The Voice (Australian TV series)
The Voice is an Australian singing competition television series broadcast on Nine, based on the original The Voice of Holland. The show is hosted by Darren McMullen, who returned for the ninth season, after a four-year absence.
Format
The show is part of the television franchise The Voice and is structured as three phases: blind auditions, battle rounds and live performance shows. In 2017, the show added another phase: the knockouts between the blind auditions and the battles. The winner receives a recording contract with Universal Music or EMI as well as A$100,000 and other prizes.Blind auditions
Four judges/coaches, all noteworthy recording artists, choose teams of contestants through a blind audition process. Each judge has the length of the auditioner's performance to decide if he or she wants that singer on his or her team; if two or more judges want the same singer, the singer has the final choice of coach.Knockout and battle rounds
Each team of singers are mentored and developed by their coach. In the second stage, called the knockouts, coaches pick three of their acts to go against each other in a sing off, with a theme. They all have different songs, after which the coach chooses which act will advance into the next phase, the battles. Once the coach has made a choice, the other coaches have an opportunity to use one of only two "saves" each coach can choose to take one of the other acts through to the battle round. They can also choose to save their own artist.In the battles rounds, artists perform a duet together. The final 32 artists make it into the battles, but only 16 will compete in the finals. Coaches have one wildcard to take one of their own eliminated artists through to the finals. This is the last round in which coaches have a vote.
Finals and live shows
In the final phase, the remaining contestants compete against each other. The audience and coaches have equal say in deciding who moves to the Final 4 phase. With one team member remaining for each coach, the contestants compete in the finale with the outcome decided by public vote.Production
In May 2011, The Daily Telegraph reported that the Nine Network would broadcast The Voice in late 2011. However, two months later, it was reported that the show would instead air in early 2012, and that the Nine Network were in talks with signing at least one international artist to lead its panel of coaches on the show, which were rumoured to be Christina Aguilera, George Michael, Usher, Pink and Gwen Stefani. In September 2011, the Herald Sun reported that the Nine Network were planning to sign Australia's Got Talent judge Dannii Minogue as one of the coaches. Anthony Callea, Vanessa Amorosi and former Pussycat Dolls member Ashley Roberts all publicly expressed interest in coaching roles, however Keith Urban, Delta Goodrem, Seal and Joel Madden were ultimately confirmed as the four coaches for the first season. On signing the four coaches, Michael Healy, the Nine Network's Director of Television, said: "To secure such world-class coaches has been a coup for this show and the network. The mix of talent and unique format will, we truly believe, be a captivating experience for our viewers."Darren McMullen was announced as the host of the program in January 2012. Additionally, Ricki-Lee Coulter, Darren Hayes,, Megan Washington and Benji Madden were signed to pair up with the coaches as mentors for their contestants during the "Battle Round". On 10 May 2012, Faustina Agolley was announced as the show's social media correspondent during the live shows.
Filming for the blind auditions stage of the competition began on 19 February 2012 at Fox Studios in Sydney, with 121 artists featured in this phase of the selection process. The first day of filming resulted in hundreds of audience members being turned away from the studio due to overbooking of the event by an external booking agent. Filming for the battle rounds started in late March. In response to the immediate ratings success of the blind auditions, the Nine Network renewed the series for a second season on 27 April 2012.
With Urban accepting an offer to join the American Idol judging panel it was announced in September 2012 that he would not be returning as a coach for the second season. Following an extensive search process by producers, and constant media speculation on who would replace Urban, Ricky Martin was officially announced as the new coach in November 2012. In response to joining the series, Martin paid tribute to Urban saying he was "humbled to be sitting in his chair". Healy stated that Martin would bring "huge experience" and be the "perfect addition" to the coaching panel, with Goodrem, Madden and Seal all publicly expressing excitement at the news via their Twitter accounts.
The success of the first season led to the Nine Network increasing its programming run for the second season, with an extra ten hours of content to be broadcast and the season running for approximately three months instead of two. For 2014 Goodrem left the panel to join The Voice Kids, and Seal left to continue on his music career. Goodrem and Seal were in turn replaced by The Voice UK coaches Kylie Minogue and will.i.am. On 13 January 2015, it was announced that Goodrem would return to the panel, and new judges Jessie J and Benji Madden would join the series, replacing former judges Minogue and will.i.am. On 22 February 2015, it was announced that Sonia Kruger would be joining the fourth season as a co-host with McMullen. In 2015, Darren McMullen announced he was leaving The Voice, with Sonia Kruger to be a solo host in 2016.
On 28 December 2015, Ronan Keating confirmed he would replace Martin on the show's fifth season, alongside returning coaches Goodrem, Jessie J and The Madden Brothers. On 19 June 2016, it was announced that pop duo The Veronicas will briefly replace The Madden Brothers as coaches for the second live show on Sunday 19 June while the brothers are in the US on tour due to band commitments. The brothers are to due back on screen for the rest of the live shows. During an interview with NewsLitmited, the sisters stated " It's a very brutal industry to be in. We are very honest, very upfront and very real about the advise we give. We're not going to be sugar coating anything. There's not going to be anything contrived about our time on the show." Jessie J ruled out returning to the show for the 2017 show and stated "I've loved doing the show, I've done four seasons: two in the U.K., two in Sydney, but I just need to make another album."
On 8 November 2016, it was announced that Goodrem would return for her fifth season as a coach, whilst original judge Seal, who departed the series following the second season, would return. On 8 December 2016, it was announced that Boy George would become the third coach for the series' sixth season. On 24 December 2016, it was announced that Kelly Rowland would become the fourth and final coach for the series' sixth season.
On 11 October 2017, the series was renewed for a seventh season and it was announced that Goodrem, George and Rowland would all return. On 14 December 2017, Nine announced Joe Jonas would replace Seal as the fourth judge for the seventh season.
On 17 October 2018, the series was renewed for an eighth season and it was announced that Goodrem, George and Rowland would all return. On 14 November 2018, Nine announced Guy Sebastian would replace Jonas as the fourth judge for the eighth season. The eighth season premiered on 19 May 2019.
On 16 October 2019, the series was renewed for an ninth season and it was announced that Goodrem, George, Rowland and Sebastian would all be returning as series judges. In November 2019, Sonia Kruger announced she would be leaving Nine Network at the end of 2019, in which she will be resigning as the show's host. In January 2020, Darren McMullen was announced to return as host after his departure in 2014, along with new co-host Renee Bargh.
Due to the Acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, Fox Studios has been designated to Disney & Marvel productions, in which means The Voice will not be filming at from 2020, ITV Studios Australia will be creating a new studio in Sydney.
Coaches
Coaches' teams
† Contestant is deceased| Season | Seal | Joel Madden | Delta Goodrem | Keith Urban |
| 1 | Karise Eden Fatai V Chris Sebastian Emma-louise Birdsall Sam Ludeman Michael Duchesne | Sarah De Bono Ben Hazlewood Prinnie Stevens Lakyn Heperi Laura Bunting | Rachael Leahcar Glenn Cunningham Danni Da Ros Viktoria Bolonina Matt Hetherington Ben Bennett | Darren Percival Diana Rouvas Adam Martin Brittany Cairns Taga Paa Jimmy Cupples |
| 2 | Seal | Joel Madden | Delta Goodrem | Ricky Martin |
| 2 | Harrison Craig Mitchell Anderson Alex Gibson Jac Stone | Danny Ross Kiyomi Vella Michael Stangel Michael Paynter | Celia Pavey Steve Clisby Jackie Sannia Tim Morrison | Luke Kennedy Miss Murphy Simon Meli Caterina Torres |
| 3 | will.i.am | Kylie Minogue | Joel Madden | Ricky Martin |
| 3 | Anja Nissen ZK Gabriel and Cecilia Mat Verevis | Johnny Rollins Kat Jade Robbie Balmer John Lingard | Frank Lakoudis Holly Tapp Isaac McGovern Taila Gouge | Jackson Thomas Sabrina Batshon Elly Oh C Major |
| 4 | Ricky Martin | Jessie J | Delta Goodrem | The Madden Brothers |
| 4 | Liam Maihi Naomi Price Gail Page Scott Newnham | Ellie Drennan Simi Vuata Amber Nichols Cath Adams | Lyndall Wennekes Caleb Jago-Ward Rik-E-Ragga Nicholas Duquemin | Joe Moore Nathan Hawes Peta Evans-Taylor Tameaka Powell |
| 5 | Ronan Keating | Jessie J | Delta Goodrem | The Madden Brothers |
| 5 | Tash Lockhart Mitch Gardner Georgia Wiggins Emad Younan | Ellen Reed Jack Pellow Mikaela Dean Brianna Holm | Alfie Arcuri Adam Ladell Kim Sheehy Elle Murphy | Andrew Loadsman Aaliyah Warren Lane Sinclair Lexi Clark |
| 6 | Seal | Delta Goodrem | Kelly Rowland | Boy George |
| 6 | Lucy Sugerman Berni Harrison Rennie Adams | Judah Kelly Claire Howell Tim Conlon | Fasika Ayallew Spencer Jones Bojesse Pigram | Hoseah Partsch Sarah Stone Robin Johnson |
| 7 | Boy George | Kelly Rowland | Delta Goodrem | Joe Jonas |
| 7 | Sheldon Riley Chang Po Ching Luke Antony Mikayla Jade | Sam Perry Bella Paige AP D'Antonio Brock Ashby | Ben Clark Trent Bell Jacinta Gulisano Nathan Brake | Aydan Calafiore Ben Sekali Sally Skelton Homegrown |
| 8 | Kelly Rowland | Guy Sebastian | Delta Goodrem | Boy George |
| 8 | Zeek Power Lara Dabbagh Denzel Rebecca Selley | Jack Vidgen Mitch Paulsen Chynna Taylor Elsa Clement | Daniel Shaw Jordan Anthony Sheldon Riley Natasha Stuart † | Diana Rouvas Lee Harding Madi Krstevski Carlos C Major |
| 9 | Guy Sebastian | Delta Goodrem | Boy George | Kelly Rowland |
| 9 | Johnny Manuel Timothy Bowen Adam Ludewig Stephanie Cole Matt Gresham | Stellar Perry Jesse Teinaki Clarrisa Spata Steve Clisby Goldi | Siala Robson Masha Mnjoyan Angela Fabian Virginia Lillye Elyse Sene-Lefao | Chris Sebastian Mark Furze Alex Weybury Despina Savva Lyric McFarland |
Series overview
Colour keySeasons synopsis
Season 1 (2012)
Karise Eden was crowned the first winner of The Voice Australia. Darren Percival was runner-up, followed by Rachael Leahcar in third place and Sarah De Bono in fourth place. Season 1 saw 80% of artists enter the music charts, culminating in 9 out of the top 10 in finale week. Eden made history with eight singles in the charts and both a number-one single and album.Each coach was allowed to advance six top to the live shows:
| ' | ' | ' | ' |
| Karise Eden | Sarah De Bono | Rachael Leahcar | Darren Percival |
| Fatai V | Ben Hazlewood | Glenn Cunningham | Diana Rouvas |
| Chris Sebastian | Prinnie Stevens | Danni Da Ros | Adam Martin |
| Emma Birdsall | Lakyn Heperi | Viktoria Bolonina | Brittany Cairns |
| Sam Ludeman | Laura Bunting | Matt Hetherington | Taga Paa |
| Michael Duchesne | Carmen Smith | Ben Bennett | Jimmy Cupples |
Season 2 (2013)
The second season of The Voice Australia crowned Harrison Craig the winner, under Seal's tutelage. Keith Urban did not return as a coach after it was officially announced he would become a judge on American Idol. The Nine Network confirmed on 29 November 2012 that Latin pop star Ricky Martin would replace Urban as the new coach. Luke Kennedy placed second under the new coach, with Celia Pavey third and Danny Ross fourth.Each coach was allowed to advance four top to the live shows:
| ' | ' | ' | ' |
| Harrison Craig | Danny Ross | Celia Pavey | Luke Kennedy |
| Mitchell Anderson | Kiyomi Vella | Steve Clisby | Miss Murphy |
| Alex Gibson | Michael Stangel | Jackie Sannia | Simon Meli |
| Jac Stone | Michael Paynter | Tim Morrison | Caterina Torres |
Season 3 (2014)
On 26 November 2013, it was announced that Seal and Delta Goodrem would not be returning as coaches for the third season. The same day, it was announced that The Voice UK coaches will.i.am and Kylie Minogue would join Joel Madden and Ricky Martin. Taping for the third season began on 14 January 2014, with the Battle rounds commencing in March. Blind auditions began airing on 4 May 2014. Anja Nissen was announced the winner with Jackson Thomas in second place, Johnny Rollins in third, and Frank Lakoudis and ZK in fourth.Each coach was allowed to advance four top to the live shows:
| ' | ' | ' | ' |
| Anja Nissen | Johnny Rollins | Frank Lakoudis | Jackson Thomas |
| ZK | Kat Jade | Holly Tapp | Sabrina Batshon |
| Gabriel & Cecilia | Robbie Balmer | Isaac McGovern | Elly Oh |
| Mat Verevis | John Lingard | Taila Gouge | C Major |
Season 4 (2015)
In January 2015, it was confirmed that Goodrem would return to her judges chair, and would be joined by new additionsJessie J and Benji Madden. On 22 February 2015, Sonia Kruger was announced as the new co-host. Ellie Drennan was announced the winner with Joe Moore in second place, Nathan Hawes in third, and Liam Maihi in fourth.
Each coach was allowed to advance four top to the live shows:
| ' | ' | ' | ' |
| Liam Maihi | Ellie Drennan | Lyndall Wennekes | Joe Moore |
| Naomi Price | Simi Vuata | Caleb Jago-Ward | Nathan Hawes |
| Gail Page | Amber Nichols | Rik-E-Ragga | Peta Evans-Taylor |
| Scott Newnham | Cath Adams | Nicolas Duquemin | Tameaka Powell |
Season 5 (2016)
In July 2015, it was confirmed that The Voice would return in 2016. Jessie J, Goodrem and The Madden Brothers were announced as returning coaches ; Martin was replaced by Ronan Keating. On 28 December 2015, McMullen announced he would not be returning as host of The Voice. The season began airing on 1 May 2016. Alfie Arcuri was announced the winner with Adam Ladell in second place, Tash Lockhart in third, and Ellen Reed in fourth.Each coach was allowed to advance four top to the live shows:
| ' | ' | ' | ' |
| Tash Lockhart | Ellen Reed | Alfie Arcuri | Andrew Loadsman |
| Mitch Gardner | Jack Pellow | Adam Ladell | Aaliyah Warren |
| Georgia Wiggins | Mikaela Dean | Kim Sheehy | Lane Sinclair |
| Emad Younan | Brianna Holm | Elle Murphy | Lexi Clark |
Season 6 (2017)
In November 2016, it was confirmed that Goodrem would be returning as a coach on the show for her fifth season, and that she would be joined by former coach, Seal, returning after a three-season absence. The following month, former The Voice UK coach, Boy George, was announced as the third coach. In December 2016, it was confirmed that former The X Factor judge and singer, Kelly Rowland, would be the fourth and final coach. The season began airing on 24 April 2017. Judah Kelly was announced the winner with Hoseah Partsch in second place, Fasika Ayallew in third, and Lucy Sugerman in fourth.Each coach was allowed to advance a top three to the live shows.
| ' | ' | ' | ' |
| Lucy Sugerman | Judah Kelly | Fasika Ayallew | Hoseah Partsch |
| Berni Harrison | Claire Howell | Spencer Jones | Sarah Stone |
| Rennie Adams | Tim Conlon | Bojesse Pigram | Robin Johnson |
Season 7 (2018)
On 11 October 2017, the series was renewed for a seventh season and it was announced that Goodrem, George and Rowland would all return. On 14 December 2017, Nine announced Joe Jonas would replace Seal as the fourth judge for the seventh season. The season began airing on 15 April 2018. Sam Perry was announced as the winner with The Voice Kids finalist Bella Paige in second place, Sheldon Riley in third, and Aydan Calafiore in fourth.Each coach was allowed to advance a top three to the live shows and choose one contestant to receive a wildcard :
| ' | ' | ' | ' |
| Sheldon Riley | Sam Perry | Ben Clark | Aydan Calafiore |
| Chang Po Ching | Bella Paige | Trent Bell | Sally Skelton |
| Luke Antony | AP D'Antonio | Jacinta Gulisano | Ben Sekali |
| Mikayla Jade | Brock Ashby | Nathan Brake | Homegrown |
Season 8 (2019)
On 17 October 2018, the series was renewed for an eighth season and it was announced that Goodrem, George and Rowland would all return. On 14 November 2018, Nine announced Guy Sebastian would replace Jonas as the fourth judge for the eighth season. The season began airing on 19 May 2019.This season, only the Semifinals and the Grand Finale were broadcast live. Each coach was allowed to advance a top four to the Finals: Diana Rouvas was announced as the winner with Daniel Shaw in second, Zeek Power in third, and Jordan Anthony in fourth.
| ' | ' | ' | ' |
| Zeek Power | Jack Vidgen | Daniel Shaw | Diana Rouvas |
| Lara Dabbagh | Chynna Taylor | Jordan Anthony | Lee Harding |
| Denzel | Mitch Paulsen | Sheldon Riley | Madi Krstevski |
| Rebecca Selley | Elsa Clement | Natasha Stuart | Carlos C Major |
Season 9 (2020)
On 16 October 2019, the series was renewed for a ninth season with coaches from the previous season returning. On 25 January 2020, it was announced that Darren McMullen and Renee Bargh would act as successors to Kruger as hosts.| ' | ' | ' | ' |
| Johnny Manuel | Stellar Perry | Siala Robson | Chris Sebastian |
| Timothy Bowen | Jesse Teinaki | Masha Mnjoyan | Mark Furze |
| Adam Ludewig | Clarissa Spata | Angela Fabian | Alex Weybury |
| Stephanie Cole | Steve Clisby | Virginia Lillye | Despina Savva |
| Matt Gresham | Goldi | Elyse Sene-Lefao | Lyric McFarland |
Music releases by contestants
Two The Voice Australia winners, Karise Eden and Harrison Craig's, albums have debuted at number one on the ARIA albums chart. Besides both winners, Darren Percival, Rachael Leahcar, Sarah De Bono, Prinnie Stevens, Emma Birdsall, Adam Martin and Lakyn of season 1, and Luke Kennedy, Emma Pask, Danny Ross, Ms. Murphy and Caterina Torres of season 2 have all signed record contracts with Universal Music Australia.Possibly the most notable alumni of the series is season 2 finalist Celia Pavey, who has achieved a successful pop career in Australia under the name Vera Blue. Her single "Papercuts" with rapper Illy peaked at #2 on the ARIA singles chart, and her sophomore album Perennial debuted on the ARIA albums chart at #6. Eleven of her singles have achieved either Gold or Platinum status in the country.
Another notable alumni is season 4 contestant Grace Pitts, who has had a successful career under the name GRAACE, receiving significant airplay on Triple J.