Skip to main content

The Voice really is all about the voices of its contestants. The first time the show’s coaches hear each individual sing, they don’t see them: They only hear them. Throughout the course of each season, however, each coach gets to know their singers and does their very best to lead them to victory.

Unfortunately, not every winner remains on top. Some dominate the competition but fail to perform once they walk off the stage.

Here are the past contestants on The Voice who are doing well — and those who have all but disappeared from our radar. Plus, a rundown of what winners get for making it all the way to the end of the final round at their season’s conclusion.

What do The Voice winners get?

The Voice
The Voice | Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Everyone has different reasons for auditioning to appear on a show like The Voice. Some are genuinely trying to establish long-term careers in the music industry. Others simply love to make music, and might be in it for the joy of performing — with the chance of getting something pretty incredible if they end up winning, that is.

Whether or not contestants on competition shows get big prizes really depends on the show. Thankfully, the vocalist who comes out on top at the end of this competition walks away with several big, worthwhile rewards.

Winners of The Voice are the ones who receive the most audience votes during each season finale. But what happens after they win?

Sure, many end up finding success in producing and performing music. But that’s because each winner receives $100,000 and a Universal Music Group record deal. They’re guaranteed a recording contract even if they never end up releasing a full album — which some still have yet to do.

The Voice winners: Who found success?

Now at the end of Season 15, The Voice has declared over a dozen winners thanks to audience participation. Some of them have continued on and are leading relatively successful music careers, while others have mostly fallen off the map.

Notable winners who have found success in music after their seasons on The Voice include Season 3’s Cassadee Pope (Frame By Frame), Season 9’s Jordan Smith (Something Beautiful), and Season 11’s Sundance Head (who opened for Blake Shelton on tour).

The Voice winners who failed: Where are they now?

There have also been plenty of winners who didn’t stay winners — or haven’t followed up with anything new or groundbreaking since they were on the show.

Javier Colon (season 1): His first record flopped and he left his label shortly thereafter. He has since released new music, but nothing chart-topping came of it.

Tessanne Chin (season 5): Her first album was not a huge success, and though she continues to release new music, it fails to stand out.

It’s a little too soon to judge the outcome of the show’s most recent winners since it can take a while for new artists to produce an album, plan a tour, and decide what the first years of their careers might look like. Hopefully they’ll follow up their wins with major successes like so many before them already have.

Best in Entertainment