Who Will Win ‘The Voice’? Meet the Top 12 Contestants

Now the singers on the hit reality show start competing live — and viewers are the judges

Edna Gundersen,

AARP

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En español

Published May 06, 2024

The Voice contestants Bryan Olesen, Nathan Chester and Zoe Levert standing together onstage

(Left to right) "The Voice" Season 25 contestants Bryan Olesen, Nathan Chester and Zoe Levert

Trae Patton/NBC/Getty Images

It’s a big week for fans of The Voice, a music competition show beloved by people over 50 — the median viewer is 64.8 years old — and this season, one contestant is 50. The hopefuls in Season 25 have warbled their way through months of blind auditions, battles, knockouts and playoffs. The surviving 12 wannabes start slugging it out May 6, when live performances begin, shifting power from the coaches to the fans, who will vote via The Voice website or app. Eight will be voted through, and the four at the bottom will compete for the Instant Save. Results will be unveiled May 7. Those nine will advance to the live semifinal showdown May 13, with five finalists revealed on May 14.

The grand finale arrives May 20. But that’s really Finale Eve, a night of last-stand vocal combat to determine who will impress the most voters. The suspense ends May 21 with a star-studded extravaganza and the crowning of the 25th season’s victor, who walks away with $100,000 and a Universal Music Group record contract.

The dozen singers vying for the honor have aced boot camp, undergoing high-pressure performances and rigorous training with coaches and mentors. This season saw the return of coaches John Legend, Reba McEntire, 69, and Chance the Rapper. Dan + Shay, the show’s first coach twosome, completed the panel. Each coach votes for a contender by spinning their chair around; if more than one does so, the singer picks which coach’s team to join.

The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, except for the May 21 program, which starts at 9 p.m.

Here’s the lowdown on the 12 still standing:

TEAM LEGEND

Casey Durkin/NBC

Bryan Olesen

Bio highlights: At 50, the divorced father of three is the season’s oldest and most experienced artist. The Hartford, Connecticut, native cofounded VOTA, a prominent Christian band whose music supports such causes as the fight against human trafficking. Bryan played guitar for the Newsboys on a world tour.

Voice high notes: Three chairs swiveled (signifying that three coaches liked what they heard) for Bryan’s rousing “Love Runs Out,” a OneRepublic hit. Then he scored a pass to skip the knockouts with a sizzling version of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.”

Casey Durkin/NBC

Nathan Chester

Bio highlights: Raised in Chicago by a single mother, Nathan began singing and playing guitar in childhood and caught the musical theater bug in high school. He works as a singer on cruise ships, a job that took him around the globe and introduced him to his girlfriend and partner Emily. The couple is crafting several shows designed for cruise ships.

Voice high notes: Nathan’s soulful delivery of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River” earned him a spot on Legend’s team, and he has maintained that high bar all season with roof-raising covers including the Beatles’ “Oh! Darling” and Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love.”

Casey Durkin/NBC

Zoe Levert

Bio highlights: The daughter of a traveling pastor, Zoe was constantly on the move as a child. She taught herself piano and began posting her rewrites and Taylor Swift covers online. She’s written more than 200 original songs and performs her music in her hometown New Orleans, where she and fiancé Ryan are full-time students.

Voice high notes: Zoe flaunted her country chops in The Chicks’ “Cowboy Take Me Away,” then submitted a revitalized version of “Iris,” the Goo Goo Dolls’ ’90s hit.

TEAM CHANCE

Trae Patton/NBC

Nadège

Bio highlights: The singer from Wellington, Florida, started making music in her teens with a big assist from her dad, who had experience in music production, and inspiration from her mother, a makeup artist in the music industry. Nadège moved to California in 2020 to enroll in the Bible college at Oceans Church. She also started a natural hair care line, Glory, in 2023.

Voice high notes: Her superb rendition of 1967 Frankie Valli hit “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” earned her a playoff pass from Chance, allowing her to skip the knockout rounds. Her soulful take on Coldplay’s “Clocks” also wowed the judges.

Casey Durkin/NBC

Serenity Arce

Bio highlights: At 14, Serenity auditioned for season 21, but her experience in musical theater didn’t pay off. Returning to her home in Jupiter, Florida, she booked local shows, took vocal lessons and got her driver’s license and a job at a boba café. At 16, music is her priority, but she’s also active on dance teams.

Voice high notes: Four chairs turned during her stunning audition performance of Sam Fischer’s “This City,” and the coaches rose to their feet for her moving version of Selena Gomez’s “Love You to Love Me.”

Trae Patton/NBC

Maddi Jane

Bio highlights: Homeschooled and involved in Christian Youth Theater, Maddi expressed her creative impulses through music — her version of The Script’s “Breakeven” on YouTube went viral when she was 11. Her channel has 1.55 million subscribers, and her covers of Jessie J’s “Price Tag” and Shontelle’s “Impossible” total 182 million views. After moving from Chicago to Los Angeles, she built a recording studio in her garage and recently released a debut album, Rapha.

Voice high notes: Maddi received a four-chair turn with her audition of Raye’s “Escapism” and praise for covers of Dua Lipa’s “New Rules” and Rihanna’s “Stay.”

TEAM DAN + SHAY

Casey Durkin/NBC

Madison Curbelo

Bio highlights: In the early days of the pandemic, Madison flunked her audition for season 20 and left dejected and alone since her family and friends could not be there. She remained determined to pursue music as a career. A graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, she lives in Westfield, Massachusetts, where she has taught musical theater, worked as a drama director and shares her music online.

Voice high notes: Four chairs twirled for Madison’s bilingual audition of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me.” She earned a pass to skip the knockouts by dazzling her coaches with another English/Spanish composition, “Lucky/Suerte,” by Jason Mraz and Ximena Sariñana.

Tyler Golden/NBC

Karen Waldrup

Bio highlights: Karen’s voice got her a scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi, where she sang with the orchestra choir and at parties, football games and bars. In her hometown Mandeville, Louisiana, she posted videos of cover songs, garnering more than 437 million views and 1 million followers. When not singing, she’s devoted to scuba diving and charity work.

Voice high notes: Her experience paid off in a dramatic interpretation of Jo Dee Messina’s “Bye Bye” and an impressive cover of Trish Yearwood’s “Georgia Rain.”

Trae Patton/NBC

Tae Lewis

Bio highlights: The Goldsboro, North Carolina, singer grew up in a family of pastors and a culture steeped in gospel music. Gospel was a logical path, but Tae felt country was a better fit. Venue owners felt otherwise. In city after city, they refused to hire him, doubting that patrons would accept a Black country artist. For six months, he was homeless and living in his car. His luck changed after he appeared at the Black Opry and his track “Good Luvin” was placed on the hit TV show Shameless. He’s a vintage country fashion enthusiast and a shoe stylist with a sizable collection of cowboy boots.

Voice high notes: Tae initially earned a slot on Team Reba with his powerful rendition of Keith Urban’s “Somebody Like You.” When he lost his knockout, he was stolen by Dan + Shay, and he rewarded their faith in him with a heartfelt redo of Randy Houser’s “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight.”

TEAM REBA

Greg Gayne/NBC via Getty Images

Josh Sanders

Bio highlights: A pastor in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and married father of four daughters, Josh started playing drums in a church band when he was 8, then in school jazz and marching bands. He moved on to bass and piano and by 13 was singing and playing acoustic guitar. His interests switched to baseball and football in high school, but a torn ACL ended that dream, and Josh returned to music, playing in rock bands and on Rock Legends cruise ships.

Voice high notes: Reba nabbed Josh after his audition performance of Nate Smith’s “Whiskey on You,” and the country singer continued to thrill her with his authoritative takes on Tyler Joe Miller’s “Wild as Her” and Luke Combs’ “When It Rains It Pours.”

Tyler Golden/NBC

Asher HaVon

Bio highlights: Asher’s mother, whom he calls his “singing sergeant,” encouraged him to pursue a career in music in Selma, Alabama, where plenty of gospel singers provided added inspiration. When President Obama gave a speech in Selma marking the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march to Montgomery, Asher led the choir that performed John Legend’s “Glory” before a crowd 200,000 strong.

Voice high notes: Asher’s power and range were best displayed in a breathtaking performance of the Tina Turner classic “We Don’t Need Another Hero.” He also rattled the rafters belting “Titanium” by David Guetta and Sia.

Casey Durkin/NBC

L. Rodgers

Bio highlights: L.’s father, a professional guitarist, fueled her musical ambitions. In her 20s, she identified as bisexual and married a man, but now she lives in Baltimore with her wife, Dara. Her music and backstory have generated more than 250,000 followers on TikTok. Music also helped her cope with autism, which she wasn’t diagnosed with until a few years ago.

Voice high notes: After barely squeaking through the blind auditions with a late one-chair turn for her “Wild Horses” by the Rolling Stones, L. gained ground with distinctive performances, including Pink’s “All I Know So Far” and “We Don’t Fight Anymore” by Chris Stapleton and Carly Pearce — a shining moment that won her a playoff pass to skip the knockoff rounds.

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