'The Voice' Winner Gina Miles Gives All the Credit to Niall Horan

With season 23 of The Voice being the last one for Blake Shelton, the expectation was that one of his two artists—NOIVAS or Grace West—was going to win. So, it was a happy surprise when instead Gina Miles took the title—and she says she owes it all to her coach Niall Horan.

“He has been nothing but supportive and encouraging and I attribute it all to him,” Gina told Parade in an interview the day after her win. “Niall is very encouraging, and our friendship has definitely helped me be a better person and a better artist. But he always is the most supportive person and so encouraging. Support from somebody that I respect so much is a very big thing in my life and in my career.”

In fact, so much so that Gina is hoping that she will be able to work with Niall on her first album.

“That would be the dream,” she says. “And to make music that feels authentic and real to me. I have an EP that I put out before the show. It was very experimental. I was just learning about myself in the music industry. I hope to make songs now that are authentic to me now.”

Whether or not Gina gets her wish and Niall gets to produce on her new album, she says they definitely will stay in touch.

“I think Niall and I are going to be pals for a long time. He's a great guy and one of the best friends ever,” she continues. As for the type of music she plans to pursue, she says, “I think after this, I would love to make pop records and I'd also love to make a serious, moody ballads. I feel like I've found my place and people seem to enjoy it as well. So, I feel after the show, that's going to be my goal to make those sorts of songs that I enjoy.”

Related: NBC Reveals Blake Shelton's Replacement for Season 24 of The Voice

Prior to her Blind Audition, the 19-year-old, originally from Paxton, Ill., who now resides in Sacramento, Calif., had never performed before large crowds of people, or big-name artists like Niall, Blake, Kelly Clarkson or Chance the Rapper, but thanks to Niall, she managed to navigate her way through.

“I couldn’t have found my way without him,” she reiterates.

The turning point for Gina—when she became one to watch—came with her performance of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” in the Playoffs. It helped her to peak at the right time in the competition, and set her on a winning path.

“That performance may have put me on the map a little,” she admitted. “It was such a big song for me to sing and to take on. It was also really fun.”

Related: Niall Horan's Net Worth In 2023 Is Headed in One Direction — Up!

Needless to say, following “Wicked Game,” Niall and Gina made the right song choices for her. She followed up with Kodaline’s “All I Want” in the semi-finals, and then Sinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" and Taylor Swift’s “Style” for the finale.

“There’s a lot that goes into song choice,” she said. “It's a very collaborative process and my only goal is to do things that feel right for me and authentic to the kind of music I want to make and the kinds of things I want to perform. You can't just sing anything. You have to be a little bit strategic about it, but it was a very collaborative process. We were very particular about the kinds of things that we wanted me to sing.”

Gina’s immediate future involves going home and seeing family, friends, and pets, and possibly a homemade meatball sandwich – her favorite – and then it will be time to think about music.

“Hopefully after this, it's about recording,” she concluded. “I would love to sing live for lots of people anywhere that I can.”

The Voice will return this fall for its 24^th season on NBC.

Next, All the Details on The Voice Season 24, Including Blake's Replacement