Season 29 of The Voice is shaking things up in a major way — and it’s a whole new game.
The singing competition returns Feb. 23 with a two-hour premiere on NBC. After that, new two-hour episodes air Mondays at 9/8c and stream on Peacock the next day — and yes, that means no more Tuesday episodes.
This spring’s cycle is officially branded The Voice: Battle of Champions, and that theme isn’t just marketing — it’s built into the format.
Gold Derby got the inside scoop from showrunner Audrey Morrissey, who walked us through the biggest changes: a three-coach panel, new competitive incentives in the Blinds, an in-season all-star showdown and — most notably — no traditional live shows.
For the first time in franchise history, the red chairs will hold just three coaches.
Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson, and John Legend are back — and the “Battle of Champions” title nods to the fact that all three have won the show before.
But the move from four coaches to three wasn’t about theme. It was about time.
NBC is bringing the NBA back to its primetime lineup, which cuts into The Voice’s hours. With fewer episodes to work with, keeping four coaches would have meant much smaller teams.
“The hours this season are considerably less,” Morrissey explains. If they’d kept four coaches, the teams would have been too small. “It felt a little ridiculous.”
Instead, they opted for three teams of 10 — and according to Morrissey, it doesn’t feel like anything’s missing. “You don’t miss four coaches at all,” she says.
The Blinds are more competitive than ever
The “Battle of Champions” theme really kicks in during the Blind Auditions with an all-new twist called the Triple Turn Competition.
Here’s how it works: when all three coaches turn their chairs for the same artist, the power shifts to the singer to decide which team they want to join. By the end of the Blind Auditions, the coach who has won the most of those coveted three-chair turns earns a special advantage heading into the Battles — the Super Steal.
Each coach gets one steal in the Battle round, but the Triple Turn winner has the Super Steal — a one-time power that overrides any other coach’s attempt to steal. If two coaches try to grab the same eliminated singer, the Super Steal automatically wins.
In other words, win the most three-chair Blind auditions and you guarantee yourself any steal you want in the Battles. And yes, that changed the energy in the room fast.
“These people are maniacs. They’re absolute maniacs,” Morrissey says of Adam, Kelly, and John once that prize was on the line. “It is so funny. These are grown people — they all have kids — but they’re so competitive.”
Knockouts get tighter
After the Battles, things narrow quickly. There are no steals in the Knockout round this season — once a coach lets you go, that’s it.
“We can’t keep having all these second chances this season, Morrissey says. “We’ve got to narrow the field.”
By the time the Playoffs arrive, the competition is down to a Top 9 — three artists per coach — before narrowing to a Top 4 for the finale.
The All-Star twist
Midseason, the “Battle of Champions” theme expands with an In-Season All-Star Competition.
Each coach brings back two former contestants for head-to-head sing-offs on behalf of their original team. The coach with the most all-star wins is guaranteed a second finalist in the finale — another shot at victory.
Morrissey wouldn’t confirm the official lineup just yet, but she did reveal a key detail: nearly all of the returning all-stars are former winners. Adam and Kelly each brought back two champions, while John — who has had just one winner — paired that winner with a non-winning standout from his team.
That narrows the possibilities considerably. For Team Adam, that could mean Javier Colon, Tessanne Chin, or Jordan Smith. For Team Kelly, potential returning champs include Brynn Cartelli, Chevel Shepherd, Jake Hoot, or Girl Named Tom. And for Team Legend, it’s Maelyn Jarmon alongside a yet-to-be-revealed former contestant.