Voice Winner Cam Anthony Says It Was an 'Honor to Represent for' George Floyd on the Murder Anniversary
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For newly crowned Voice champion Cam Anthony, the fact that Tuesday night's finale landed on the one-year anniversary of George Floyd's murder made his win feel even more significant.
"It was an important day for a lot of us because we also lost George Floyd one year ago," the 19-year-old Philadelphia native tells PEOPLE. "It was an honor to even be able to represent for him, and a lot of those we lost. I'm eager to continue having this conversation, and I'm happy to do it."
Like Voice coach John Legend — whom Anthony was blocked from picking as his coach during the blind auditions; he opted instead for Blake Shelton — Anthony says he wants to use his platform to bring awareness to social justice issues.
"I want to push these types of conversations," he said. "Because again, it's important. We have to have these conversations to understand each other."
He also wouldn't mind following in Legend's footsteps when it comes to becoming an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winner.
"Honestly, that's a goal of mine," he says. "Just watching John become the artist that he is today from when he first stepped into the game has been outrageous. I've been so inspired by the change that he's created in the industry, and the changes he's made in how we make music and listen to music today, it's been amazing. So I'm definitely shooting for that."
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Trae Patton/NBC Cam Anthony
Becoming an EGOT would be yet another check mark on Anthony's already impressive resume, which includes an opening gig for Patti LaBelle, a performance at the White House for the annual Easter Egg Roll and, now, the title of The Voice.
Anthony's talent was first discovered when he was 11, after a video of him singing a Bruno Mars song went viral. By age 12, Anthony was signed by Dr. Dre, and he spent the rest of his teen years recording and performing.
No longer signed to Dr. Dre, Anthony says he's ready for whatever this next chapter holds.
"I feel like the show has given me the opportunity to even start that," he says. "I've been able to figure out what I want to be like and my style. I want to embody the '70s in a way, but I still want to make it current. I'll be doing that the rest of my life, I'm sure, because we are always going to discover new things about ourselves and find things that we love and want to highlight."
Trae Patton/NBC Cam Anthony
Anthony gives a lot of credit to his coach Shelton, 44, for creating an environment on the show where he felt like he could be himself.
"It can get pretty serious when you're working with a production, but he just cuts through all of that noise and makes it completely okay," he says. "So I'll definitely miss his presence and his aura."
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As Anthony gets to work on his new album — which he says will be a "well-rounded" mix of genres — he says he plans to keep in touch with his coach.
"He said that he'll be able to help with whatever I need," Anthony says. "Him extending that and wanting to stay in my life is honorable, and I appreciate it. I'm excited to see what we can work on in the future because Blake is dope."
Trae Patton/NBC Cam Anthony and Blake Shelton
Before he hits the ground running, though, Anthony — who, along with a record deal, is the recipient of a $100,000 grand prize — would like to go on a little getaway after these jam-packed few months.
"I definitely want to get a vacation and take some time to get myself together with my family," he says. "My entire family is back in Philly, so I only FaceTimed with them after my win last night. That'll definitely be first on the list. But I also want to spend time creating music and find an environment to do that in. So we can record in Hawaii, I don't know! I would love to do all of that."
