NBC's The Voice has been a hit for the network for some time, and with each passing season the show pulls more and more celebrity talent. With success comes money, which in turn is flipped to help pay the talented singers that put their careers on hold to mentor and coach other hopeful singers.
Depending on who you are, appearing on The Voice can be a lucrative business. This is especially true in the case of Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, and the rest of The Voice coaches, who reportedly make a pretty penny in a season of the singing competition. Here's what we know in regards to what the coaches pull in on an average season.
Blake Shelton
Blake Shelton has been with The Voice since the show's beginning, and has made quite a bit of money during his tenure. It was reported by The Wrap that he and Adam Levine renegotiated their deals in 2016, and upped their salaries to be around $13 million a season. Since there are two seasons filmed in a calendar year, that rounds out to a grand total of around $26 million.
With that being said, it's fair to speculate that Blake Shelton is making even more on The Voice in 2019. It was said he and girlfriend Gwen Stefani received a considerable pay bump by NBC (via CelebrityInsider) to play up their relationship on the show in Season 12, and that's happening once again in Season 17. Gwen won't be around for the first season of the next calendar year (she'll be replaced by Nick Jonas), but one would think Shelton will be pulling in over $13 million for at least Season 17.
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson has been a fan favorite coach on The Voice since her debut, and it isn't hard to see why. She's been a shining beacon of positivity since she landed in a red chair in Season 14, and has won 2 of the past 3 seasons she's been in. News surfaced ahead of her debut in Season 14 (via Radar) that she was looking at a payday of $14 million a season for coming on the show.
In 2019, one would have to think Kelly Clarkson is making more on The Voice. She has her own talk show at NBC, so that could be incentive enough for the network to give her a pay bump to make up for the singer giving so much time to create content for the singing competition. Plus, the thought that American Idol would have some interest in getting one of its most iconic winners back as a judge is a possibility, so this pay likely keeps her out of its clutches.
John Legend
The Voice made a big deal when John Legend joined the competition, and it isn't hard to see why. Legend is an EGOT winner (meaning he's won at least one each of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) which basically makes him the ultimate mentor for all the hopeful contestants that want to make a name for themselves. One would think that, given Legend's credentials, his pay on The Voice would be pretty high.
With that being said, there haven't been any reports on what John Legend had made since he joined The Voice full time in 2016. It wouldn't be surprising to learn his pay is somewhere around that of Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton, given his accolades within the industry, but past coaches on the show (like Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys) have allegedly pulled in salaries below $10 million. A conservative estimate would be that Legend is making anywhere from $7-$14 million a season, but this is just speculation.
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani has been in and out of The Voice during its run, and has reportedly scored sizable paydays the last couple of times she was a coach. Stefani was reportedly paid $10 million for her first go-round (Season 7) which is typically higher than most first-time coaches on the show. Then her pay reportedly (via CheatSheet) ballooned up to $13 million in Season 12, as she and beau Blake Shelton negotiated a sweet deal to play up their romance.
Stefani popped back in the franchise following Adam Levine's exit, and while we don't know for sure, one would think the entertaining pop star could've negotiated a sweet deal for her latest season on The Voice. Something above $13 million doesn't feel out of the question, especially given that the show no longer had to pay Levine after that season. Plus, Gwen Stefani will be exiting once more after this season, so the show could potentially pay less for first time judge Nick Jonas the following season and still come out ahead on what it would've paid Levine.
Adam Levine
Though he's no longer with The Voice, it's worth mentioning Adam Levine as he was one of the show's most-prolific and highest paid coaches. Word is that Levine walked away from a big payday when he left The Voice, with many outlets reporting that he was pulling in $14 million a season. Why would the Maroon 5 front man walk away from such a big check?
There's been a lot of debate on what lead to his unexpected exit, and whether it was Adam Levine's or NBC's decision. There were reports of Levine embarrassing executives at upfronts, and also rumors that his "frenemy" rivalry with Blake Shelton was a lot more vitriolic behind the scenes than what audiences saw on television. Ultimately, Levine is doing fine post-exit and enjoying the time off, and who knows, he may one day return to The Voice once whatever led to his exit blows over.
Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera hasn't been on The Voice since Season 10, but she's worth mentioning while we're talking about coaches and pay. The pop star is reportedly one of the highest paid coaches to appear on the show. Her Season 3 salary (via The Wrap) was a whopping $17 million. Aguilera later took a pay cut closer to $12.5 million around Season 5, which put her below Adam Levine and Blake Shelton.
Like Levine, Christina Aguilera has since left the show, citing a need to move on from the NBC singing competition. There was nothing "dirty" about this exit, though Aguilera did say she felt the show was more about creating good television than fostering a successful music career for contestants. Chances are she probably won't return to the show after those comments.
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The Voice airs on NBC Mondays and Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Stick with CinemaBlend for more updates on the competition, and for a look at what's happening with television this fall season.
