The Voice: 10 Most Successful Contestants
As we gear up for Season 23 of The Voice where new and returning judges will scope out the best of the best singers, let’s take a look back at some of the most successful contestants in the show’s history, from a former child star to an unexpected alt-pop icon.
10. Christina Grimmie – Season 3
Season 3 saw a lot of success for its contestants, starting with third placer Christina Grimmie. The singer who started out with covers on Youtube quickly soared in the competition and beyond after her coach Adam Levine promised to sign her to his record label regardless of where she placed in the finale.
After two albums, TV stints and opening for artists like the Jonas Brothers, Allstar Weekend and Selena Gomez and The Scene, Grimmie’s career and life were cut short when she was fatally shot after a concert, but her musical success grew with the posthumous release of her final album in 2017.
9. Jordan Smith – Season 9
In the age of every channel having its own singing competition, not every winner winds up with a long-lasting career, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case for Season 9 winner Jordan Smith. The gospel-pop singer became the first artist of his season to receive a number one on iTunes, and the success only followed post-Voice.
While Smith released an album and made memorable performances like many past contestants, he later found a whole new reality show to lend his voice to when he appeared on NBC’s American Song Contest in 2022 with his song “Sparrow,” which landed him in third place.
8. Billy Gilman – Season 11
It’s nothing new for The Voice to revive old, forgotten talent, and in Season 11, the show welcomed child star Billy Gilman to the competition. Gilman got his start as a singer at just 12 years old when his debut single “One Voice” became a Top 40 hit and a Grammy nominee.
Over a decade after his musical success, the singer received a resurgence on Season 11 when he joined Team Adam and battled with a slew of pop ballads that landed him in second place to Sundance Head, leaving the show with four Top 10 singles on iTunes. The singer is gearing up to release an album of Bluegrass music.
7. Danielle Bradbery – Season 4
A memorable member of Team Blake, country starlet Danielle Bradbery won Season 4, where she made history by having more iTunes downloads than any other contestant in the show’s history.
The singer has since released three albums, performed at the Grand Ole Opry, guest-starred on country-centered TV shows like Nashville and Hart of Dixie, and toured with notable country singers like Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown, Miranda Lambert and Brad Paisley.
6. Nicolle Galyon – Season 2
Despite appearing on Season 2, Nicolle Galyon is another voice you won’t find on the radio, and that’s because she became the mind behind the lyrics. After being eliminated in the Battle rounds, Galyon used the connections she made on the show to break out into the songwriting business.
The singer-turned-songwriter has since written for big names in country music like Dan and Shay, Thomas Rhett and Miranda Lambert, as well as fellow The Voice contestants Danielle Bradbery and Morgan Wallen.
5. Sawyer Fredericks – Season 8
Although Sawyer Fredericks may not be a name you often see on the radio, the singer has had a steady career since winning Season 8 of The Voice, becoming the show’s youngest male winner in history at just 16 years old.
Fredericks’ iTunes singles wound up breaking several records for the series before he went on to release three albums, tour the world, and have his songs featured in shows like Code Black and Netflix’s Longmire.
4. Loren Allred – Season 3
Loren Allred’s time on The Voice may have been short-lived when she was eliminated during the first week of Live Playoffs in Season 3, but it wasn’t long until her talent landed her one of the greatest gigs.
Allred was cast as the singing voice of Jenny Lind, played by Rebecca Ferguson, in 2017’s The Greatest Showman, where she lent her voice to the hit song “Never Enough,” charting on the Billboard Hot 100 just after its release. In 2022, the singer took to Britain’s Got Talent when she decided it was time to “put a face to the song,” her audition of “Never Enough” earning her the golden buzzer and ultimately coming in ninth place on Season 15.
3. Cassadee Pope – Season 3
Cassadee Pope is remembered as the first female winner of The Voice when she took home the title in Season 3, going on to release three albums and become the very first contestant to receive a Grammy nomination post-show.
Despite being a popular country artist since winning the show, Pope started her career in a different genre when she led the early 2000s pop-rock band Hey Monday, who were memorably discovered by Pete Wentz and went on to become the opening act for Fall Out Boy, among other bands.
2. Melanie Martinez – Season 3
The name Melanie Martinez may bring to mind two-toned hair and dollhouses, but for reality TV fans, they’re reminded of the Season 3 contestant who earned three chair-turns before joining Team Adam.
Although her run on the show was considerably short, being eliminated in the Top 6, the singer went on to release hit singles and albums, earn awards, and open for fellow former reality competition stars Adam Lambert and Lindsey Stirling.
1. Morgan Wallen – Season 6
Arguably one of the only notable country singers not to join Team Blake Shelton, Morgan Wallen wound up with a much more successful career off the show than on, getting eliminated during the Live Playoffs on Season 6.
After the show, Wallen became a country music hitmaker starting with his 2015 EP, and most recently with his new, 36-track album One Thing At A Time. Despite several controversies forming alongside his success, the singer remains a big name in country music.
The Voice season 23 premiere on NBC Monday March 6 and Tuesday March 7 on ABC
