So, the dust has finally settled. If you were scouring the internet to find out who won the voice tonight, the answer isn't just a name—it's a whole moment. Aiden Ross, the 20-year-old Texas A&M student from College Station, officially took home the Season 28 trophy.
He did it.
The kid who kicked off the season with a four-chair turn for Adele’s "Love in the Dark" ended up standing under the confetti. Honestly, it feels like it’s been a long time coming since that first blind audition, but seeing him actually pull it off against some seriously stiff competition was something else.
The Night Team Niall Made History
This win is a massive deal for more than just Aiden. It basically cements Niall Horan as the modern G.O.A.T. of the coaching chairs. By coaching Aiden to the finish line, Niall is now officially undefeated in his first three seasons. That’s a stat that’s going to haunt the other coaches for a while.
Think about that.
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Michael Bublé, Snoop Dogg, and the legendary Reba McEntire were all in the mix, and yet the "Heaven" singer managed to snag another win. Snoop’s finalist, Ralph Edwards, came in as the runner-up, and let me tell you, that was a close one. Ralph’s soulful vibe had a lot of people thinking Snoop might actually pull off the upset, but the Aiden Ross momentum was just too much to stop.
How the Top 6 Stacked Up
The finale was a bit of a marathon, wasn't it? We had a Top 6 this time around, which made the elimination order feel even more intense as Carson Daly started reading those names. Here’s how the final leaderboard shook out:
- Winner: Aiden Ross (Team Niall)
- Second Place: Ralph Edwards (Team Snoop)
- Third Place: DEK of Hearts (Team Niall)
- Fourth Place: Aubrey Nicole (Team Reba)
- Fifth Place: Max Chambers (Team Bublé)
- Sixth Place: Jazz McKenzie (Team Bublé)
It was a tough night for Michael Bublé, seeing both of his finalists go out early in the results. But Jazz and Max both had incredible runs. Max, especially, being only 14 and making it that far? That’s wild.
What Most People Get Wrong About Aiden’s Journey
A lot of folks think Aiden was a "safe" winner because he’s a young guy with a guitar, but he took some big risks. Remember the Playoffs? He sang Damien Rice’s "The Blower's Daughter." That is not an easy song to sell to a voting audience. It’s moody, it’s quiet, and it requires insane breath control.
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Niall mentioned right before the announcement that Aiden is "the most down-to-earth guy." You could see it on his face when he won. He basically collapsed.
The "Texas A&M kid" is now a household name.
The Guest Performances That Actually Slapped
We can't talk about who won the voice tonight without mentioning the chaos of the guest stars. Since the finale coincided with the holiday season, things got pretty festive.
- Gina Miles (Season 23 winner) came back to duet with Aiden on "Last Christmas" because Niall was actually on vocal rest!
- Sofronio Vasquez, the Season 26 champ, performed his new single "Superman."
- XG made their big U.S. debut with "Gala," which was a total vibe shift from the country and soul we usually get on the show.
Why This Win Matters for The Voice
There’s a weird trend happening on the show lately. Aiden Ross is only the third person in the history of the series to win after being the very first audition of the season to air. It happened with Todd Tilghman and Girl Named Tom, too. There's something about that "first impression" that just sticks with the viewers.
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Niall seems to have a "type" when it comes to the voices he mentors—he looks for that "heartbeat of the song," as he calls it. It’s working. Bublé and Snoop are definitely going to have to rethink their strategy for Season 29 if they want to break Niall's streak.
What Happens Next for Aiden?
Winning The Voice is usually just the start of a massive whirlwind. Aiden gets the $100,000 prize and the record deal with Universal Music Group. Given his Texas roots and that singer-songwriter edge, he’s likely going to be hitting the studio fast.
If you want to keep following his career, the best move is to keep an eye on his socials—he’s already been pretty active on Instagram thanking the "12th Man" back at A&M for their support.
For those of you already wondering about next season, the talk is that we might see some All-Star returns, but for now, it's all about Aiden's moment.
What you should do next:
- Check out Aiden's winning performance of "Love in the Dark" on the NBC app or YouTube if you missed the live broadcast.
- Follow Aiden Ross on Instagram to catch his first post-win update.
- Stream "Love Her Anyway," his first acoustic release that’s already gaining traction.