Sofronio Vasquez, a 32-year-old Filipino singer, made history as not just the first Pinoy, but also the first Asian to win the American talent show “The Voice USA”.
Vasquez was crowned the winner of The Voice USA Season 26 on Tuesday, Dec. 10, marking Grammy-winning artist Michael Bublé’s debut season as a winning coach.
Representing Team Bublé, Vasquez clinched the title after receiving the highest number of votes from viewers across the nation. As the grand prize winner, Vasquez took home $100,000 and secured a coveted recording contract.
Vasquez triumphed over fellow contestants Shye (Team Bublé), Danny Joseph (Team Reba), Jeremy Beloate (Team Snoop), and Sydney Sterlace (Team Gwen).
In an emotional moment before the winner was announced, Vasquez expressed his gratitude to his coach.
“Michael… it’s so weird to say Michael, I call you Sir. Your mentorship is a blessing to me, to my family, and to all the dreamers out there. You open the doors for everyone. Thank you so much,” Vasquez said in an emotional moment.
Bublé responded with heartfelt words for his mentee, saying, “Well, my Filipino brother, you are the hope of so many people. Not just in the Philippines, but Asians everywhere truly are looking at you tonight. So proud. You represent them so well, and it’s such an unbelievable journey to be here with you.”
During the grand finale, Vasquez captivated audiences with his performances of Sia’s “Unstoppable” and the inspirational ballad “A Million Dreams” from musical “The Greatest Showman”.
Before his international breakthrough, Vasquez gained recognition in the Philippines as a contender on It’s Showtime’s singing competition segment “Tawag Ng Tanghalan”, where he reached the semifinals.
