Sofronio Vasquez, a 31-year-old versatile and dynamic artist from Mindanao, Philippines who currently resides in Utica, N.Y., was named champion of “The Voice” Season 26 tonight.
Under the tutelage of first-time coach Michael Bublé, Sofronio faced off against a chorus of formidable competitors in the finale, including fellow Team Bublé finalist Shye, Danny Joseph from Team Reba, Jeremy Beloate from Team Snoop and Sydney Sterlace from Team Gwen.
In his blind audition, Sofronio, known for his velvety tone, earned four chair turns from the coaches with his dazzling performance of Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Goin’ Down,” which had all four coaches fighting for him. He ultimately chose to join Team Bublé where he and teammate Aliyah Khaylyn performed a duet of Céline Dion’s “The Power of Love” during the battle rounds. For the ultra-competitive three-way knockout round, he did a showstopping performance of Dusty Springfield’s “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me.”
During the playoffs, Sofronio performed an emotional rendition of Roy Orbison’s “Crying” in which his impressive vocal runs helped secure him a spot in the Top 8. In the first live show, he performed “If I Can Dream” by Elvis Presley, which earned him a standing ovation from all four coaches and a spot in the finals through America’s votes. He also sang with fellow semifinalist Jeremy Beloate from Team Snopp for a performance of the Police’s “Every Breath You Take,” with Mega-Mentor Sting accompanying on the bass guitar.
On Monday night’s telecast, Sofronio continued to impress the coaches and viewers alike with an up-tempo live performance of “Unstoppable” by Sia as well as a down-tempo performance of “A Million Dreams” from “The Greatest Showman.”
Before being crowned the winner during tonight’s finale, Sofronio was joined on stage by coach Michael Bublé for a heartfelt duet of “Who’s Lovin’ You” by the Miracles.
Sofronio’s presence on the show’s social media platforms this season garnered immense popularity, with his performances accumulating 38.2 million views across “The Voice” pages on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Sofronio grew up in the Philippines with virtually nothing, including no bed nor indoor plumbing. Despite his situation, he describes his upbringing as happy because music was always there to bring his family joy. Sofronio fondly remembers singing with his dad and considers him his coach. Sofronio never thought he was as musically inclined as his friends and family, so instead he embarked on a career in dentistry. While studying for his dental boards in the Philippines, he decided to give music a chance.
Shortly after this decision, Sofronio was met with tragedy when his dad suddenly passed away. Now, with a new sense of motivation to make his late father proud, Sofronio has taken a leap of faith and moved to America to pursue music more seriously. Since moving, he’s competed at the famed Apollo Theater, his cover of “Nothing’s Going to Change My Love for You” has topped 1 million views on TikTok and a performance of “That’s What Friends Are For” has surpassed 9.5 million views on Facebook.
“The Voice” remains the most-watched alternative series for its sixth consecutive fall and is having its best season on Peacock.
“The Voice” Season 27 premieres on Feb. 3. Michael Bublé will return as the reigning champ alongside Kelsea Ballerini, John Legend, and Adam Levine.
For embeddable clips and more, please visit NBC.com‘s official show site: https://www.nbc.com/the-voice
