An 18-year-old from Sacramento has won the 23rd season of “The Voice,” which bid farewell to longtime coach Blake Shelton during Tuesday’s sentimental finale.
Gina Miles brought home the trophy for Team Niall after thanking first-time “Voice” coach Niall Horan for his “friendship” and “mentorship.” Grace West (Team Blake) finished second, D. Smooth (Team Kelly) came in third, Sorelle (Team Chance) came in fourth and Noivas (Team Blake) came in fifth place.
During her audition, Miles turned the chairs of Horan and Kelly Clarkson with her powerful rendition of Katy Perry‘s “The One That Got Away.” She became involved in music while shadowing her dad, a single parent who performed as a DJ on the weekends.
“I love voices with so much character like you’ve got,” Horan told Miles during her tryout. “It was incredible to see you get up there and really hit those notes with proper control. … You’re gonna grow into this competition. I feel like you’ve got so much more to give.”
“You had me in the beginning when it was a beautiful whisper, how you were sounding,” Clarkson added, “And then it exploded in the chorus. … I’m a really big fan of your voice.”
Miles and Horan reunited during the live finale for a duet of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind.” Remaining celebrity coaches Clarkson, Shelton and Chance the Rapper also performed with their respective finalists.
At one point during the episode, a group of Team Blake alumni — including former “Voice” champions Jermaine Paul, Cassadee Pope, Danielle Bradbery, Todd Tilghman, Bryce Leatherwood and Craig Wayne Boyd — paid tribute to the outgoing coach with an intimate performance of Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).”
In October, Shelton announced that he would be exiting the NBC series after 23 seasons — the longest tenure of any “Voice” coach.
“I’ve been wrestling with this for a while and I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away,” he said on Instagram at the time.
“This show has changed my life in every way for the better and it will always feel like home to me. … I have to give a huge shoutout to the singers … who come on this stage season after season and amaze us with their talent and a special thanks to those who chose me to be their coach.”
Other musicians who participated in Tuesday’s finale include Lewis Capaldi, Alex Newell, CeeLo Green, Diplo, Lily Rose, Maroon 5, Toosii, Camila Cabello, Jennifer Hudson, Nick Jonas, John Legend, Adam Levine, Gwen Stefani, Usher, Pharrell Williams and Dolly Parton.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
