, and it makes me love the show even more knowing they’re looking out for these incredible artists.

Former contestant Kat Perkins explained to Cosmopolitan that the show’s counselors would check in on contestants’ mental health immediately after elimination. As soon as someone left the stage, they went to a debriefing with a psychiatrist to discuss their experience. Perkins emphasized how important this was, saying that the show is a uniquely intense experience and people aren’t prepared for the emotional impact of something so big happening so quickly. She described the experience as traumatic.

The show’s coaches are experts in music, and their iconic chairs have changed over time, always with the ability to swivel around with the touch of a button. In 2018, the chairs were updated with a new feature: each coach got an extra three buttons allowing them to block another coach from vying for a particular singer, once per round.

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 he and Reba are “the butt-warming kings.” Plus, at the request of former coach Blake Shelton, each chair has two cupholders.

As a lifestyle and TV production insider, let me tell you something surprising about ‘The Voice’! That really exciting whoosh sound you hear when the coaches’ chairs turn? It’s actually added in during editing, not something that happens naturally with the chair itself. It’s all part of creating that dramatic moment for television!

Honestly, you barely even see it happening, you know? Like, when I’m up there, completely lost in the music and singing my heart out to everyone – even if it’s just the people in the studio – it just fades into the background. It’s like, the performance takes over and you don’t even register it!

Friendly banter between the coaches has always been a key part of The Voice, but over the show’s sixteen seasons, it wasn’t always clear if Blake Shelton and Adam Levine were genuinely annoyed with each other, or if they were just playing it up for the cameras.

Blake described their relationship as intense and complicated, telling The Tennessean in 2017 that they frequently argue and sometimes become genuinely angry with each other. He explained they share a deep, almost inexplicable connection, like two people who’ve known each other forever, which can bring out both their best and worst qualities. He characterized it as a volatile dynamic, adding that he knows exactly how to provoke his counterpart.

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.

I was just reminiscing about the after-party I hosted for the very first season of The Voice! I found an old photo and it brought back so many fun memories – especially of Blake Shelton being there, of course! He’s the original coach, and we’re both excited for him to return for season 27 in February 2025. We had tons of dips that night – it was a blast!

Honestly, it’s SUCH a relief to see! Back in the day, coaches were constantly airing each other’s dirty laundry online, even sharing private info like phone numbers! Thankfully, the new generation seems way more professional – they’re not doing that childish stuff anymore, and it’s amazing to see. I mean, can you imagine the drama?! Thankfully, those days are mostly gone, and I’m so here for it!

Niall explained in an interview with NBC that he was worried their on-screen chemistry would feel fake. He didn’t want their interactions to seem overly enthusiastic just for the cameras – like putting on a show for Snoop Dogg. He admitted he was initially nervous about doing the show, fearing their relationship would come across as forced, but he was happy to report that hadn’t been the case at all.

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2026-04-15 15:18