The Voice Shocker: Queen Latifah Joins Season 30 as First-Time Coach

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The Voice is getting a royally unexpected update.

Queen Latifah will be a coach on the upcoming 30th season of NBC’s singing competition show, the network revealed on May 12th.

Renée Zellweger, the actress known for her role in the movie Chicago, is joining The Voice as a coach. She’ll be working alongside first-time coach Riley Green, and returning coaches Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine when the new season begins this fall.

Although Queen Latifah is now widely recognized as an actress, she’s also a celebrated musician with a Grammy award to her name.

Queen Latifah, known for her role in The Equalizer, will use her experience as a rapper, producer, record label executive, and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer to guide a fresh group of aspiring singers in the upcoming season.

Clarkson and Levine, with thirty seasons of The Voice between them, are well-positioned to offer guidance to Latifah and Green as they adjust to being coaches.

Although this isn’t Green’s first time on The Voice, he’s familiar with the show. He previously performed during the finale episodes of seasons 26 and 28.

The announcement that Latifah will join the show comes almost a month after Levine said he was returning, following Team Adam’s Alexia Jayy winning the ‘Battle of Champions’ title on April 14th.

Maroon 5’s lead singer told People magazine he plans to return for another season. He said he’s really enjoying his time on the show and has had a great experience since coming back a few seasons ago, hoping to continue as long as the show wants him.

The Grammy-winning artist was a regular coach on The Voice for its first sixteen seasons, leaving the show in 2019.

After taking a six-year hiatus, Adam Levine – father to Dusty Rose, 9, Gio Grace, 8, and a 3-year-old son whose name he and wife Behati Prinsloo have kept private – returned to television last year. He mentored aspiring musicians on seasons 27 and 29 of a singing competition show.

Just recently, NBC announced that Kelly Clarkson will continue as a coach on American Idol. The upcoming Season 30 will be her eleventh season in the role.

Okay, seriously, I’m dying to see Latifah and Green as coaches on The Voice! While we’re all counting down the minutes until they’re on our screens, I thought I’d share some behind-the-scenes stuff about the show itself – the secrets, the drama, everything! It’s just… everything you need to know while you wait with me!

The Voice returns fall 2026 on NBC.

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

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

As a longtime fan, it’s always interesting to hear what happens to the winners after the show! I remember reading that Todd Tilghman, who won season 18, shared with People magazine back in 2020 that the prize money was a huge relief. He said he didn’t have any big plans to change things right away, and honestly, it would probably help cover his bills for a bit – which is a weight off anyone’s shoulders, right?

He also mentioned that, because he’d promised his children a Disney World vacation, he’d probably go ahead and spend the money on that as well.

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

In May 2025, Adam David, the winner of season 27 and a member of Team Bublé, told Parade that he’s planning to release new music and tour. He has a collection of songs and wants to work with his fellow songwriters to create and share them.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen how talent scouting has changed, and The Voice is a great example! They used to do a lot of direct recruiting – remember when they found Frenchie Davis years after her American Idol run? – and massive in-person open calls all over the country. But now, things are mostly done online. The judges hold virtual auditions, sifting through video submissions to find potential stars. If a singer really shines, they might then get the chance to perform live for the coaches, hoping to turn a chair and land a spot on the show.

Participants need to be 13 or older to audition. During their audition, they’ll have 90 seconds to introduce themselves and sing a song of their choice. The show recommends choosing a song that showcases their voice and personality.

According to executive producer Audrey Morrissey, judges spend five to six days listening to auditions, typically seeing 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 fitted for clothes and styled, and practicing camera positions on stage before their audition.

Oh my gosh, I just learned something amazing from Ddendyl Hoyt, who was on season six! She said she was totally shocked when she found out how they actually make the show. Apparently, it’s not just one long recording – they film everything in little bits and pieces, like a real drama! She told the Washington Post back in 2014 that putting those intro packages together – you know, showing us all the contestants and their families – was actually the longest part of the whole process! I always wondered how they made it all look so seamless, but it’s all clever editing, apparently! It’s just… fascinating to me!

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

In a 2023 interview with Newsweek, coach Reba McEntire, who previously coached Asher HaVon to victory on season 25, explained that she prefers to offer constructive feedback rather than harsh criticism. She likes to tell contestants who don’t make it, ‘Come back next season and try again with a song that truly showcases your strengths and makes you feel comfortable.’ She believes in giving advice and encouraging hopefuls to return and improve.

Starting with season 28, a new “Carson Callback” card was introduced. This allows veteran host Carson Daly to give a contestant who didn’t receive any chair turns a second chance to perform.

The show employs a large wardrobe team to make sure contestants are dressed in stylish outfits, but only after they’ve been chosen for a team.

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

The celebrity coaches aren’t necessarily working around the clock, but they’re definitely 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 performances themselves take 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 primarily on the musical aspects and how the song is arranged.

Morrissey also noted that some coaches prefer to communicate via 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 singers themselves. He said, “A lot happens behind the scenes – the vocal coaches, band director, producers, and other staff members all provide feedback and guidance.”

In a September 2025 interview with Access Hollywood, Snoop Dogg highlighted the often-overlooked contributions of the crews who work behind the scenes. He explained that these dedicated individuals handle all the logistics and hard work, allowing performers 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 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, especially because the judges themselves had approved it.

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

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

According to season six contestant Kat Perkins, contestants immediately meet with counselors after being eliminated. She told Cosmopolitan that these sessions are essential for processing the experience, as the show is incredibly intense and unlike anything people normally go through. The counselors ensure contestants discuss their feelings, recognizing the potentially traumatic impact of such a quick and overwhelming experience.

The show’s coaches are experts in music, and their iconic red chairs have changed over time, but always swivel with the touch of a button. In 2018, the chairs were updated with a new feature: each coach got an extra button allowing them to block one of the other coaches from trying to recruit a particular singer, once per round.

These chairs are as comfortable as a luxury car seat! They feature a strong aluminum frame, a glossy finish, and even self-adjusting heaters – Snoop Dogg joked they’re the best at keeping you warm. Plus, at the request of former coach Blake Shelton, each chair includes two cupholders.

Perkins says the impressive ‘whoosh’ sound you hear when the chairs spin around on the show is actually added during editing, after the filming is done.

“You almost don’t notice it,” she told Cosmo, “especially when you’re focusing and singing to the crowd that’s in the studio.”

Friendly banter between the coaches has always been a fun 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 just playing it up for the cameras.

Blake described their relationship as intense and complicated, telling The Tennessean in 2017 that they often argue and get frustrated with each other. He explained they share a deep, almost inexplicable connection, like those two friends everyone knew in high school, which pushes them to both their best and worst. He characterized it as a volatile but powerful 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.

The original coach shared a photo from the after-party for the first season of ‘The Voice,’ jokingly tagging Blake Shelton. He posted it as a reminder of his upcoming return to the show in February 2025 for season 27.

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 didn’t want their interactions to seem overly enthusiastic just for the cameras – like a forced, ‘Hey, Snoop Dogg!’ – and he was initially nervous about doing the show for that reason. Luckily, he said, their relationship felt genuine and not at all forced.

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2026-05-12 17:18