Dalton Harris: How Much is the ‘X-Factor’ Winner Worth?

Dalton Harris, the most recent winner of The X Factor, the British singing competition, has set himself up for a successful career in the music industry. However, the money that winners once received has diminished through the years. But that doesn’t mean that Harris doesn’t have some money to his name already just for winning the show. Here’s how much the newest champion is worth.

‘The X Factor’ Has Produced Superstars such as One Direction and Leona Lewis

The X Factor got its start just a few years after American Idol launched in the United States. Since then, the show has produced many talented artists and groups. Most notably, One Direction, Leona Lewis, Little Mix, and others. One Direction, a group that didn’t even win the competition, went on to sell millions of albums and grew in popularity overseas as well. The group embarked on several tours, and its members are estimated to be worth around $50 million each. Plus, most pursued solo careers after the group decided to split. The X Factor has been known to make nobodies into superstars.

Harris is the show’s most recent winner

This season’s winner was Harris, but he’s made it clear that he doesn’t want to only be known as “The X Factor guy.” He said in an interview that he wants to be taken seriously as an artist and that he’s ready to work, since nothing is guaranteed, despite winning the competition. The show has somewhat of a winner’s curse, since many finalists went on to see more success than the respective winners did of the same seasons. Harris was born in Jamaica and worked on cruise ships before getting his break on the show. He says he isn’t sure what the future holds but is ready to work hard to achieve success.

The prize has diminished since the show was launched in 2004

When The X Factor launched in 2004, winners were met with a record deal that was equivalent to nearly $1.3 million. It was a hefty price, but over the years, it hasn’t stayed that strong. The winner does get a record deal, but as with any singing competition, fame and fortune is not guaranteed. Plenty of winners from past seasons have gone under the radar and haven’t seen much popularity since they won. The same can be said for American-based competitions such as The Voice and American Idol. Now, the price is supposedly only around 15% of what it used to be.

But Harris still got a $190,000 advance — and there may be plenty more where that came from

Harris reportedly is worth at least $190,000 for winning the show. That’s the advance winners get for coming in first place. And according to Mirror, that dollar amount increases with each album. If Harris goes on to make a successful second, third, and fourth album, he may see more than half a million dollars in advance on that fourth one. For now, Harris might not be worth millions, but he definitely has a bright future in the music industry. Someday, he might be worth as much as One Direction.

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