The Voice (American season 23)
| The Voice | |
|---|---|
| Season 23 | |
 Promotional poster | |
| Hosted by | Carson Daly |
| Coaches | |
| No. of contestants | 40 artists |
| Winner | Gina Miles |
| Winning coach | Niall Horan |
| Runner-up | Grace West |
| No. of episodes | 19 |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | March 6 – May 23, 2023 |
| Season chronology | |
The twenty-third season of the American reality television series The Voice premiered on March 6, 2023, on NBC. The season is presented by Carson Daly, who returned for his twenty-third season as host. The panel of coaches for the season consists of Blake Shelton, who returned for his twenty-third and final season as a coach; returning coach Kelly Clarkson, who returned for her ninth season after a one-season hiatus; and debuting coaches Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan.
Gina Miles was named as the winner of the season, with the closest margin to-date, on the season finale that aired on May 23, 2023. Her victory marks Niall Horan's first win as a coach, with Horan becoming the third new coach, after Clarkson and John Legend, to win on his debut season, as well as the youngest coach to win a season.
Overview
Development
On October 11, 2022, NBC announced that the show would be returning for a twenty-third season to be aired in spring 2023. Previously, it was announced that, beginning with the 2021–22 United States network television schedule, only one season would be produced per cyclical year, though it was reported that this decision was reversed upon the announcement of the season. Later, it was announced that the season would air on March 6.
Coaches and host
Out of the four coaches that appeared in the previous season, only Blake Shelton returned, which marks his twenty-third season as a coach. It was also announced that Shelton would be departing from the show at the end of the season after having been a coach since its inaugural season, though he has not ruled out a return as a guest mentor.
Kelly Clarkson returns to the coaching panel for her ninth season, following her absence in the previous season. The season introduces two debuting coaches for the first time since season 11; the new coaches are rapper and singer-songwriter Chance the Rapper, and singer-songwriter and former One Direction member Niall Horan. The three judges replaced John Legend, Gwen Stefani, and Camila Cabello, all of whom had exited the panel for this season.
Carson Daly returned for his twenty-third season as the host.
Mega mentor
On February 22, 2023, it was announced that Reba McEntire will appear as the season's mega mentor for the Knockouts. McEntire previously appeared in the show as the battle advisor for Team Blake on the show's inaugural season and as an advisor for all teams during the Top 12 live shows on season eight. In the battles, there were no guest battle advisors, which meant the artists were mentored for the battles solely by their coaches for the first time in the show's history.
Additions and changes
The season introduced the "Playoff Pass" in the battles round. A replacement to the "save" from seasons 14 to 22, the "pass" allows each coach to advance further both artists of a battle; while one will still advance to the knockouts, the recipient of the "pass" will bypass the knockouts and go directly to the playoffs, creating a total of twenty contestants advancing to the playoffs. In the playoffs, only two members per team will advance to the Live Top 8 Semi-finals, as chosen by their respective coaches. The round will be prerecorded for the third time since season six.
Promotion
NBC released its first advert for the season on December 13, 2022. On March 2, 2023, the show, via its online platforms, released the coaches' cover of Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You". To bolster interest in the show, the show premiered the blind audition of Noivas ahead of the season premiere. The auditions of Sheer Element, Ryley Tate Wilson, Cait Martin, and NariYella were also released online ahead of the episodes in which their auditions were aired.
Teams
| Winner | Eliminated in the Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||
| Runner-up | Stolen in the Knockouts | ||||||||||||||||
| Third place | Eliminated in the Knockouts | ||||||||||||||||
| Fourth place | Stolen in the Battles | ||||||||||||||||
| Fifth place | Eliminated in the Battles | ||||||||||||||||
| Eliminated in Live Semi-final | Contestant withdrew | ||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Top 40 Artists | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Clarkson | ||||||
| D.Smooth | Holly Brand | Cait Martin | Ali | |||
| Neil Salsich | Marcos Covos | |||||
| Katie Beth Forakis | Allie Keck | Sheer Element | JB Somers | |||
| Chance the Rapper | ||||||
| Sorelle | Ray Uriel | Kala Banham | Jamar Langley | |||
| Manasseh Samone | Tiana Goss | Magnus | NariYella | |||
| Chloe Abbott | Mariah Kalia | Alyssa Lazar | ||||
| Niall Horan | ||||||
| Gina Miles | Ryley Tate Wilson | Ross Clayton | Michael B. | |||
| Tasha Jessen | Kate Cosentino | Jerome Godwin III | EJ Michels | |||
| Laura Littleton | Talia Smith | |||||
| Blake Shelton | ||||||
| Grace West | Noivas | Rachel Christine | Mary Kate Connor | |||
| Kylee Dayne | Walker Wilson | |||||
| Kason Lester | Carlos Rising | Alex Whalen | ||||
| Note: Italicized names are artists stolen from another team during the battles or the knockouts (names struck through within former teams). Underlined names are artists who received a "playoff pass" from their coach. | ||||||
Blind auditions
The show began with the blind auditions that began airing on March 6, and aired through March 21, 2023, comprising episodes one to six. In each audition, an artist sings their piece in front of the coaches whose chairs are facing the audience. If a coach is interested to work with the artist, they will press their button to face the artist. If a singular coach presses the button, the artist automatically becomes part of their team. If multiple coaches turn, they will compete for the artist, who will decide which team they will join.
Each coach has one "block" to prevent another coach from getting an artist. At the end of the round, each coach formed a team of ten artists, creating a total of 40 artists advancing to the battles. Among the 40 contestants, two are trios.
| ✔ | Coach pressed "I WANT YOU" button |
| Artist joined this coach's team | |
| Artist was eliminated with no coach pressing their button | |
| ✘ | Coach pressed "I WANT YOU" button, but was blocked by another coach from getting the artist |
|
Episode 1 (March 6)
Among the auditionees this episode was Miss Mississippi 2021 Holly Brand, and former two-time American Idol contestant Savion Wright, who auditioned in this season as Noivas (stylized in all caps).
| Order | Artist | Age | Hometown | Song | Coach's and artist's choices | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly | Chance | Niall | Blake | |||||
| 1 | Neil Salsich | 34 | St. Louis, Missouri | "Honky Tonk Blues" | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 2 | Sorelle (Madi, Ana, and Bella Heichel) |
15–21 | Lexington, Ohio | "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" | – | ✔ | – | ✔ |
| 3 | Holly Brand | 22 | Meridian, Mississippi | "Mississippi Girl" | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – |
| 4 | Tasha Jessen | 20 | Colorado Springs, Colorado | "River" | – | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 5 | Star Martin | 34 | St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands | "No Woman, No Cry" | – | – | – | – |
| 6 | Ross Clayton | 33 | McLoud, Oklahoma | "Blue Ain't Your Color" | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 7 | Michael B. | 29 | Tulsa, Oklahoma | "Save Your Tears" | – | – | ✔ | – |
| 8 | D.Smooth | 25 | Birmingham, Alabama | "Perfect" | ✔ | – | ✔ | – |
| 9 | Emily Rhyne | 22 | Ada, Oklahoma | "The First Cut Is the Deepest" | – | – | – | – |
| 10 | Alex Whalen | 43 | Indian Rocks Beach, Florida | "Help Me Make It Through the Night" | – | ✔ | – | ✔ |
| 11 | Noivas | 30 | Jasper, Texas | "A Change Is Gonna Come" | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
Episode 2 (March 7)
Among the auditionees this episode was Sheer Element, which included season 16 contestant Jej Vinson, who competed as part of Team Kelly until his elimination in the fourth week of that season's live shows. Vinson's reappearance as part of the trio marked the first time that a former contestant, who advanced to the battles, returned to compete in a later season. At the end of the five blind auditions, Jimmy Fallon made a guest appearance singing "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)".
| Order | Artist | Age | Hometown | Song | Coach's and artist's choices | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly | Chance | Niall | Blake | |||||
| 1 | Sheer Element (Izzy Kaye, Jej Vinson, and Tabon Ward) |
24–26 | Los Angeles, California | "Leave the Door Open" | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – |
| 2 | Carlos Rising | 28 | Wilmington, North Carolina | "Change the World" | ✔ | – | – | ✔ |
| 3 | Alex Graham | 24 | Belmont, North Carolina | "She Had Me at Heads Carolina" | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | Magnus | 25 | Virginia Beach, Virginia | "Sara Smile" | – | ✔ | – | – |
| 5 | Kala Banham | 24 | Windermere, Florida | "Both Sides, Now" | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | – |
Episode 3 (March 13)
Among the contestants in this episode was Manasseh Samone, who previously auditioned unsuccessfully in season 22.
| Order | Artist | Age | Hometown | Song | Coach's and artist's choices | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly | Chance | Niall | Blake | |||||
| 1 | Ryley Tate Wilson | 15 | Montgomery, Alabama | "Dancing On My Own" | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 2 | Jamar Langley | 36 | Andrews, South Carolina | "Try Me" | – | ✔ | – | ✔ |
| 3 | Allie Keck | 28 | Neoga, Illinois | "Paris (Ooh La La)" | ✔ | – | – | ✔ |
| 4 | Jayda Klink | 23 | Cincinnati, Ohio | "No Air" | – | – | – | – |
| 5 | Walker Wilson | 24 | Alcoa, Tennessee | "Hurricane" | – | – | – | ✔ |
| 6 | Ali | 24 | Walnut, California | "Killing Me Softly with His Song" | ✔ | ✔ | – | – |
| 7 | Manasseh Samone | 22 | Dallas, Texas | "Rise Up" | – | ✔ | – | – |
| 8 | Jerome Godwin III | 20 | Ashford, Alabama | "pov" | ✔ | – | ✔ | – |
| 9 | EJ Michels | 31 | Draper, Utah | "Easy on Me" | – | ✔ | – | ✔ |
| 10 | Sophia Hoffman | 18 | Chula Vista, California | "Amor Eterno" | – | – | – | – |
| 11 | Laura Littleton | 26 | Dickson, Tennessee | "Sign of the Times" | ✔ | – | ✔ | ✘ |
Episode 4 (March 14)
Among the contestants in this episode was Tiana Goss, who previously auditioned unsuccessfully in season 22.
| Order | Artist | Age | Hometown | Song | Coach's and artist's choices | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly | Chance | Niall | Blake | |||||
| 1 | Kate Cosentino | 23 | Kansas City, Missouri | "I Say a Little Prayer" | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – |
| 2 | Al Boogie | 37 | Gonzales, Louisiana | "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" | – | – | – | – |
| 3 | Chloe Abbott | 24 | Detroit, Michigan | "How Deep Is Your Love" | – | ✔ | – | – |
| 4 | Marcos Covos | 30 | Odessa, Texas | "Tú, sólo tú" | ✔ | – | – | ✔ |
| 5 | Tiana Goss | 29 | Los Angeles, California | "Emotion" | – | – | ✔ | – |
| 6 | Mary Kate Connor | 17 | Ashburn, Virginia | "Stars" | ✔ | – | – | ✔ |
Episode 5 (March 20)
| Order | Artist | Age | Hometown | Song | Coach's and artist's choices | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly | Chance | Niall | Blake | |||||
| 1 | Mariah Kalia | 17 | Jacksonville, Florida | "Idontwannabeyouanymore" | – | ✔ | ✔ | – |
| 2 | Kylee Dayne | 19 | Carrollton, Texas | "Fallingwater" | – | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 3 | Joe with the Flow | 26 | Atlanta, Georgia | "Mystery of Love" | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | Gina Miles | 18 | Paxton, Illinois | "The One That Got Away" | ✔ | – | ✔ | – |
| 5 | Kason Lester | 33 | Lebanon, Tennessee | "It's Not Over" | – | – | – | ✔ |
| 6 | JB Somers | 31 | Montgomery, Alabama | "A Case of You" | ✔ | ✔ | – | – |
| 7 | Alison Bailey | 17 | Winchester, California | "Rescue" | – | – | – | – |
| 8 | Ray Uriel | 24 | Gary, Indiana | "Glimpse of Us" | – | ✔ | – | – |
| 9 | Alyssa Lazar | 24 | Scranton, Pennsylvania | "Maybe I'm Amazed" | – | ✔ | – | – |
| 10 | Rachel Christine | 22 | Delavan, Wisconsin | "Uninvited" | ✔ | ✔ | – | – |
| 11 | Domenica Coka | 23 | Miami, Florida | "When I Look at You" | – | – | – | – |
| 12 | Cait Martin | 32 | Atlanta, Georgia | "As It Was" | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Episode 6 (March 21)
| Order | Artist | Age | Hometown | Song | Coach's and artist's choices | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly | Chance | Niall | Blake | |||||
| 1 | NariYella | 20 | Elkins Park, Pennsylvania | "One Night Only" | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 2 | Grace West | 19 | Canton, Michigan | "Maybe It Was Memphis" | – | Team full | ✔ | ✔ |
| 3 | Michael Landingham | 29 | Cherry Valley, California | "Wish I Knew You" | – | – | Team full | |
| 4 | Katie Beth Forakis | 25 | Savannah, Tennessee | "Ghost" | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| 5 | Dasha | 21 | Los Angeles, California | "I Can't Stand the Rain" | Team full | – | ||
| 6 | Talia Smith | 29 | Queens, New York | "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" | ✔ | |||
Battles
The second stage of the show, the Battles, aired from March 27 through April 4, 2023, comprising episodes seven through ten. In this round, the coaches pitted two of their artists in a singing match and then select one of them to advance to the next round. For the first time in the show's history, there were no guest advisors for the battles, which meant the artists were mentored solely by their coaches.
Losing artists may be "stolen" by another coach, becoming new members of their team, or can receive a playoff pass from their coach, remaining a part of their original team and directly advancing to the playoffs. The four coaches are allowed to either offer a playoff pass or to steal a losing artist in a battle; but, if a coach uses their playoff pass, it overrides the steals.
At the end of this round, seven artists remained on each team; five were the battle winners, one was stolen from another coach; and one received a playoff pass. In total, 24 artists advanced to the knockouts, while four artists directly advanced to the playoffs.
In episode ten, Alex Whalen from Team Blake left the show due to undisclosed personal reasons; his opponent, Neil Salsich, performed alone and advanced to the knockouts by default. This was the first withdrawal on the show during the Battles since Hannah Goebel's withdrawal in the fourteenth season., and the first overall withdrawal from the show since Cody Ray Raymond's withdrawal from the Knockouts in the fifteenth season.
| Artist won the battle and advanced to the knockouts | |
| Artist lost the battle, but was stolen by another coach, and, advanced to the knockouts | |
| Artist who received a "playoff pass" from their coach, and advanced to playoffs | |
| Artist lost the battle and was eliminated |
| Episode | Coach | Order | Winner | Song | Loser | 'Steal'/'Pass' result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly | Chance | Niall | Blake | ||||||
| Episode 7 (March 27) |
Blake | 1 | Tasha Jessen | "The Tracks of My Tears" | EJ Michels | – | ✔ | ✔ | – |
| Chance | 2 | Jamar Langley | "Gravity" | Mariah Kalia | – | – | N/A | – | |
| Niall | 3 | Gina Miles | "Skinny Love" | Kala Banham | ✔ | – | – | – | |
| Kelly | 4 | Cait Martin | "It Must Have Been Love" | Allie Keck | – | – | N/A | – | |
| Blake | 5 | Walker Wilson | "Here Without You" | Kason Lester | N/A | – | – | ||
| Chance | 6 | Sorelle | "Someone like You" | Manasseh Samone | ✔ | – | |||
| Episode 8 (March 28) |
Niall | 1 | Ross Clayton | "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" | Laura Littleton | N/A | – | – | – |
| Chance | 2 | Magnus | "Your Song" | Alyssa Lazar | N/A | N/A | – | ||
| Kelly | 3 | Marcos Covos | "I Could Fall in Love" | Sheer Element | – | – | – | ||
| Blake | 4 | Kylee Dayne | "Anti-Hero" | Mary Kate Connor | N/A | – | ✔ | ||
| Episode 9 (April 3) |
Kelly | 1 | Ali | "Unaware" | D.Smooth | ✔ | ✔ | N/A | – |
| Blake | 2 | Grace West | "I Told You So" | Carlos Rising | Team full | – | N/A | ||
| Niall | 3 | Kate Cosentino | "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" | Tiana Goss | ✔ | – | – | ||
| Kelly | 4 | Holly Brand | "Lady Like" | Katie Beth Forakis | Team full | N/A | – | ||
| Chance | 5 | NariYella | "I Want You Around" | Chloe Abbott | – | ||||
| Niall | 6 | Michael B. | "Heartbreak Anniversary" | Ryley Tate Wilson | ✔ | – | |||
| Episode 10 (April 4) |
Niall | 1 | Jerome Godwin III | "Like I Can" | Talia Smith | Team full | Team full | Team full | – |
| Kelly | 2 | Rachel Christine | "Light On" | JB Somers | – | ||||
| Blake | 3 | Neil Salsich | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" | Alex Whalen | N/A | ||||
| Chance | 4 | Ray Uriel | "Jealous Guy" | Noivas | ✔ | ||||
| Episode 11 (April 10) |
The eleventh episode was a special episode titled "Best of the Blinds, Battles, and Blake". It aired select blind auditions and battle performances from the season. | ||||||||