America has voted, and the results are in, which means the winner of Season 23’s The Voice has been named! Gina Miles, an 18-year-old from Paxton, Ill., received the majority of the votes leading up to the nail-biting two-hour finale, which aired live on Tuesday night (May 23) on NBC.
Miles beat out runner-up Grace West of Team Blake and fellow Top 5 contestants NOVIAS (also Team Blake), Team Kelly’s D Smooth and Chance the Rapper’s sister trio Sorelle.
The new champion follows Bryce Leatherwood’s Season 22 The Voice victory.
Before taking the crown, Miles performed three songs, with hopes of winning over viewers across the country: During Monday night’s (May 22) telecast, she delivered a slow ballad and an uptempo song — Taylor Swift’s “Style” was first, later returning to the stage with “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinead O’ Connor.
Her third offering took place the following night when Miles hit the stage with coach Niall Horan for a duet on “New York State of Mind.”
Miles’ run on The Voice was quite intriguing. For her blind audition, she wowed with Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away,” scoring two chair turns, from Kelly Clarkson and Horan. She ended up on Horan’s team, becoming his young pop singer in the competition.
Miles performed Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” during the knockouts, and in the live playoffs, belted out Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.” For her Top 8 performance, she breezed her way into the next phase with Kodaline’s “All I Want.”
The Voice Season 23 finale was stacked with a celebrity lineup, who took part in the celebration of longest-running-coach Blake Shelton‘s final night. Tuesday night, he completed his run on the show following 12 years and 23 seasons. Adam Levine appeared, as did Diplo and Lily Rose, Toosii and Cee Lo Green.
The live Season 23 finale of The Voice also included special moments from Shelton’s long run on the show, as well as various entertainers wishing him all the best as he embarks on the next phase of his career.
Miles’ win marks Horan’s first victory as a coach. The champion of The Voice, as well as the finalist, win a Universal theme park vacation for two. The winner also receives a cash prize and a recording contract.