The Voice Winners Through the Years: Where Are They Now?

The Voice debuted on April 26, 2011, and the competition has been growing by leaps and bounds. Now, 20 years later, the show has seen numerous judges, unique talent, and 20 amazing musicians rise to stardom.

The competition aims to find unsigned professional and amateur singing talent and turn them into stars by crowning them the “Voice of America.” So far, the show has seen musicians of all ages battle it out for the competition’s top spot.

Winners Graduate to Glowing Careers

The competition winners are not only rewarded with a cash prize, but it also gets them started on the journey towards a successful musical career. Many of them have taken this unique opportunity as the leverage of the competition allows them to build a remarkable music career after leaving the show.

If you’ve wondered how each of these previous contestants and champions have been faring since being on the show, this article will answer all your questions. Read on as we take a look at previous winners of The Voice and where they are now.

Season 1 – Javier Colon

Javier Colon was the winner of the show’s first season on June 29, 2011. He sang Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” for his blind audition and got four-chair turns. His final performance for the show was a solo song, “Stitch by Stitch.”

He also performed a “Man in the Mirror” duet with his coach Adam Levine in the finals. Javier Colon walked away from the show with the $100,000 cash price and a contract with Universal Music Group.

Life After the First Season

Javier went to work immediately and released his first album after the show that same year. The album, which was titled “Come Through for You,” sold 46,000 copies. Jason left Universal a year later, citing differences over the lack of promotion of his album.

He dropped an acoustic holiday EP later that year. Colon later went on to sign a record deal with Concord Records. He released another album in 2016 titled “Gravity.” Since the album’s release, he has made appearances in musicals such as “Big River” and frequently performs on TikTok and Instagram.

Season 2 – Jermain Paul

Before participating in The Voice, Jermain Paul was a backup singer for Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige. He had been nominated for the 46th Grammy Awards for one of his collaborative works with Alicia keys. He was also a member of an R&B group for a while.

Paul was team Blake Shelton on the show and performed a tribute to his coach’s song, “God Gave Me You.” He also sang “I Believe I Can Fly” for his final solo and took part in a duet with his coach on “Soul Man.”

The Return to Spring Valley

After winning The Voice, Paul returned to his hometown in Spring Valley and performed for the kids at the Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center. He would go on to release his first single in 2015, three years after winning the show.

Since winning the show, he has been nominated for two Grammy awards. Paul released a 9-song studio album, “For the Record,” in the fall of 2019 and released a follow-up album the following year. He now runs his own entertainment company, JP entertainment, and continues to perform and release songs.

Season 3 – Cassadee Pope

Cassadee Pope became the first female to win The Voice on the show’s third season in December 2012. Before the show, she was the lead singer of the rock band “Hey Monday.” Her audition in 2012 was for the song “Torn,” and she chose Blake Shelton as her coach, landing Shelton his second win in a row.

Her solo performance for the final was a performance of her original song, “Cry.” She also sang a duet with her coach for the song “Steve McQueen” and a reprise of the song “Over You,” which she dedicated to her grandfather.

Frame by Frame Makes No. 9 on the Billboard

Pope’s first album was released in October 2013. The album, titled “Frame by Frame,” made it to No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and received several positive reviews. She was featured on Chris Young’s song “Think of You,” which his chart-topping album “I’m Coming Over.”

Pope waited till 2019 before releasing her second album and then dropped a third a year later. She has been in a relationship with British actor Sam Palladio since 2017. Pope wrote a song for the sequel of the Princess Switch Movie, which starred her boyfriend.

Season 4 – Danielle Bradbery

When Danielle Bradbery won the fourth season of The Voice in 2013, she was the youngest person to have won the competition at the time. She was just 16. Bradbery was also the second woman in a row to win and landed Coach Shelton his third win in a row.

Her solo performance in the finals was an original song, “Born to Fly.” She also reprised Pam Tellis’ “Maybe It Was Memphis” and sang a duet for “Timber, I’m Falling in Love” with her coach.

Bradbery’s Debut Album Was Quite Successful

She sold over 375,000 copies of the album in the United States alone and made it to the top 20 on the Billboard 200. Later, she released a single, “Heart of Dixie,” which also topped the charts. “I Don’t Believe We’ve Met,” her second album, was released in 2017 after going on a round of tours.

In 2019, Bradberry was nominated as the New Female Artist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards. A year later, she dropped two more chart-topping singles. She’s currently in a relationship with model Bennett Jonas.

Season 5 -Tessanne Chin

Tessanne Chin is the sister of Jamaican Singer Tami Chynn. Before a stint on the fifth season of The Voice, she had been active in the music scene as far back as 2006. Tessanne worked with music legends like Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle.

She performed Pink’s hit song, ‘Try,’ and got four chairs for her audition. She was on Team Adam Levine, in which the coach won his second win of the show. Her solo performance at the finals was for a new song, “I Have Nothing.”

Philanthropy and Advocacy

Tessanne Chin’s first album, titled “Count on My Love,” was released in 2014 and made it to No. 41 on the Billboard 200. Two years later, she released an RnB/Soul album titled Love Suicide.

Tessanne’s first daughter Zaia from husband Brandon Cook was born in 2020. She’s a philanthropist and staunch advocate against gender-based violence. She makes music and has had several performances, including the most recent one at the Global Reggae Night.

Season 6 – Josh Kaufman

Josh was not a stranger to the big stage by the time he appeared on The Voice. His music career began at an early age. He had made an appearance on Star Search and auditioned for X-Factor before the 6th season of The Voice.

He earned an iTunes bonus multiplier with his recording of “Stay with Me.” Although he started his journey on The Voice on Adam Levin’s team, he won the show on Usher’s team, and it was the coach’s only win to date. Kaufman’s solo performance for the final was the song Set Fire to the Rain, and his duet with his coach was for “Every Breath You Take.”

Kaufman Took a Long Pause after His Win

Unlike many of the other previous winners, Kaufman did not release any records immediately after the show. Instead, he went straight to Broadway and played the lead role in the award-winning musical, Pipping.

Kaufman released a self-titled EP in 2016, which was quite successful. He has been on several tours with his band and also released an album in 2019. Kaufman currently takes songwriting classes and offers vocal training.

Season 7 – Craig Wayne Boyd

For his blind audition, Craig Boyd got two chair turns from Pharell Williams and Blake Shelton for his performance of Travis Tritt’s classic, “The Whiskey Ain’t Working.” He went for Blake Shelton and eventually scored the coach his fourth win.

From the battles to the final, his journey on the show saw him perform various songs from Pat Green, Soul Brothers Six, and the Marshall Tucker Band. He also performed an original song, “My Baby’s Got a Smile on Her Face.”

Boyd’s “Top Shelf” Album Was Released in 2017

Boyd’s debut single made it to the top spot on the Hot Country Singles chart right off the bat. He later went on to start his guitar line. His first album, titled “Top Shelf,” was released in 2017. He also formed a new band along with country singers Casey James and Adam Wakefield.

The band dropped a single in 2019, then another the following year before going on tour. Boyd recently announced that he is expecting another baby with his wife, adding to his already large family.

Season 8 – Sawyer Fredericks

When Sawyer Fredericks won season 8 of The voice in 2015, he was only 16 years old, making him the youngest competitor to have won the game. Sawyer went under the wings of Coach Pharell Williams, and it was the coach’s first and only win on the show up until today.

Fredericks’s performance of “Imagine” during the show reached the top ten on iTunes, and his sales records were at an unprecedented level. Fredericks’s solo performances at the finals were a cover of “Old Man” and an original performance of the song “Please.”

Fredericks Has Dropped 4 Albums Since the Show

After the show, Fredericks dropped a self-titled EP which hit the Number two spot on the Americana/Folk Albums chart but could not make it past No.40 on the Billboard Top 200. His second album, titled “A Good Storm,” was released in 2017, and he dropped his third one a year later.

In 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Fredericks went on tour both physically and virtually. He dropped “Flowers For You,” which was his fourth studio album in 2020 as well.

Season 9 -Jordan Smith

27-year-old Jordan Smith was on Team Adam Levine. The Kentucky-born singer started his foray into music at church and carried on his passion at Lee University, one of the Lee University Singers. Before 2015, Smith had auditioned for The Voice, but he was rejected.

He gave it a second shot, and this time, he received four chair turns from the coaches for his performance of Sia’s Chandelier. Smith was dubbed a Unicorn by Slate Magazine because of his expansive and genderless voice.

Jordan Smith Goes on Tour with Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant

Four months after the show, Smith released his first studio album, “Something Beautiful.” The album topped at Number 11 on the Christian Songs Music Chart. His second album, titled “Only Love,” was released in 2018.

Since winning the show, Jordan Smith has been on tour with a wide range of gospel singers, including Micheal W. Smith and Amy Grant. Celine Dion’s song for the Deadpool 2 soundtrack, “Ashes,” was co-written by him. His song “Angels We Have Heard,” which he released towards 2020, was also a significant success.

Season 10 – Alisan Porter

The Voice wasn’t Alisan’s Porter’s first introduction to stardom. She was a child actor early in her childhood with appearances in movies like Parenthood and Stella. She also played a lead role in the 1991 movie Curly Sue.

She performed on Broadway before forming her band in 2003 called the Raz, which later split up. Porter’s performance of the song “Blue Bayou” got her four-chair turns. At the finals, she performed her original song “Down That Road” and a duet with her coach Christiana Aguilera.

Two Successful Singles

After the show, Porter dropped two singles titled Deep Water and Change, which were widely successful. She then released an EP in the Summer of 2017 titled “I Come in Pieces.” Her album “Pink Cloud” was released two years later, followed by the single “Lungs” a year later.

The singer continues to perform but now spends most of her time as a mom. She recently announced that she is expecting her third baby, her first child, with her boyfriend, Justin De Vera.

Season 11 – Sundance Head

Jason “Sundance” Head’s father is renowned American singer Roy Head, famous for his hit record “Treat Her Right.” Before participating in The Voice, the country-soul singer competed in American Idol and made it to the semi-finals before he was eliminated.

After Idol, he signed a contract with Universal Music Group. Head would later audition for The Voice and won the 11th season coached by Blake Shelton. For his winning performance, he sang a solo of his original song, “Darlin’ Don’t Go.”

New Record Deal with Wildcatter

Head signed a record deal with Republic Records after winning season 11 of the show. But the deal had to be shelved while they tried to find a partner for him. He later went on to sign another deal in 2018 with Wildcatter Records.

After a tour with Blake Shelton, Head went to work on his album and released “Stained Glass & Neon” in 2019 as his first studio album. The album received rave reviews. Head continues to hold performances across the US but has not released an album or single in recent times.

Season 12 -Chris Blue

Before winning The Voice, Blue had an early start to his music career when he formed a band with his siblings called the Blue Brothers. He competed on Bobby Jones Gospel show and also won the Voice-Off Knoxville music competition in 2015.

Chris Blue auditioned for the 12th Season of The Voice and won the last and final spot left on Coach Alicia Key’s team in the Blinds. His song of choice for the Blinds was the classic “The Tracks of My Tears.” Blue is Key’s only win on The Voice to date.

Fresh Start EP

Blue sang a cover of “Take Me to the King,” which topped the Hot Gospel Songs chart in 2017. After this, he began working on his album but released a single titled “Inside Ya” in 2019 before his album was released.

He dropped an EP titled “Fresh Start” the same year and did a mini-album for Christmas titled “One Light.” Blue has another EP on the way titled “The Chris Blue Project.” He recently released a single, “Back 2 the Future,” which is expected to be on that EP.

Season 13: Chloe Kohanski

Chloe Kohanski (also known as Chloe MK) started her journey on The Voice on Team Miley Cyrus but was saved by Blake Shelton after being eliminated in the knockouts. That move won Shelton his sixth title as the rock singer would later win the show.

Kohanski won the grand prize of $100,000 and got a record deal with the Universal Music Group. Her performance at the finals was her original song, “Wish I Didn’t Love You.” She also performed a cover of the 80s classic, “Bette Davis Eyes,” and a duet of “You Got It” with Shelton.

Chloe’s Album is Mixed and Ready for Release

After the show, Kohanski’s first official performance was on season 14, where she sang her first single. The song, which was released in 2018, peaked at No.69 on the Billboard Chart. Kohanski announced a name change to Chloe MK in 2019.

She also released a single titled, To Be Young as well as an EP called Fantasy. Chloe announced in February 2020 that her album was officially mixed and ready but didn’t give a name to the album or announce a release date for it.

Season 14: Brynn Cartelli

Brynn Cartelli was just 14 when she auditioned for season 14 of the show and became the youngest winner of the competition. She was mentored by Kelly Clarkson, who had just joined the show at the time as well. This made her the first coach to win on a show in her debut year.

Cartelli’s song for the blind audition was Labyrinth’s “Beneath Your Beautiful.” Her performance at the Live Playoffs coincided with her 15th birthday, and she performed Sia’s Unstoppable. She continued to soar after the show as she gained two iTunes top 10 spots.

Cartelli Joined Kelly Clarkson

Cartelli got a deal with Republic Records as part of her winning the show. However, she left the label before the expiration of her deal and signed a new record deal with Atlantic Records in 2018. Cartelli’s first single peaked at No.8 on the Billboard Digital Chart. She joined Kelly Clarkson on her tour in 2019.

Brynn Cartelli has returned to The Voice a couple of times over the years. She performed her new single, Last Night’s Mascara, on season 15 of the show and later returned on season 16 to perform another single titled “Grow Young.”

Season 15 – Chevel Shepherd

Chevel Shepherd extended coach Kelly Clarkson’s winning streak on The Voice when she won Season 15 in December 2018. The singer was 16 years old at the time. Shepard was also the first country singer to win without having Blake Shelton as a coach.

Shepard’s song for the Blind auditions was Band Perry’s “If I Die, Young,” which won her three chair turns. In the final show, she debuted her original song “Broken Hearts” and also sang a cover of The Weeknd’s “Rockin” with her coach, as well as a solo performance of “It’s a Little Too Late.”

Working On Her Debut Album

Broken Hearts, her debut single, peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Country Chart. After The Voice, she went on tour with Maroon 5 in 2019 and was the opening act for the group. She released four singles, including one titled “The Letter,” which helped register her name on the charts for the second time.

In 2019, Shepard signed a record deal with Republic Records. She graduated high school in 2020 and continues to work on her music. She is currently working on her debut album.

Season 16 -Maelyn Jarmon

Maelyn Jarmon won the 16th season of The Voice in May 2019. She was coached by John Legend, who had just joined the show that year, making it his first win as a coach on The Voice. The song she sang for her blind audition was Sting’s “Fields of Gold.”

Her performance got four coaches to turn for her, but she opted for John Legend to mentor her through the show. For her final performance, Jarmon debuted her song, “Wait for You,” and also sang a cover of “Hallelujah” as well as a duet with John for the song, “Unforgettable.”

Jarmon Performed the Capitol Fourth Event

After the show, Jarmon opened for big acts Fray and One Republic on their tours. She is yet to release an album but has been performing at various live shows. At the Capitol Fourth event on the 4th of July 2019, she sang the national anthem.

She also appeared on the season finale of The Voice season 17, where she performed “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” She also got engaged to her long-time boyfriend, Johnny Murrel, in 2019.

Season 17 – Jake Hoot

Jake Hoot relocated to the Dominican Republic with his missionary parent when he was nine years of age. There, he learned to play the guitar and to sing. He auditioned for season 17 of the show and was announced the winner on December 17, 2019.

Hoot sang Luke Combs’ “When It Rains It Pours” at the auditions but only got one chair turn from Coach Kelly Clarkson and was defaulted to her team. Hoot would win the show debuting his original song “Better Off Without You” at the finals.

Hoot Got a Grand Ole Opry Invitation

His debut single “Better Off Without You” got him on the country music charts. Shortly after the show, the champion was invited to the Grand Ole Opry, and he made his debut on the 4th of February 2020. Jake has gone on to release several singles.

His Cover of La Bamba, which he made based on inspirations from his experience growing up in the Dominican Republic, entered a top 10 spot on the iTunes Latin Charts. Recently, Jake tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend, Brittney Hoyt.

Season 18 – Todd Tilghman

Tilghman has been singing in the church choir since he was 8. He was the lead pastor of the Cornerstone Church in Meridian before joining The Voice. Todd Tilghman won the 18th season of The Voice in May 2020.

Tilghman was 42 years old at the time, making him the oldest person to have won the singing competition. Season six winner Josh Kaufman initially held the position. Todd Tilghman was on Team Shelton, and his win gained the legendary coach his seventh win in the competition.

A Champions Welcome in Meridian

His debut song, which he performed at the final, was “Long Way Home.” After the competition, a drive-through parade was held in his honor in his home city of Meridian on May 28, 2020.

Since winning the show, the pastor and country music singer has worked on new projects and released music. He released a new single titled “Jesus and You” in March 2021 and hosted a show at the Temple Theatre the following month.

Season 19- Carter Rubin

Carter Rubin was born into a musical family. His grandfather was a backup vocalist and guitarist for the band Jay and the Americans. Carter Rubin is now the youngest male to win The Voice in the history of the show.

The 15-year-old has announced the winner of season 19 of the show on the 15th of December 2020. His win gave Gwen Stefani her first win as a coach in the competition.

Rubin Returned to High School After the Show

After winning “The Voice,” Rubin returned to high school to continue his studies. He is also working on his first record on the side.

Rubin’s family has an Autism foundation dedicated to his autistic brother.