Every 'The Masked Singer' Winner Through the Years
When the idea of The Masked Singer was first introduced, it’s safe to say that a lot of us were weary, and perhaps a little confused. After all, there’s nothing wrong with knowing who’s singing and celebrating your favorite artists over and over again.
But, as 11 seasons of the show have proved, The Masked Singer is about much more than hearing artists sing without knowing who they are. The show provides them with a second chance, one to perform songs they never would, or to show a softer side of them they never do, or to let go of any preconceived notions about them behind. Plus, it’s a great guessing game for viewers too.
Most recently, the Fox hit, which is judged by Rita Ora, Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg and Robin Thicke, awarded its season 11 trophy to High School Musical‘s very own Vanessa Hudgens. For those who have been watching her vocals for decades now, it’s no surprise she took home the prize.
To check out all the show’s winners over the years, scroll below!
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Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Hudgens, who is currently expecting her first baby with husband Cole Tucker, was the latest winner of The Masked Singer.
“You know, it wasn’t really about winning, honestly,” Hudgens told Billboard after taking home the prize for season 11. “I am my own worst critic and I will always be my hardest critic in the room at all times. I just wanted to have fun, and it was a really freeing experience for me to be anonymous and have nothing to do with my name or fame or celebrity. It was a really special experience.”
Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo was clearly beaming with happiness when he won season 10 of the show in 2023 as the Female Cow.
“I had so much fun,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “Even if I hadn’t won, I still would’ve just totally enjoyed the experience. I never thought that one of my most fun stage performances would be with me dressed up as a female cow of all things. I never would’ve imagined that.”
Bishop Briggs
Singer Bishop Briggs wowed The Masked Singer so much that she took home the season 9 trophy.
“I am really grateful for [the] adrenaline,” Briggs told Entertainment Weekly about why she joined the show. “At the time of filming, I was about five or six months postpartum, and I feel like that sort of delirious energy can sometimes be incredible for vulnerability and being present in the moment. And so I really tried to keep all those things afloat.”
Amber Riley
If you’ve ever watched Glee, then you know that Amber Riley’s vocals are absolutely to die for. So, for avid Gleeks around the world, it’s no wonder she took home the season 8 trophy.
“Honestly, any time that I get the opportunity to sing, I’m pretty much in,” Riley told People. “And my mom is such a big fan of the show.”
“During the pandemic, my friends and I and my mom, we used to watch The Masked Singer, so it was a way for me and my friends to connect even though we couldn’t be around or see each other,” she continued. “So kind of nostalgia purposes.”
Teyana Taylor
All throughout season 7, Teyana Taylor impressed viewers with her powerful vocals.
“I was like, this would be something really nice to do and just be able to sing again,” she explained to Vibe after her win. “It would be fun again and there’s no judgment. Nobody knows who’s behind the mask. You just get to sing your heart out.” And that she did!
Jewel
Season 6’s winner was Jewel, who sang all season as the Queen of Hearts.
“What I found interesting about the show is that it was very authentically me, even though [I used] a fake accent, nobody knew my name, I felt like I got to share my myself so sincerely,” Jewel told People after her win. “I really believe that having heart in the world is the most important thing and championing my own heart and other people’s hearts and making people feel more than being perfect, so I got to stand for all those things that are so essentially me because of the costume and because of the nature of the show.”
Nick Lachey
Nick Lachey won the fifth season of The Masked Singer as the utterly adorable Piglet.
“I’m proud that I gave good performances and made people feel things, that’s my job and my goal as a performer,” the singer told Entertainment Weekly after his win. “It’s one of those unique experiences I’ll always have, and got to share with my kids.”
“It was definitely one of the more special and unique and strange experiences I’ve ever been a part of, but also probably one of the most rewarding,” he continued. “So no regrets at all, I enjoyed every second.”
LeAnn Rimes
A year earlier, country singer LeAnn Rimes won season 4 of the show as the Sun.
“It’s interesting, because I started out so young, and I think that competitive nature serves a beautiful purpose and at the same time can get in the way at times,” Rimes told Entertainment Weekly of her competitive nature. “But if I go into something, I am 100% going in with the desire and the thought process of, “I’m winning this.” I also know, at the same time, when it’s a competition, you never know.”
Kandi Burruss
The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss became the third winner of the show as Night Angel.
“I think it’s a boost of confidence,” Buruss told Entertainment Weekly about how the show changed her. “I didn’t know I was going to win. Of course, you would love to win. I guess in my mind I wasn’t totally sure. I wasn’t totally confident about it. You just go in there and do your best.”
“There’s no limit to what you can accomplish,” she continued. “Like, stop psyching yourself out. Stop getting in your own head, telling yourself what you can’t do. Those are the things that I say to other people. This show made me apply that to my own life.”
Wayne Brady
Multi-hyphenated actor, singer, presenter and TV host Wayne Brady once again proved how talented he was when he won season 2.
Talking to Entertainment Weekly, Brady said not winning was never an option. “As I’ve said to other people in my life, I don’t have time to just do stuff for fun,” he said. “When I do something, it’s with the full intent and my intention was winning. Whether I won or not, that’s up to someone else, but my intention was absolutely to win. I wanted to have people not be influenced by my face or that I make them laugh on TV just to listen.”
T-Pain
The Masked Singer started with quite a bang when viewers learned to love season 1’s winner T-Pain’s singing voice.
For the singer, showing that side of him was quite life-changing. “That was my, for lack of better terms, ‘F– you, everybody (moment),’ ” T-Pain told Daily News. “I have people that just been doubting me my whole career and things like that because I’ve put some different aesthetic on my vocals than everybody else. It just turned out to be a great opportunity to really show another side of me, and kind of gave me a second coming.” We love to see it!
