The tenth season of the American reality talent show The Voice premiered on February 29, 2016, on NBC. Carson Daly returned as the show's host. Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Pharrell Williams all returned as coaches. Meanwhile, Christina Aguilera returned after a one-season hiatus, replacing Gwen Stefani who did not return as a coach for this season, however instead served as an advisor for Team Blake in the Battle Rounds.
For the first time in the show's history, iTunes bonus multipliers were now applied to performances for live performances during the finals in addition to the "Cumulative iTunes Vote Total"; duets were now made eligible for downloads but does not count as a vote for iTunes, although this would later became intact a year later in season twelve.
Alisan Porter was named the winner of the season, marking Christina Aguilera's first win as a coach. Aguilera also became the first female coach to win a season of The Voice, and Porter is the oldest female winner. Additionally, Porter became the first female singer to win a season in any major singing competition in North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico), excluding Got Talent franchises, since female artists achieved a quadruple of winners in 2013: Alex and Sierra's victory on X Factor USA season 3, Candice Glover won American Idol season 12, Danielle Bradbery won season 4 of The Voice USA, and Tessanne Chin won season 5 of The Voice USA.
Coaches and hosts Adam Levine and Blake Shelton returned for their tenth season as coaches. Pharrell Williams returned for his fourth season and Christina Aguilera returned for her sixth season, after a season's hiatus. The advisor for this season was next season's coach Miley Cyrus, who served as an advisor for all teams during the Knockouts.
Auditions
The open call auditions were held in the following locations. Date(s) Venue Location June 13, 2015 Cobo Center Detroit, Michigan June 20, 2015 Chesapeake Energy Arena Oklahoma City, Oklahoma July 18–19, 2015 Jacob K. Javits Convention Center New York City, New York July 25–26, 2015 Los Angeles Convention Center Los Angeles, California
Teams Color key
+ Coaches Top 48 artists Adam LevineLaith Al-SaadiShalyah Fearing Owen DanoffCaroline Burns Nate Butler Brian NhiraRyan Quinn Jessica Crosbie Katherine Ho Katie Basden John Gilman Lily Green Mike Schiavo Matt Tedder Natalie Yacovazzi Pharrell Williams Hannah Huston Daniel Passino Emily Keener Lacy Mandigo Moushumi Chitre Caity Peters Nick Hagelin Shalyah Fearing Abby Celso Malik Heard Brian Nhira Maya Smith Jessica Crosbie Jonathan Bach Jonathan Hutcherson Joe Vivona Christina Aguilera Alisan Porter Bryan Bautista Nick Hagelin Támar Davis Kata Hay Ryan Quinn Daniel Passino Joe Maye Trey O'Dell Maya Smith Lacy Mandigo Shalyah Fearing Malik Heard Chelsea Gann Ayanna Jahnee Kristen Marie Blake Shelton Adam Wakefield Mary Sarah Paxton Ingram Katie Basden Joe Maye Justin WhisnantLacy Mandigo Angie Keilhauer Brittany Kennell Peyton Parker Trey O'Dell Gina CastanzoTeresa Guidry Jared Harder Brittney Lawrence
Blind auditions Color key Coach hit his or her "I WANT YOU" button Artist defaulted to this coach's team Artist selected to join this coach's team Artist eliminated with no coach pressing his or her "I WANT YOU" button
Episode 1 (Feb. 29) Order Artist Age Hometown Song Coach's and artist's choices Adam Pharrell Christina Blake 1 Paxton Ingram 23 Miami, Florida "Dancing on My Own" — 2 Caity Peters 21 Long Beach, California "Jealous" 3 Nick Hagelin 28 Atlanta, Georgia "Lost Stars" — 4 Maddie Poppe 17 Clarksville, Iowa "Dog Days Are Over" — — — — 5 Mary Sarah 20 Richmond, Texas "Where the Boys Are" 6 Mike Schiavo 21 Colonia, New Jersey "Talking Body" — 7 Queen Sessi 24 Bronx, New York "Show Me Love" — — — — 8 Bryan Bautista 23 Brooklyn, New York "The Hills" — — 9 Abby Celso 20 Rochester, New York "Should've Been Us" — — 10 John Gilman 23 Bayville, New Jersey "Don't Be Cruel" — — — 11 Alisan Porter 34 Agoura Hills, California "Blue Bayou"
Episode 2 (March 1) Order Artist Age Hometown Song Coach's and artist's choices Adam Pharrell Christina Blake 1 Joe Vivona 27 West Caldwell, New Jersey "Dreaming with a Broken Heart" — 2 Shalyah Fearing 15 Hudson, Florida "What Is Love" — — — 3 Adam Wakefield 33 Hanover, New Hampshire "Tennessee Whiskey" — — 4 Caroline Burns 15 Hollis, New Hampshire "So Far Away" — — 5 Natalie Clark 34 Glasgow, Scotland "All Right Now" — — — — 6 Emily Keener 16 Wakeman, Ohio "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" 7 Laith Al-Saadi 38 Ann Arbor, Michigan "The Letter" — — 8 Angie Keilhauer 24 Marietta, Georgia /El Salvador "I Hold On" — 9 Lacy Mandigo 18 Statesville, North Carolina "Son of a Preacher Man" — — — 10 Jonathan Bach 20 Ann Arbor, Michigan "Born This Way" — — — 11 Katherine Ho 16 Thousand Oaks, California "Wildest Dreams" — — 12 Theron Early 21 Miami, Florida "Amazed" — — — — 13 Kata Hay 28 Skiatook, Oklahoma "Redneck Woman" —
Episode 3 (March 7) Order Artist Age Hometown Song Coach's and artist's choices Adam Pharrell Christina Blake 1 Hannah Huston 24 Lincoln, Nebraska "Unaware" — 2 Brian Nhira 23 Tulsa, Oklahoma "Happy" — — 3 Aijia Grammer 29 Los Angeles, California "Say Something" — — — — 4 Brittany Kennell 27 Montreal, Quebec, Canada / Nashville, Tennessee "Strong Enough" — — 5 Natalie Yacovazzi 28 Chicago, Illinois "Mr. Know It All" — — — 6 Malik Heard 19 Dallas, Texas "Chains" — — 7 Peyton Parker 20 Kennesaw, Georgia "Dreams" — 8 Gina Castanzo 18 West Chester, Pennsylvania "Cecilia and the Satellite" — — — 9 Trey O'Dell 20 Fayetteville, Arkansas "Geronimo" — — — 10 Kristen Marie 20 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma "Mad World" — — 11 Evan Taylor Jones 25 Orlando, Florida "Homegrown" — — — — 12 Nate Butler 19 Shamong, New Jersey "The Walk" — 13 Ryan Quinn 25 Westmoreland, New York "Can't Find My Way Home"
Episode 4 (March 8) Order Artist Age Hometown Song Coach's and artist's choices Adam Pharrell Christina Blake 1 Támar Davis 35 Houston, Texas "Chain of Fools" — — 2 Jessica Crosbie 21 Atlanta, Georgia / Cornwall, England "Viva la Vida" — 3 Justin Whisnant 28 Bearden, Oklahoma "Ain't Worth the Whiskey" — — 4 Jackie Lipson 25 South Windsor, Connecticut "Ex's & Oh's" — — — — 5 Daniel Passino 21 New Boston, Michigan "Marvin Gaye" — — 6 Owen Danoff 25 Washington, D.C. / New York, New York "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" 7 Maya Smith 31 Los Angeles, California "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" — — 8 Nolan Neal 35 Nashville, Tennessee "Drive" — — — — 9 Brittney Lawrence 21 Jacksonville, Florida "Warrior" — — 10 Teresa Guidry 21 Rock Hill, South Carolina "Girl Crush" — — 11 Chelsea Gann 27 Liberty Mounds, Oklahoma "Wild Angels" — — — 12 Lily Green 16 Brooklyn, New York "Songbird" — — — 13 Matt Tedder 20 Fort Worth, Texas / Nashville, Tennessee "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" — — — 14 Joe Maye 24 Baltimore, Maryland "I Put a Spell on You"* — —
Episode 5 (March 9) This episode covered the Best of the Blind Auditions and a sneak peek of the next stage of competition, the Battle Rounds.
Episode 6 (March 14) The sixth episode included the last of the Blind Auditions as well as the first Battles. All of the coaches performed "I Wish".
Order Artist Age Hometown Song Coach's and artist's choices Adam Pharrell Christina Blake 1 Jared Harder 22 Joplin, Missouri "Merry Go 'Round" — — — 2 Moushumi 22 Edison, New Jersey "Wicked Game" rowspan=10 3 Jake Hendershot 29 Muncie, Indiana "Unchain My Heart" — — — 4 Jesse Bardwell 22 Bozeman, Montana "Good Hearted Woman" — — — 5 Selina Carrera 19 Culver City, California "Valerie" — — — 6 Katie Basden 23 Durham, North Carolina "Midnight Rider" 7 Jonathan Hutcherson 16 Wilmore, Kentucky "You & I" rowspan=5 — 8 Collin Taylor 24 Orange, Connecticut "Hold On, We're Going Home" rowspan=5 — 9 Brianna Mazzola 15 Palo Alto, California "1+1" — 10 Chase Walker17 Riverside, California "She Talks to Angels" — 11 Ayanna Jahneé 20 Nashville, Tennessee "Skyfall"
The Battles The Battles (from the second half of episode 6 to episode 9) consisted of two 2-hour episodes, one 1-hour and one special episodes each on March 14, 15, 21 and 22, 2016. Season ten's advisors included: Tori Kelly for Team Adam, Sean 'Diddy' Combs for Team Pharrell, Patti LaBelle for Team Christina and Gwen Stefani for Team Blake. Each coach can exercise the use of two "Steals" for this round.
Color key: Artist won the Battle and advanced to the Knockouts Artist lost the Battle but was stolen by another coach and advances to the Knockouts Artist lost the Battle and was originally eliminated but received the Coach Comeback and advanced straight to the Live Playoffs Artist lost the Battle and was eliminated
Episode Coach Order Winner Song Loser 'Steal' result Adam Pharrell Christina Blake Episode 6 Adam Levine 1 Ryan Quinn "Maybe I'm Amazed"Katie Basden — Blake Shelton 2 Paxton Ingram "I Know What You Did Last Summer" Brittney Lawrence — — — Christina Aguilera 3 Bryan Bautista "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" Malik Heard Episode 7 Christina Aguilera 1 Támar Davis "Lady Marmalade"Shalyah Fearing — — Blake Shelton 2Mary Sarah "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" Justin Whisnant — rowspan="5" — Pharrell Williams 3Nick Hagelin "Electric Feel"Jessica Crosbie — — Christina Aguilera 4 Kata Hay "I'm the Only One"Chelsea Gann— — Adam Levine 5 Nate Butler "Hollow"Natalie Yacovazzi —— Pharrell Williams 6Hannah Huston "Elastic Heart"Maya Smith — Episode 8 Blake Shelton 1Adam Wakefield "Can't You See"Jared Harder — rowspan="9" — Pharrell Williams 2 Emily Keener "Explosions"Jonathan Bach — — — Christina Aguilera3Daniel Passino "Turning Tables"Kristen Marie — —Pharrell Williams4 Moushumi "Photograph"Jonathan Hutcherson — — — Adam Levine5 Katherine Ho "Lovefool"Lily Green — — Blake Shelton6 Angie Keilhauer "Backseat of a Greyhound Bus" Teresa Guidry — — Pharrell Williams7 Abby Celso "Sugar"Brian Nhira — Adam Levine8 Caroline Burns "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" Mike Schiavo rowspan="2" — — Christina Aguilera9 Alisan Porter "California Dreamin'" Lacy Mandigo Episode 9 Adam Levine 1 Laith Al-Saadi "Honky Tonk Women"Matt Tedder rowspan="6" rowspan="6" — rowspan="6" Pharrell Williams 2 Caity Peters"Honesty"Joe Vivona—Blake Shelton 3Peyton Parker"Borderline"Gina Castanzo —Christina Aguilera 4Joe Maye"I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)"Ayanna JahneeAdam Levine 5Owen Danoff"Runaway"John Gilman— Blake Shelton 6Brittany Kennell"The Chain" Trey O'Dell
The Knockouts For the Knockouts, Miley Cyrus was assigned as a mentor for contestants in all four teams. The coaches can each steal one losing artist. The top 20 contestants, plus four receiving the Coach Comeback from either the Knockouts or the earlier Battles, will then move on to the "Live Shows."
Color key: Artist won the Knockout and advanced to the Live Playoffs Artist lost the Knockout but was stolen by another coach and advances to the Live Playoffs Artist lost the Knockout and was originally eliminated but received the Coach Comeback and advanced to the Live Playoffs Artist lost the Knockout and was eliminated