This story contains spoilers about this season's finale of "The Voice."
(CNN) In the end, it came down to a 23-year-old rocker from Nashville, Tennessee, and a 16-year-old crooner from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Host Carson Daly announced Tuesday night that Chloe Kohanski triumphed over Addison Agen to take home the trophy for Season 13 of "The Voice."
The win topped a two-hour live finale that featured star-studded performances including N.E.R.D., Sia, Jessie J. and a duet of Kohanski and legendary rocker Billy Idol.
Runner-up Agen gave an emotional performance of Tim McGraw's "Humble and Kind" and ended the song in tears, unable to finish.
It was the sixth win for coach Blake Shelton, who had some fun with his recent People magazine "Sexiest Man Alive" designation by wearing a jacket with the title emblazoned in rhinestones on the back.
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Chloe Kohanski, 23, won 'The Voice' Dec. 19, after her first coach, Miley Cyrus, chose to eliminate her in the knockout round. (Elyse Samuels/The Washington Post)
To the surprise of very few fans of NBC’s “The Voice,” Chloe Kohanski was crowned the winner of Season 13 on Tuesday night. Not only did the 23-year-old psychedelic rocker from Nashville dominate the iTunes charts with her performances after almost every episode, but the celebrity coaches deemed her a front-runner the first time they heard her sing.
“I think that you can be in the finale,” Blake Shelton declared at Kohanski’s blind audition in October, when she wowed everyone with Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” Indeed, she went on to triumph over the other acts in the final four, which included teenage folk prodigy Addison Agen, pop-soul powerhouse Brooke Simpson and country crooner Red Marlow. Kohanski, who was working at a coffee shop as she embarked on a solo career, now has a recording contract with Universal Music Group.
However, things almost went very differently — because Kohanski could have been eliminated early on when she was dropped by her coach, Miley Cyrus, during the “knockout” round. Luckily, thanks to a special rule added in the fifth season, the other coaches get one shot to “steal” the artist who loses the knockout. Shelton and Jennifer Hudson both swooped in to offer Kohanski a spot on their teams, and Kohanski chose Shelton.
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Cyrus, back as a coach for the second time on “The Voice,” was determined to win with one of her artists, particularly over Shelton, who has now won six times. So Kohanski’s victory really twists the knife. Why did Cyrus make such a big mistake and let the clear front-runner go?
You can actually trace it back to the season premiere in September, when Cyrus declared her true goal for the season: Discover a country music star. “I’m here to win ‘The Voice’ with a country artist,” Cyrus announced, as she tried to persuade Marlow, a 40-year-old Tennessean who called himself “country as corn bread,” to join her team.
Billy Ray Cyrus, a special guest adviser this season on “The Voice,” with his daughter, coach Miley Cyrus. (Trae Patton/NBC)
Cyrus doubled down on her country roots this season, reminding everyone about her residence in Nashville and legacy status as “Achy Breaky Heart” singer Billy Ray Cyrus’s daughter. There are a few possible reasons for this: First, to get under Shelton’s skin for the sake of drama on the show. (Country contestants, such as Marlow, obviously flock to Shelton.) Second, “Voice” winners who seek careers in Nashville tend to have more success than their peers in other genres.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, Miley Cyrus — the goddaughter of Dolly Parton — has signaled she wants to be taken more seriously by the country music community. She feels those fans abandoned her in her pop star days, when she twerked with Robin Thicke and was naked on a wrecking ball. Her latest album, “Younger Now,” leans more into the singer-songwriter realm. “The fact that country music fans are scared of me, that hurts me,” Cyrus told Billboard this year.
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Anyway, Cyrus was initially thrilled to have Kohanski on her team. During the blind auditions, she made a convincing argument about how they had similar taste in music. “I’m obsessed with Miley,” Kohanski gushed, choosing Cyrus over Shelton and Hudson, who also spun their chairs around.
Then came the knockout round, in which coaches choose two of their singers to compete against each other and then send one home. On Oct. 30, Cyrus paired Kohanski against Ashland Craft, a talented 21-year-old country singer from South Carolina. After her blind audition, Cyrus successfully persuaded Craft to join her team, saying she wanted to turn her into a “punk rock Dolly Parton.”
“Blake really is the king of country, that’s for sure, but they need a queen,” Cyrus said. “And I would hope that would be me.”
In the knockout, Kohanski sang a stunning version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” while Craft belted out an excellent twist on Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive.” Cyrus fretted over whom to choose, but her preference seemed obvious in rehearsals when she told Craft, “You could be the female Chris Stapleton.” Considering Stapleton’s critical acclaim and sales figures, that’s as high a compliment as you can get in Nashville. Cyrus clearly already had visions of Craft’s country stardom.
“Chloe did an amazing, amazing job. You are so talented,” Cyrus said. “I just have to go with my gut, and the winner of this knockout is Ashland.” Within seconds, Shelton and Hudson pounced, and pleaded to steal Kohanski.
“I just think you have such a beautiful message to be able to share. I really do think you could win,” Hudson said.
“I have wanted you on my team every single time you’ve set foot on that stage,” Shelton said. “There’s nothing that can compete on this show with an artist who knows exactly who they are.”
Kohanski went with Shelton, who called her “the most iconic voice we’ve ever had on this show.” With a firm grasp on her artistic identity, Kohanski knocked her performances out of the park every week. Her psych rock spin on ’80s songs in particular (“Time After Time,” “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” “Call Me”) struck a chord with viewers, and she constantly received iTunes bonuses for her songs making it in the Top 10 on the charts.
Incidentally, Kohanski’s cover of “Landslide” — the song that almost got her eliminated by Cyrus — broke a record for the highest-charting song from the knockout rounds in “Voice” history. If Cyrus hadn’t been so preoccupied with her country music goals, perhaps she would have chosen differently. (Though to her credit, Craft made it all the way to the Top 10 before being voted out by viewers.)
Shelton, meanwhile, always seemed to treat Kohanski as his priority; even over Marlow, his other singer in the final four.
“I have been sitting in this seat for 13 seasons and I have never heard a more well-rounded voice than that right there,” Shelton told Kohanski at one point. “I’ll be damned if you’re not a star, Chloe.”
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NBC's The Voice just wrapped up its thirteenth season, crowning Chloe Kohanski as its latest champion. The Tennessee rocker, who specializes in a psychedelic, eccentric blend of rock music, was a part of Team Blake Shelton, who statistically is the best coach by far. This season's win adds to Shelton's tally of the most wins since the show's inception in 2011.
The world's 'Sexiest Man Alive' is also a stellar coach it seems, claiming his sixth season out of thirteen as the coach of the winning contestant. The inaugural coaching cast consisted of Christina Aguilera, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, Shelton, and CeeLo Green. Along with Levine, Shelton is the only coach to have stayed on as coach since the beginning of the hit show.
Apart from Shelton's supreme reign as king of The Voice, a plethora of star-studded musicians have appeared as coaches to try their hand at the crown, including Shakira, Pharrell, Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys, Miley Cyrus, Usher, and most recently, Jennifer Hudson.
Here's a list of which coach won at the end of each season.
Season 1
The first season of The Voice featured a group of coaches that would remain the same until the third season. Hosted by Carson Daly, the first season, which was filled with performances from amateur contestants as well as the coaches, saw Adam Levine's team crowned as neo-soul singer Javier Colon won the competition.
Coaches: Adam Lavine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green.
Winning Contestant: Javier Colon
Winner: Team Levine (1)
Season 2
This season would be the beginning of the Shelton era as New York R&B singer Jermaine Paul claimed The Voice championship. Paul, before appearing on the show, proved his musical talent: the soul singer was co-nominated with Alicia Keys at the 48th Grammys for best performance by a duo or group with vocals. This would bring coach Blake Shelton to his first win of a three-peat during the next few seasons.
Coaches: Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green.
Winning Contestant: Jermaine Paul
Winning Coach: Team Shelton (1)
Season 3
Twenty-eight-year-old Florida country singer Cassadee Pope became the first female winner of The Voice in season 3, coached by none other than the previous year's champion. Advantage Team Shelton.
Coaches: Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green.
Winning Contestant: Cassadee Pope
Winning Coach: Team Shelton (2)
Season 4
Season 4 saw the first change in coaching staff, as Aguilera and CeeLo were replaced with R&B crooner Usher and Latin pop star Shakira. The change in coaches did not seem to cause any disturbance for the Blake Shelton train which churned on and landed its third consecutive Voice victory. Danielle Bradbery, a country singer from Houston, won the season 4 title, which at the time made her the youngest winner of The Voice at 16.
Coaches: Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Usher, Shakira
Winning Contestant: Danielle Bradbery
Winning Coach: Team Shelton (3)
Season 5
The fifth season saw the coach roster return to its original cast. Along with the OG cast, Team Levine made its way back to the top for the first time since the first season, as Tessanne Chin, a Jamaican soul artist, took the crown, performing a beautiful rendition of soul great Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing."
Coaches: Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green.
Winning Contestant: Tessanne Chin
Winning Coach: Team Levine (2)
Season 6
Usher and Shakira made their way back to the red chair in season 6. The Confessions singer did more than just return, however: he claimed his first victory for Team Usher, coaching Josh Kaufman, a performer from Florida, who at 38 became the oldest contestant on The Voice to win. Kaufman, after being dropped by coach Adam Levine, was picked up by Usher.
Coaches: Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Usher, Shakira
Winning Contestant: Josh Kaufman
Winning Coach: Team Usher (1)
Season 7
The seventh season saw two new additions to the coaches table: N.E.R.D. frontman and super producer Pharrell and Gwen Stefani. Besides that, it was business as usual for Shelton, who claimed his fourth win in six years via country singer Craig Wayne Boyd from Texas.
Coaches: Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Pharrell
Winning Contestant: Craig Wayne Boyd
Winning Coach: Team Shelton (4)
Season 8
Season eight saw Gwen Stefani replaced with Christina Aguilera, who returned for the first time since the fifth season. Pharrell nabbed his first victory after having been on the show for only two seasons with folk singer Sawyer Fredericks, who joined season four winner Danielle Bradbery as the youngest winner of The Voice at 16.
Coaches: Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Pharrell
Winning Contestant: Sawyer Fredericks
Winning Coach: Team Pharrell (1)
Season 9
Gwen Stefani made her return in season nine, and Team Levine shortened the gap behind Team Shelton. Gospel singer Jordan Smith carried Team Levine to the top of The Voice and to the top of the iTunes charts: Smith became the first contestant to reach No. 1 in sales of pop songs in the iTunes Store.
Coaches: Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Pharrell
Winning Contestant:
Winning Coach: Team Levine (3)
Season 10
Fans saw the return of Christina Aguilera as well as her ascent to the top, as she won her first title as coach since joining the show in its first season. Alisan Porter of Massachusetts performed an original song in the finale, as well as a duet version of "You've Got A Friend In Me" alongside coach Aguilera.
Coaches: Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Pharrell
Winning Contestant:
Winning Coach: Team Aguilera (1)
Season 11
Two new coaches entered the fray on the eleventh season: soul singer Alicia Keys and polarizing pop sensation Miley Cyrus. But it would be one of the original coaches who would take the crown, as Team Shelton emerged victorious for the first time since season seven, ending a four season drought. Sundance Head, a country crooner from Texas, claimed victory. Head was eliminated in the previous season just one week shy of the finale.
Coaches: Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Alicia Keys, Miley Cyrus
Winning Contestant: Sundance Head
Winning Coach: Team Shelton (5)
Season 12
Gwen Stefani replaced Miley Cyrus but it was Alicia Keys who would win as coach in season 12. The Here singer won in her second season, helping soul musician Chris Blue reach the pinnacle.
Coaches: Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani
Winning Contestant: Chris Blue
Winning Coach: Team Keys (1)
Season 13
This season featured a roundtable formed by veteran coaches Levine and Shelton, Miley Cyrus, and first-time coach Jennifer Hudson. After facing elimination in the earlier rounds, winner Chloe Kohanski was dropped by coach Miley Cyrus, but was quickly picked up — receiving offers from Shelton and Hudson. Kohanski eventually sided with Shelton and together the two were crowned The Voice champions.
Coaches: Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Hudson
Winning Contestant: Chloe Kohanski
Winning Coach: Team Shelton (6)
It’s been a long journey for this season’s contestants on The Voice, but Tuesday night all of the anticipation came to an end when Chloe Kohanski was crowned the winner of season 13 of the hit show. But besides providing us with some amazing hits all season long, the judges and competitors alike made sure season 13 of The Voice will go down as one of the most stylish seasons of the Emmy Award-winning reality competition show.
Before it really hits you that you’ll have to wait a few months until the show returns next year, take a moment to look back as we count down the top five standout style moments from this season that we still can’t get out of our minds.
5. Miley’s Shania Twain-Inspired Leopard Print Jumpsuit
Miley Cyrus Trae Patton/NBC
Country fans all over rejoiced when this season’s judge Miley Cyrus went full-on Shania Twain when she performed a killer version of the singer’s 1999 hit “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” during an episode of The Voice.
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The star styled her hair in bouncy curls and wore a sexy leopard jumpsuit for the performance, drawing inspiration from Twain’s leopard print coat from her 1998 video that accompanied her iconic hit, “That Don’t Impress Me Much.”
4. Chloe’s Silver Teardrop Accents
Kohanski made her mark as a serious contender for the title of The Voice champion during her top 11 performance of Bonnie Tyler’s hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” where she took the stage in a ruffled ’80s-inspired outfit complete with sparkly silver teardrops glued beneath her eyes on her face.
3. Miley’s Bedazzled Stripper Heels
Miley Cyrus Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty
Despite embracing a more refined sense of style since her wild and crazy “Wrecking Ball” days, Miley still shows off her playful side with her fashion choices, like when she wore a pair of bedazzled platform heels to the show this week — which came with an interesting backstory.
“They’re from a stripper store,” she revealed during the conference. “They’re only $7. They can be yours for the low price of seven bucks and a broken ankle … But you’ll have to add the stick on jewels, that was the customization.”
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2. When Gwen Wore Blake’s Sexiest Man Alive Jacket
Gwen Stefani/Instagram
It’s no secret Gwen Stefani couldn’t have been more proud of her man Blake Shelton when he was named PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive earlier this year. So after Shelton’s team member Chloe Kohanski won season 13 of The Voice, Stefani celebrating by snagging his Sexiest Man Alive jacket he wore to the finale and modeled it backstage. Shelton even helped Stefani’s oldest son Kingston, 11, try it on to before Stefani posed in it for a series of photos!
1. Chloe’s Finale Gown
Tyler Golden/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty
Before she was crowned the winner of The Voice during Tuesday’s finale, Chloe already looked like a star ready to dominate the red carpet in her gorgeous emerald sequin gown, complete with a sexy slit up the center, a cutout at the chest and metallic gold sandals — which perfectly coordinated with the gold confetti that fell when she won.
What was your favorite standout style moment this season on The Voice?
