MANILA, Philippines – Sofronio Vasquez from the Philippines has just won "The Voice USA."
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| Photo courtesy: Facebook/The Voice |
Vasquez made history not just the first Filipino, but also the first foreign male winner and first Asian to win the hit American talent show.
Bannered under Team Bublé, he won the Season 26 of the competition after receiving most number of votes.
It also marked Michael Bublé's first win as a coach in 'The Voice USA'.
As the winner of "The Voice USA", the 32-year-old singer from Ozamiz City will receive the grand prize of $100,000 and a recording contract.
"Michael... it's so weird to say Michael, I call you Sir. Your mentorship is a blessing to me, to my family, and to all the dreamers out there. You open the doors for everyone. Thank you so much," Vasquez told his coach.
"Well, my Filipino brother, you are the hope of so many people. Not just in the Philippines, but Asians everywhere truly are looking at you tonight. So proud," Bublé answered.
During the finale competition, Vasquez performed "Unstoppable" by Sia and "A Million Dreams" from "The Greatest Showman."
Vasquez had a strong start in "The Voice USA" as a four-chair turner during the blind auditions, with all four judges giving him a standing ovation.
While he spent most of his life in the Philippines, Vasquez moved to the United States in 2022. He initially planned on pursuing dentistry but found his way back to music.
Sofronio was a former "Tawag ng Tanghalan" contestant in "It's Showtime," where he reached the semifinals.
"7x rejected auditions in TNT (singing contest in the Philippines) No chair turns in The Voice Philippines and Now! Top 5 Finale in The Voice USA, I felt every lyrics that he executed from this song I've cried and felt his passion in singing... We love you Sofronio! You just killed it! You deserved to be a winner!," a fan commented on The Voice's YouTube video of Vasquez's finale performance.
— The Summit Express
