The 2022 season finale of The Voice is over and America has chosen its winner. The finale included Morgan Myles from Team Camila Cabello, Omar Jose Cardona from Team John Legend, and Bryce Leatherwood, Bodie, and Brayden Lape from Team Blake Shelton. And in the finale, the 22-year-old Statesboro, Georgia, resident Bryce Leatherwood was declared The Voice season 2022 winner.
Leatherwood’s triumph is the ninth in a row for coach Blake Shelton, who will leave the hit NBC singing competition series after the next season for the first time in 11 years. Following the finals, the coach-contestant team spoke with People about their thrilling victory, which Leatherwood claimed he never expected. He described the triumph as “humbling,” saying that people admire what he stands for, as well as his music and the way he sings. He stated that the fact that America selected him surprised him. Leatherwood of Team Blake stated that his only purpose in life is to make people happy, and that America made him happy today. He expressed his delight after being crowned The Voice season 22 champion.
Shelton sees himself in Leatherwood, gives advice to winner
Earlier in the evening, Shelton, 46, performed his song “Hillbilly Bone” alongside Leatherwood, whom he compares to a younger version of himself. Over Leatherwood’s win, Blake Shelton said he sees a lot of himself in Bryce. He added that the thing that he can relate to is it’s still all out in front of him right now, and who knows where this thing is going to go for him. Blake said when he thinks of himself at that age, he was hoping someday he would just hear himself on the radio. “At that time, all my heroes were on the radio, and if I could just hear myself on the radio, mission accomplished. He’s about to enter into a completely different jungle than I experienced, but he’s going to do great.” Shelton stated that he instructed him that a lot of things are going to be hurled at him.
What is the winning prize and how he plans to splurge?
Leatherwood, who receives a Universal Music Group record deal and a $100,000 top prize for winning The Voice, is still in the early stages of his own adventure. Bryce earlier told People media outlet about his deep bond with the country artist Blake Shelton. He said Blake is a terrific instructor and a fantastic buddy and he is definitely someone Leatherwood can identify with in a lot of ways. Leatherwood also jokingly said to one of the media outlets that he will buy a cowboy hat for himself, one of the ways to splurge the winning prize.
Leatherwood Journey so far
Leatherwood grew up riding tractors and listening to country music on his grandfather’s farm near Woodstock, Georgia. Leatherwood, a recent Georgia Southern University graduate, initially created a reputation for himself and paid the bills by performing music in campus bars.
In his blind audition, Leatherwood got three coaches to turn their chairs when he performed Shelton’s rendition of “Goodbye Time” by Conway Twitty. He eventually picked Shelton as his coach after much thought.
