The Voice season 28 finale recap: Carson Daly crowns the winner as Khalid, XG, and the finalists perform live

The Voice season 28 wrapped up with its grand finale on NBC at 9:00 pm ET on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, after the top 6 performed one last time to impress the audience for their live votes in the previous night's finale.

The Top 6 of The Voice included: Aiden Ross and DEK of Hearts from Team Niall Horan, Jazz McKenzie and Max Chambers from Team Michael Buble, Ralph Edwards from Team Snoop Dogg, and Aubrey Nicole from Team Reba McEntire.

The singers performed a holiday duet with their coaches while Niall missed his live performance, being on vocal rest following "doctor's orders," as he has been experiencing a "rough couple of weeks."

The two-hour finale also featured a lineup of celebrity guest performers, including Journey, Season 26 winner Sofronio Vasquez, XG, Khalid, Riley Green, Season 23 winner Gina Miles, Zac Brown Band, and Noah Cyrus.

Host Carson Daly ultimately announced Aiden Ross from Team Niall as the winner of The Voice season 28, while Ralph Edwards from Team Snoop Dog emerged as the runner-up in the celebratory night.

Here's what happened on The Voice season 28 grand finale

The Voice Season 28 live finale aired on December 16, 2025, and combined final results with a night full of holiday performances. Host Carson Daly revealed America’s winner after votes were cast for the Top 6 artists following their Monday night performances.

The show started with Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire, and Michael Bublé singing a Journey medley of “Lights” and “Don’t Stop Believin’,” along with Season 28 singers and Journey guitarist Neal Schon.

Every finalist performed a holiday song with their coach or a guest star. Niall Horan did not sing because he was sick, but was seen in pre-recorded clips during the night.

Aiden Ross performed with Season 23 winner Gina Miles for “Last Christmas.” Jazz McKenzie teamed up with Michael Bublé for “Jingle Bell Rock”, giving a smooth and cheerful show.

Aubrey Nicole and Reba McEntire sang a strong version of “Mary, Did You Know” backed by a string orchestra. Ralph Edwards and Snoop Dogg sang “This Christmas,” with Ralph doing most of the singing while Snoop joined in with some backing sounds.

Max Chambers, the youngest finalist, aged 14 years old, belted out “Blue Christmas” with Michael Bublé, showing off her strong high notes and grown-up voice.

The Voice finale also had guest performances from Khalid, who sang a medley of "Better" and "OTW," Ril͏ey Green performed "Jesus Saves," and Season 26 champ Sofronio Vasquez, who came back to sing his original song “Superman.”

Later, Bublé and Snoop Dogg tried out their friendship in a fun “Friendship Game.” They had trouble answering questions about each other right, but the segment was full of laughs and showed their real bond.

The shows went on with a big moment. XG, a Japanese girl band, had their U.S. TV debut on The Voice. They sang “GALA”, giving quick dance moves, bold clothes, and lots of energy. Their look stood out as a truly eye-catching time of the night.

Behind the scenes, DEK of Hearts showed up with Niall Horan, giggling in Christmas pullovers. Even though Niall could not sing because of vocal rest, DEK of Hearts still went on stage with Reba McEntire as they sang “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.”

The night was full of fun, with backup dancers wearing Santa outfits and bright Christmas trees making the o͏ld song feel lively. Late in the night, Zac Brown came back to The Voice stage after being a mentor earlier in the season, singing “Butterfly” with Noah Cyrus.

With all the performances done, the night went to its concluding moment, which was the most awaited one as Carson Daly got ready to announce America's choice, bringing The Voice Season 28 to a happy end.

The top 6 finalists get on stage and answer a few questions before Carson Daly announces Aiden Ross, from Team Niall, as the winner of The Voice season 28.

While the runner-ups are:

• 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)

Stay tuned for more updates.