The fifteenth season of the American reality television show, The Voice premiered on September 24, 2018, on NBC. Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson, and Blake Shelton returned as coaches (fifteenth, second, and fifteenth seasons respectively) from the previous season. Jennifer Hudson, who last coached in season 13, returned for her second season replacing Alicia Keys. For the first time in its history, the show featured a fifth coach, Kelsea Ballerini, who selected contestants to participate in The Comeback Stage.
While the Block made a return from the last season, this season introduced "The Comeback Stage", a digital companion series where six artists eliminated from the Blind Auditions coached by Kelsea Ballerini pitted in a series of Battles for a place in the Top 13.
Chevel Shepherd was named winner of this season, marking Kelly Clarkson's second win as a coach, and making her the first female coach to win multiple seasons (and the third overall coach, after Shelton and Levine). Clarkson also became the second coach in the show's history to win multiple consecutive seasons of The Voice, after Shelton who won from seasons two to four of the show.
Coaches and hosts
On May 11, 2018, Kelly Clarkson confirmed she would return alongside coach veterans, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton with Jennifer Hudson who returns after a one-season hiatus. Carson Daly returned for his fifteenth season as host. It was announced on September 10 that Kelsea Ballerini would become a fifth coach, mentoring unsuccessful auditioners on an online version in a new round called The Comeback Stage.
This season's advisors for the Battle Rounds were CeeLo Green for Team Adam, Thomas Rhett for Team Kelly, Halsey for Team Jennifer, and Keith Urban for Team Blake. Mariah Carey was assigned as a mentor for all teams during the knockouts.
Teams Color key
+ Coaches Top 54 artists Adam Levine Reagan Strange DeAndre NicoTyke JamesKameron MarloweSteve MemmoloRADHA MartinezKeith Paluso Delaney Silvernell Jake Wells Anthony Arya Funsho Natalie Brady Fousheé Emily Hough Jarred Matthew Kelly ClarksonChevel Shepherd Sarah Grace Kymberli Joye Lynnea MoorerAbby CatesKeith Paluso ZaxaiNatasia GreyCloudClaire DeJeanCody Ray Raymond SandyRedd Delaney Silvernell Mikele Buck Josh Davis OneUp Erika Zade Jennifer HudsonKennedy HolmesMaKenzie ThomasSandyReddPatrique Fortson Colton SmithFranc WestAnthony AryaTyshawn ColquittMike Parker Natasia GreyCloud Colton Smith Zaxai Audri Bartholomew Matt Johnson Lela Restrepo Blake SheltonChris KroezeKirk JayDave Fenley Funsho Natasia GreyCloud Michael LeeKameron MarloweColton Smith Katrina Cain Keith PalusoMercedes Caeland Garner Joey Green Kayley Hill Rachel Messer Kelsea BalleriniLynnea MoorerAyanna JoniWyatt RiversMadison CainEle Ivory Sam Robbins.
Blind auditions Color key Coach pressed "I WANT YOU" button Artist defaulted to a coach's team Artist selected to join this coach's team Artist was eliminated and was not invited back for "The Comeback Stage" Artist was eliminated, but got a second chance to compete in "The Comeback Stage" ✘ Coach pressed "I WANT YOU" button, but was blocked by another coach from getting the artist Blocked by Adam Blocked by Kelly Blocked by JHud Blocked by Blake Cody Ray Raymond is the 1000th blind audition of this series.
Episode 1 (Sept. 24) Order Artist Age Hometown Song Coach's and artist's choices Adam Kelly Jennifer Blake 1 Sarah Grace 15 Houston, Texas "Ball and Chain" — 2 Tyshawn Colquitt 23 Cincinnati, Ohio "Like I Can" — — 3 Tyke James 17 Laie, Hawaii "Perfect" — — — 4 Ayanna Joni 29 Yonkers, New York "Sorry Not Sorry" — — — — 5 Mercedes Ferreira-Dias 17 Miami, Florida "She Used to Be Mine" — — 6 RADHA 19 Jersey City, New Jersey "Mamma Knows Best" — ✘ 7 Kameron Marlowe 21 Kannapolis, North Carolina "One Number Away" — — 8 Mikele Buck 39 Big Chimney, West Virginia "She Used to Be Mine" — — 9 Sam Hastings 23 Portland, Maine "Angela" — — — — 10 Patrique Fortson 38 Atlanta, Georgia "Get Here" — — 11 Kennedy Holmes 13 St. Louis, Missouri "Turning Tables"
Episode 2 (Sept. 25) Order Artist Age Hometown Song Coach's and artist's choices Adam Kelly Jennifer Blake1 Keith Paluso 30 Memphis, Tennessee "Way Down We Go" ✘ — — 2 Claire DeJean 17 Dallas, Texas "Hurt Somebody" — —3 Franc West 38 Cleveland, Ohio "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" — — —4 Michael Lee 30 Fort Worth, Texas "The Thrill Is Gone" — 5 Ele Ivory 20 Nashville, Tennessee "Jump" — — — —6 DeAndre Nico 22 Port Arthur, Texas "When I Was Your Man"
Episode 3 (Oct. 1) Order Artist Age Hometown Song Coach's and artist's choices Adam Kelly Jennifer Blake 1Dave Fenley39Nashville, Tennessee"Help Me Hold On" — — 2Steve Memmolo35Boston, Massachusetts"Spooky" — — 3Audri Bartholomew19St. Louis, Missouri"Never Enough" — — — 4Rachel Messer 19Fort Gay, West Virginia"I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" — — 5Brent Morgan30Madison, Alabama"Feel It Still" — — — — 6Chevel Shepherd16Farmington, New Mexico"If I Die Young" — 7Bryan Cherry28Woodbridge, Virginia"Nothing Can Change This Love" — — — — 8Delaney Silvernell21Los Angeles, California"In My Blood" — — — 9Anthony Arya15Santa Cruz, California"Danny's Song" — — — 10Natasia GreyCloud29Nashville, Tennessee"I'm Not the Only One" — — 11Lynnea Moorer18Monterey, California"Location" — — — — 12Kymberli Joye26Windsor, Connecticut"Run to You" — ✘
Episode 4 (Oct. 2) Order Artist Age Hometown Song Coach's and artist's choices Adam Kelly Jennifer Blake1 Reagan Strange 13 Memphis, Tennessee"Meant to Be" — —2 Fousheé 29 Harlem, New York "Redbone" — —3 Wyatt Rivers 22 Durham, North Carolina "River" — — — —4 Chris Kroeze 27 Barron, Wisconsin "Pride and Joy" — — 5 MaKenzie Thomas 20 Wallingford, Kentucky "Big White Room" — — —6 SandyRedd 35 Chicago, Illinois"River"
Episode 5 (Oct. 8) Order Artist Age Hometown Song Coach's and artist's choices Adam Kelly JHud Blake1 OneUp(Adam Bastien & Jerome Bell) 35–36 New York City, New York"Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" — 2 Natalie Brady 33 Nashville, Tennessee"Barracuda" — —3 Hannah Blaylock 31 Nimmons, Arkansas"Baby, Now That I've Found You" — — — —4 Mike Parker 23 Warrenton, Virginia"So Sick" — — —5 Joey Green 35 Crowley, Texas"Baba O'Riley" — — 6 Zaxai 29 Brooklyn, New York"Come and Get Your Love" — ✘ —7 Erika Zade 20 Miami, Florida"New Rules" — — —8 Jarred Matthew 31 Riverside, California"Tired of Being Alone" — —9 Sam Robbins 21 Portsmouth, New Hampshire"Time in a Bottle" — — — —10 Colton Smith 21 Albertville, Alabama"Alive" — — —11 Kayley Hill 28 Nashville, Tennessee"Gold Dust Woman" — — — 12 Kirk Jay 22 Bay Minette, Alabama"Bless the Broken Road"
Episode 6 (Oct. 9) Order Artist Age Hometown Song Coach's and artist's choices Adam Kelly Jennifer Blake1 Caeland Garner 31 Coleridge, North Carolina "Dancing in the Moonlight" — — 2 Madison Cain 24 Sausalito, California "You Oughta Know" — — — —3 Lela 15 Miami, Florida "Havana" — —4 Cody Ray Raymond 27 Seattle, Washington "Born Under a Bad Sign" — —5 Jake Wells 23 Kansas City, Missouri "When the Stars Go Blue" — — —6 Abby Cates 17 Cincinnati, Ohio "Scars to Your Beautiful" — — —7 Funsho 29 Lagos, Nigeria / Los Angeles, California "Finesse" —
Episode 7 (Oct. 15) Order Artist Age Hometown Song Coach's and artist's choices Adam Kelly Jennifer Blake1Emily Hough16 Petersburg, Illinois "Big Yellow Taxi" —2Josh Davis20 Cleveland, Tennessee "Too Good At Goodbyes"rowspan="4" —3Lisa Ramey33 New York City, New York "Beautiful Trauma"rowspan="3" — —4Katrina Cain29 Denton, Texas "Rhiannon" 5Matt Johnson26 Staunton, Virginia "Never Too Much" rowspan="1"
The Battles The second half of the Battle Rounds started on October 15. Season fifteen's advisors include: CeeLo Green for Team Adam, Thomas Rhett for Team Kelly, Halsey for Team Jennifer, and Keith Urban for Team Blake. The coaches can steal two losing artists from other coaches. Contestants who win their battle or are stolen by another coach will advance to the Knockout rounds.
During a commercial break before the Battles Part 1's last pairing, four coaches give the waiting audience an impromptu performance with an a cappella version of The Golden Girls theme song - "Thank You for Being a Friend".Color key: Artist won the Battle and advanced to the Knockouts Artist lost the Battle but was stolen by another coach and advanced to the Knockouts Artist lost the Battle and was eliminated Episode Coach Order Winner Song Loser 'Steal' result Adam Kelly Jennifer BlakeEpisode 7Kelly Clarkson1Cody Ray Raymond"Cry to Me"SandyReddBlake Shelton2 Michael Lee"Thing Called Love" Joey Green — — —Jennifer Hudson3 Patrique Fortson"God Gave Me You" Colton Smith — —Episode 8 Kelly Clarkson 1 Kymberli Joye "Mercy" OneUp — — — Adam Levine 2 Steve Memmolo "Amie" Anthony Arya — — 3 Tyke James "She's Always a Woman"Jarred Matthew — rowspan="4" — Blake Shelton 4Chris Kroeze "Back in the High Life Again" Mercedes Ferreira-Dias — — 5 Katrina Cain "Angel" Rachel Messer — —Jennifer Hudson 6 Mike Parker "Gravity" Natasia GreyCloud — —Episode 9 Blake Shelton 1Dave Fenley "I'm a One-Woman Man"Keith Paluso — rowspan="9" Adam Levine 2 Reagan Strange "Photograph"Emily Hough — —Jennifer Hudson 3 Franc West "Too Close"Matt Johnson — — —Kelly Clarkson 4 Abby Cates "Love Me like You Do"Delaney Silvernell —Adam Levine 5 RADHA "Growing Pains"Fousheé rowspan="5" — —Kelly Clarkson 6 Chevel Shepherd "You Look So Good in Love"Mikele Buck —Jennifer Hudson 7 MaKenzie Thomas "Always Be My Baby"Audri Bartholomew — — Adam Levine 8 Jake Wells"Closing Time"Natalie Brady — — Jennifer Hudson 9Tyshawn Colquitt"Love Lies"Zaxai —Episode 10Kelly Clarkson 1Sarah Grace"No Roots"Erika Zade rowspan="6" rowspan="6" rowspan="6" —Blake Shelton 2Kameron Marlowe"Only Wanna Be With You"Kayley HillKelly Clarkson 3Claire DeJean"All This Love"Josh Davis —Blake Shelton 4Kirk Jay"Let It Rain"Caeland GarnerJennifer Hudson 5Kennedy Holmes"Battlefield"Lela —Adam Levine 6DeAndre Nico"Can You Stand the Rain"Funsho
The Knockouts The Knockouts round started on October 29. The coaches can each steal one losing artist from another team and save one artist who lost their Knockout on their own team. The top 24 contestants then moved on to the Live Playoffs. Mariah Carey served as the advisor to contestants from all teams in this round. Cody Ray Raymond from Team Kelly dropped out from the competition for personal reasons; Clarkson grouped three of her members into one knockout, with two contestants from the trio advancing, with the third being declared the loser, just like on the eighth season. This episode on October 30 is in memory of a finalist of season 1, Beverly McClellan who died on stage 3c endometrial cancer.Color key: Artist won the Knockout and advanced to the Live Playoffs Artist lost the Knockout but was stolen by another coach and advanced to the Live Playoffs Artist lost the Knockout but was saved by their coach and advanced to the Live Playoffs Artist lost the Knockout and was eliminated