Ever wondered if 'The Voice' contestants get paid? The real deal might surprise the fans
'The Voice', the popular reality talent show, features celebrity mentors guiding aspiring singers on their journey to stardom. The winner is entitled to a $100,000 cash prize along with a recording contract. According to reports, the participants receive an undisclosed stipend that covers their living expenses while competing in the show, but they do not receive a paycheck. "It was basically like being an adult without having to be one," former contestant Jessica Poland told Cosmopolitan in 2021. "Once you’re on the show for a while, you get money [a stipend] to go out and catering was really great. I ate really well.”
The Voice contestants receive 'very little' pay which barely covers expenses: The anonymous singer claimed to Woman's Day they hadn't received payment for their time on the show, despite making sacrifices to accommodate the filming schedule https://t.co/9XVw1OBZMA pic.twitter.com/4VuPunmqSf
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"I couldn’t make a ton of money," she explained, "And even though I worked as a film writer and played shows, I couldn’t do that while I was on The Voice. I couldn’t really work. No one can work." Poland claimed that to pay for her other expenditures while competing on the show, she subleased her property. The Daily Mail reported that despite the glitz and fame contestants were left "empty-handed." An anonymous contestant disclosed, "We're all given very little to cover expenses, and that's just about it." They were subject to stringent regulations during the competition, which required them to quit their full-time employment and refrain from taking on any new responsibilities.
"Some missed two terms of school and others had to beg for time off work," a source revealed. As per Newsweek, the contestants are bound by a strange contract which states the series "may be disparaging, defamatory, embarrassing (and) may expose me to public ridicule, humiliation, or condemnation." It further mentions that the results could get rigged, "Producer and the network ... shall have the right at any and all times ... to remove or replace me as a participant in the series, for any reason whatsoever, in their sole discretion." If participants violate the agreement, they could face a $1 million lawsuit.
Reports suggest Ariana Grande took the highest paycheck while mentoring contestants on 'The Voice', her salary was estimated to be between $20 million to $25 million. According to The Things, Christina Aguilera became the second-highest coach drawing a salary of $17 million per season. She is followed by Kelly Clarkson who took home $15 million per season on the talent reality show. Adam Levine remained a mentor from season one to season 16 and he took approximately $14 million per season. The rest of 'The Voice' coaches drew a salary of $13 million to $7 million.
Executive producer Audrey Morrissey recently expressed her gratitude and pride over the completion of 25 seasons. "Feelgood nostalgic feeling about the show and like really remembering like oh my God whether it's looking back at all the coaches we've had um or you know standout artists or just like funny laughs I mean there's been so much life that has been lived in," she said. Morrissey concluded by celebrating the incredible 76 Emmy nominations the show received during its run, “I think one of the great things about the show is everybody is really supported and feels like they can do their thing."
