The Voice (U.S. TV series)

Conception

An adaptation of the Dutch show The Voice of Holland, NBC announced the show under the name The Voice of America in December 2010; its name was soon shortened to The Voice. In each season, the winner receives $100,000 and a record deal with Universal Republic Records (seasons 1 & 2), Universal Music Group (season 3–present).

Selection process and format

Each season begins with the "Blind Auditions," where coaches form their team of artists (8 in season 1, 12 in season 2 and seasons 4-12, and 16 in season 3) whom they mentor through the remainder of the season. The coaches' chairs are faced towards the audience during artists' performances; those interested in an artist press their button, which turns their chair towards the artist and illuminates the bottom of the chair to read "I want you." At the conclusion of the performance, an artist either defaults to the only coach who turned around, or selects his or her coach if more than one coach expresses interest.

In the "Battle Rounds," each coach pairs two of his or her team members to perform together, then chooses one to advance in the competition. In each season, coaches are assisted by celebrity mentors that are different each season. A new element was added in season three; coaches were given two "steals", allowing each coach to select two individuals who were eliminated during a battle round by another coach.

The Knockout Rounds were also introduced in season three. A pair of artists within a team are selected to sing individual performances in succession. They are not told until a few minutes prior to their performances who their partner is. The artists get to choose their own songs in this round, although they continue to get help and advice from their respective coaches. At the conclusion of the performances, coaches would decide which one of each pair gets to advance to the next round. Just like in the battle rounds, the coaches can steal one eliminated artist from another coach starting with season five.

The "Battles, Round 2" were introduced to replace the Knockout Rounds in season six. Similar to the Knockout Rounds, each singer is paired randomly within their team. One celebrity key adviser also assists all four of the coaches and their teams in preparation of these rounds. Coaches give each Battle pairing a list of songs and each pair must agree on which song to sing. Each coach can still decide which of their singers in each pair will advance to the next round. The coaches are also allowed one steal. However, the Knockouts were brought back in season seven.

In the final live performance phase of the competition, artists perform in weekly shows, where public voting narrows to a final group of artists and eventually declares a winner. The coaches have the power to save one artist that had not received the public's vote that week. As of season two, these artists would give a last chance performance to win their coach's save. However, in deciding who moves on to the final four phase, the television audience and the coaches have equal say. With one team member remaining for each coach, the contestants compete against each other in the finale, where the outcome is decided solely by public vote. In the first two seasons, one contestant from each team would advance to the final four. Due to the possibility of having multiple potential winners on the same team, eliminations were adjusted in season three to eliminate contestants who earned the lowest number of votes, thus not guaranteeing a coach and a contestant in the (reduced) final three.

Voting system

In a first for a music competition series, NBC and Universal Republic Records offered fans of the show the ability to vote for their favorite artists by purchasing the studio versions of the songs that they perform on the live show each week via the iTunes Store. Alternative methods of voting can be done through toll-free phone calls (until 2015), text messaging, the show's app, and through online votes via NBC.com and Facebook. Each method is limited to ten votes per user. Voting lasts until noon EST the next day.

As of the top 12 results show of season three, producers made changes in the voting system with regards to iTunes singles purchases. Previous voting via iTunes purchases of contestant performances had previously only counted singly during the official voting window and only accredited to the live show in concern. If a competitor's performance charts within the Top 10 of the iTunes "Top 200 Singles Chart" during this window, it will be given an iTunes bonus that multiplies iTunes votes made by ten. Starting in season five, the iTunes bonus multiplier is now five for the studio versions of the songs performed by the competitors. The finale's vote count will include a 'Cumulative iTunes Vote Total' of all singles (from top 12 onwards) purchased during and outside of the various voting windows, with iTunes bonuses previously earned.

Only the studio recording of the contestants' performances, not the live performance, are available on iTunes. In the first season, the battle rounds were recorded in the studio with both artists in the pairing. However, from season two on, only the winner's version of the song from the battle round is released. Season seven reverted to the old style of both artists. With the introduction of the Knockout Rounds in season three, where each contestant sang a separate song, only the winner's single is released.

The "Instant Save" was introduced in season five. During the live elimination episodes, viewers are given a five-minute window to vote for the contestants in danger of elimination by using their Twitter account to decide which contestant will move on to the next show, starting with the Top 12. Home viewers can only vote once per account for one contestant of their choice.

Coaches and hosts

CeeLo Green of Gnarls Barkley and Adam Levine of Maroon 5 became the first confirmed coaches in February 2011, followed by Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton in March. Aguilera and Green did not return for season four and were replaced by Shakira and Usher as substitute coaches. Aguilera and Green then returned for season five, while Shakira and Usher returned for season six. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres in February 2014, Green revealed that he would not be returning to The Voice. On March 31, 2014, it was announced that Pharrell Williams would become Green's replacement. On April 19, 2014, it was announced that No Doubt's Gwen Stefani would replace Aguilera in season seven due to her pregnancy. On May 20, 2014, Shakira and Usher confirmed that after season six, they would focus on their music. However, they did not eliminate the possibility of returning. On March 25, 2016, Miley Cyrus confirmed that following her role as key advisor during the tenth season that she would be joining the series once again in its eleventh season as a coach, replacing Christina Aguilera. That same day, Alicia Keys was also announced to be joining the series as a coach for the eleventh season. On October 18, 2016, it was announced that Stefani would re-join the coaches' panel for the series' twelfth season, alongside returning coaches Keys, Levine and Shelton; it was also confirmed that Cyrus would return for the thirteenth season.

Carson Daly has hosted the series since the inaugural season. Alison Haislip served as the original "backstage, online and social media correspondent" and was replaced by Christina Milian. Milian did not return for season five, at which point Daly assumed her duties as the social media correspondent.

Coaches' advisors

Battle round advisors are first listed; additional advisors and their roles are denoted by superscripts.

Season synopses

Names in bold type indicate the winner of the season.

Season 1

The first season of The Voice premiered on April 26, 2011, and concluded on June 29. The coaching panel consisted of Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton. Carson Daly and Alison Haislip respectively appeared as the host and social media correspondent. Contestant auditions were held in Chicago, New York, Miami, Nashville, Minneapolis, Austin, Los Angeles, and Seattle during January and February.

It delivered the highest 18–49 rating for a series premiere on a major broadcast network since Undercover Boss debuted after the Super Bowl in February 2010. It became the first new primetime series of the season (from ABC, CBS, NBC, or Fox) to increase in adults 18–49 and total viewers from its first week to its second. Owing to the strong performance of the show, NBC offered expanded two-hour live episodes beginning June 7, following America's Got Talent, with an additional results show.

Each coach was allowed to advance four top to the live shows:

Four finalists were advanced to the final round. Javier Colon was announced as the winner of the season, while Dia Frampton was declared the runner-up. Third and fourth places were a draw between Vicci Martinez and Beverly McClellan.

Season 2

Season two premiered on February 5, 2012 as the lead-out program after Super Bowl XLVI; it concluded on May 8. The original coaching panel remained intact, while Haislip was replaced by Christina Milian as the social media correspondent. Its regular time slot held a 6.7 rating, 17 share in adults 18–49, 17.8 million viewers overall and winning every half-hour in adults 18–49, adults 18–34, adults 25–54 and total viewers versus first-run competition on ABC, CBS, Fox and CW. The shows' continued premiere on Monday delivered NBC's highest 18–49 rating in this time period, excluding Olympics, in nearly eight years (since February 16, 2004) and the network's biggest overall non-Olympic viewership in the slot since January 15, 2007. That season, Kia Motors, Sprint and Starbucks became the official sponsors of The Voice.

Each coach was allowed to advance six top to the live shows:

Four finalists were advanced to the final round. Jermaine Paul was announced as the winner of the season, while Juliet Simms, Tony Lucca, and Chris Mann placed second, third, and fourth, respectively.

Season 3

Season three premiered on September 10, 2012, and concluded on December 18. All personnel returned from the previous season.

Each coach was allowed to advance five top to the live shows:

Three finalists were advanced to the final round. Cassadee Pope was announced as the winner of the season, while Terry McDermott and Nicholas David placed second and third, respectively.

Season 4

Season four premiered on March 25, 2013, and concluded on June 18. The coaching panel was modified for the first time in the series' history, with Shakira and Usher replacing Aguilera and Green during their hiatuses from the program. Daly and Milian continued appearing for their respective positions. 13.64 million viewers tuned in, up from last season by 1.36 million viewers.

Each coach was allowed to advance four top to the live shows:

Three finalists were advanced to the final round. Danielle Bradbery was announced as the winner of the season, while Michelle Chamuel and The Swon Brothers placed second and third, respectively.

Season 5

Season five premiered on September 23, 2013, and concluded on December 18. The original coaching panel was reinstated with the returns of Green and Aguilera which was promoted with an advertisement featuring the coaches' cover version of "Reunited" by Peaches & Herb. However, Milian left her position as the social media correspondent before production began, at which point Daly assumed her former duties.

Each coach was allowed to advance five top to the live shows:

Three finalists were advanced to the final round. Tessanne Chin was announced as the winner of the season, while Jacquie Lee and Will Champlin placed second and third, respectively.

Season 6

Season six premiered on February 24, 2014, and concluded on May 20, 2014. After four seasons, Green departed the show and Aguilera took a hiatus. Shakira and Usher then returned to join Levine and Shelton as coaches, and Daly returned as host.

Each coach was allowed to advance three top to the live shows:

Three finalists were advanced to the final round. Josh Kaufman was announced as the winner of the season, while Jake Worthington and Christina Grimmie placed second and third, respectively.

Season 7

Season seven premiered on September 22, 2014, and concluded on December 16, 2014. Levine and Shelton returned as coaches, with Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani completing the panel. Later that season Nissan became the official sponsor of The Voice, replacing Kia Motors.

Each coach was allowed to advance five top to the live shows:

Four finalists were advanced to the final round. Craig Wayne Boyd was announced as the winner of the season, while Matt McAndrew, Chris Jamison, and Damien placed second, third, and fourth, respectively.

Season 8

Season eight premiered on February 23, 2015 and concluded on May 19, 2015. Levine and Shelton return as coaches for their eighth season, along with Williams and Aguilera who returns after a two-season break.

Each coach was allowed to advance five top to the live shows:

Four finalists were advanced to the final round. Sawyer Fredericks was announced as the winner of the season, while Meghan Linsey, Joshua Davis, and Koryn Hawthorne placed second, third, and fourth, respectively.

Season 9

Season nine premiered on September 21, 2015 and concluded on December 15, 2015, with coaches Levine, Shelton, Williams and Stefani.

Each coach was allowed to advance five artists to the live shows. For the first time in the show history, the coaches had the chance to bring back four artists who were previously eliminated in the battles or the knockouts rounds. The four bring back artists performed in the live playoffs with the top 20 and had a chance to move on to the live shows along with the top 12:

Each coach was allowed to advance five plus one top to the live shows:

Four finalists were advanced to the final round. Jordan Smith was announced as the winner of the season, while Emily Ann Roberts, Barrett Baber, and Jeffery Austin placed second, third, and fourth, respectively.

Season 10

Season ten premiered on February 29, 2016 and concluded on May 24, 2016, with coaches Levine, Shelton, Williams and Aguilera.

Each coach was allowed to advance five artists to the live shows. Like the previous season, the coaches had the chance to bring back four artists who were previously eliminated in the battles or the knockouts rounds. The four bring back artists performed in the live playoffs with the top 20 and had a chance to move on to the live shows along with the top 12.

Each coach was allowed to advance five plus one top to the live shows:

Four finalists were advanced to the final round. Alisan Porter was announced as the winner of the season, while Adam Wakefield, Hannah Huston, and Laith Al-Saadi placed second, third, and fourth, respectively.

Season 11

Season eleven premiered on September 19, 2016 and concluded on December 13, 2016 with coaches Levine, Shelton, and new coaches Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys.

Each coach was allowed to advance five to the live shows:

Four finalists were advanced to the final round. Sundance Head was announced as the winner of the season, while Billy Gilman, Wé McDonald, and Josh Gallagher placed second, third, and fourth, respectively.

Season 12

Season twelve premiered on February 27, 2017 with Gwen Stefani and Alicia Keys returning as coaches alongside Levine and Shelton. Cyrus will be taking a break from the show; however, she will return as coach on the show's thirteenth season.

La Voz Kids

In 2013, American Spanish-language network Telemundo (a subsidiary of NBCUniversal Television Group) introduced a children's version of The Voice in Spanish called La Voz Kids. It featured Spanish-speaking American children from 7 to 15 years of age. Prizes include $50,000 cash for their education and a recording contract with Universal Music Group. The show debuted on May 5, 2013, and is hosted by Jorge Bernal (from ¡Suelta La Sopa!) and Daisy Fuentes. The coaches in season one were Prince Royce, Paulina Rubio, and Roberto Tapia. The first season aired 13 episodes with the season finale airing on July 28, 2013.

Season two saw Natalia Jiménez replace Paulina Rubio as one of the coaches. The other coaches and hosts remained the same.

For the show's third season, Daddy Yankee and Pedro Fernandez took Tapia and Royce's place as the new coaches along with season two veteran Natalia Jiménez.

At their 2015 Upfronts, Telemundo announced that La Voz Kids would return for a fourth season, with all three Season 3 coaches returning.

Reception

In 2016, a New York Times study of the 50 TV shows with the most Facebook Likes found that The Voice "is most popular in North Dakota and least popular in New York. It was behind only Duck Dynasty and Fast N' Loud in its correlation with Trump voters".

Ratings

The first season premiered strong at 11.78 million viewers, and actually grew upon that audience through its first season. In the 18–49 demographic, the show constantly found itself in the top 5. For its average season rating, the show landed itself as No. 20 with total viewers at nearly 12 million viewers. In the 18–49 rankings, the show was No. 4 at a 5.4 ranking.

The second season premiered on Super Bowl Sunday, February 5, 2012, and for a while managed to keep a 6.0 in the adults 18–49 demographic and 17 million viewers. Partnering The Voice with Smash (NBC's musical drama) helped NBC win the Monday night ratings. However, by Monday, April 9, the ratings had fallen to a 4.0 rating in the adult 18–49 demographic.

The third season premiered on Monday, September 10, 2012 to 12.28 million viewers and a 4.2 rating in the 18–49 demographic and has since then grown to a season high 4.8 rating in the 18–49 demographic on October 8, October 15 and 29, 2012 and a 4.9 rating in the finale. The Voice, along with NBC's new drama, Revolution has once again led NBC to win every Monday night of the season so far, just like it did last season. On Tuesdays, comedies Go On and The New Normal have been successful thanks to The Voice, leading NBC to be the only network of the Big 5 to grow in ratings from last season.

The fourth season premiered on Monday, March 25, 2013 to a 13.64 million viewer audience, scoring a 4.8 in the 18–49 demographic but fell back to a 12.41 million viewer audience. In the 18–49 demographic, this first episode had a 4.1 score.

The fifth season premiered on Monday, September 23, 2013 scoring 14.98 million viewers and a 5.1 in the 18–49 demographic.

The sixth season premiered on February 24, 2014 and was watched by 15.74 million viewers with a 4.7 rating in the 18–49 demographic. It was up from last season's premiere by .76 million viewers.

The seventh season premiered on September 22, 2014 and was watched by 12.95 million viewers with a 3.9 rating in the 18–49 demographic. It was down from last season's premiere by 2.91 million viewers.

The eighth season premiered on February 23, 2015, and was watched by 13.97 million viewers with a 4.1 rating in the 18–49 demographic. It was up from last season's premiere by 1.02 million viewers.

The ninth season premiered on September 21, 2015, and was watched by 12.37 million viewers with a 3.5 rating in the 18–49 demographic. It was down from last falls premiere by .48 million viewers.

The tenth season premiered on February 29, 2016, and was watched by 13.33 million viewers with a 3.4 rating in the 18–49 demographic. It was up from last season's premiere by .96 million viewers.

The eleventh season premiered on September 19, 2016, and was watched by 12.10 million viewers with a 3.3 rating in the 18–49 demographic. It is down from last season's premiere by 1.23 million viewers.

The twelfth season premiered on February 27, 2017, and was watched by 13.03 million viewers with a 3.1 in the 18–49 demographic. It was up from last season's premiere by .93 million viewers.

The Voice Live on Tour

In the final episode of the first season, Carson Daly announced a summer concert tour. This tour had six stops across the United States, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston, Wallingford, and New York. The tour featured the top two finalists from each team, including Javier Colon, Dia Frampton, Vicci Martinez, Beverly McClellan, Xenia, Frenchie Davis, Nakia, and Casey Weston. Out of the six dates, the New York show was a sell-out. However, as overall ticket sales were lackluster, the tour was canceled in subsequent seasons. In 2014, the tour was resumed from June 21, 2014 to August 2, 2014, including the contestants of seasons five and six, and season one contestant Dia Frampton.

Video game

The Voice: I Want You is a video game based on the television show releasing on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Wii U on October 21, 2014 published by Activision. The game includes a microphone and it has songs from the show including songs performed by the coaches.

Broadcast

The show premiered in Canada on April 26, 2011 on CTV. In Asia, the series aired on August 21, 2011 on AXN, but later moves in Star World starting Season 11. It premiered in New Zealand on July 16, 2011 on TV2, in Australia on August 9, 2011 on Go!, in South Africa on October 5, 2011 on SABC 3, and on March 31, 2012 in the Philippines on Studio 23 (now abs-cbn sports+Action).