Bryce Leatherwood.Photo: Trae Patton/NBC
Congratulations, Bryce Leatherwood!
The 22-year-old Statesboro, Georgia, resident was crowned the winner of season 22 ofThe Voiceon Tuesday night.
Leatherwood’s win marks a record ninth victory for coachBlake Shelton, who will be stepping away from the hit NBC singing competition series for the first time in 11 years after next season.
After the finale, the coach-contestant duo chatted with PEOPLE about their exciting win — which Leatherwood said he never expected.
Leatherwood beat out fellow team Shelton contestants Brayden Lape and Bodie, teamJohn Legend’sOmar Jose Cardona and teamCamila Cabello’s Morgan Myles.
RELATED GALLERY:A Complete Guide to Every Winner ofThe Voice
Blake Shelton and Bryce Leatherwood.Trae Patton/NBC
Earlier in the night, Shelton, 46, sang his hit “Hillbilly Bone” with Leatherwood, who he said reminds him of a younger version of himself.
“I see a lot of myself in Bryce,” Shelton said. “I guess the thing that I can relate to is it’s still all out in front of him right now, and who knows where this thing is going to go for him? When I think of myself at that age, I was hoping someday I would just hear myself on the radio. At that time, all my heroes were on the radio, and if I could just hear myself on the radio, mission accomplished. He’s about to enter into a completely different jungle than I experienced, but he’s going to do great.”
Bryce Leatherwood and Blake Shelton.Nicole Weingart/NBC
Shelton added that he “wasn’t as well-spoken as Bryce is” at 22.
“Bryce knows what he wants and what he wants to do — he’s already doing it,” he said. “I think 22-year-old Blake was still a little bit of a mess, but everything works out how it should.”
In fact, Shelton said he “wouldn’t change” a thing about his journey. “I mean, it’s been an incredible ride,” he said.
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Since Leatherwood — who gets a Universal Music Group record deal and $100,000 grand prize with hisVoicetitle — is just getting started on his own journey, Shelton said he told him, “Man, listen. There’s going to be a lot of stuff getting thrown at you.”
“I’m always here for him,” he said. “He won the show and people love him and support him. Now he’s got to make tough decisions going forward about what’s best for him to get his music out to people that voted for him and then find the ones that don’t even watchThe Voice, which it’s hard to imagine that there are those people out there. There must be something wrong with them!”
Bryce Leatherwood and Blake Shelton.Trae Patton/NBC
With his grand prize money, Leatherwood said he’s already planning to “save a lot.”
“You never know what life can throw at you,” he said. “I think I might spend a lot of money on my family for Christmas because they deserve it so much.”
After hearing that, Shelton wrapped his arm around Leatherwood and joked, “I’m glad I’m like a brother to him.”
Leatherwood previously spoke with PEOPLE after the live show on Nov. 22 about his close relationship with the country star.
“He’s an incredible coach, and he’s a great friend,” he said. “He’s definitely someone that I can relate to in a lot of ways, and he sees a lot of himself in me — at least I hope so.”
“I hope to be something like him one day,” he added. “I think I would be doing pretty good.”
Bryce Leatherwood.Trae Patton/NBC
Leatherwood grew up on his grandfather’s farm in Woodstock, Georgia, riding tractors and listening to country music. A recent Georgia Southern University graduate, Leatherwood first made a name for himself — and paid the bills — playing music in the college bar scene.
RELATED VIDEO:Gwen Stefanion Why ‘It’s Good’ for Her if HusbandBlake SheltonWins The Voice
With aVoicewin now under his belt, Leatherwood thinks he’d be able to tackle Shelton’s new USA network showBarmageddonnext. In each episode, two celebrities compete against each other in five bar games.
“Michael Phelps, leave him alone,” Leatherwood joked of his potential celebrity pairing.
Shelton, meanwhile, said he was going to suggest fellow country starLuke Bryan, but he “sucks at everything.”
Bryce Leatherwood.Nicole Weingart/NBC via Getty Images
In order to get to 10Voicewins before his departure from the show, Shelton said he’s going to do “whatever it takes” next season.
“Whatever lies I have to tell, whatever cheating has to happen as long as it passes the legal department of NBC, I’ll push it as far as I can,” he said. “I need that 10th trophy desperately. My house looks like s— without it. Who wants an odd number of trophies? Not me.”
Shelton’s wife and fellowVoicecoachGwen Stefanipreviously told PEOPLE that it “works out really good for me if [Blake Wins] because then I could be married to the guy that won 10 times.”
With that reminder, Shelton said, “I want to dedicate this win toGwen Stefanias a coach. How about that? Think that’ll score me some points? Put it in parentheses!”
After a busyVoiceseason, Shelton said he’s looking forward to spending Christmas in Oklahoma with his wife and family this year.
“Gwen and I are both excited about that,” he said. “Literally, when we go back to Oklahoma for Christmas it’s like we’re in a Hallmark movie, which is incredible. We end up in the country, like ‘My gosh, there’s a snowstorm. We can’t get out.’ All of that. I’m addicted to those movies.”
Though Shelton said he doesn’t really “know how” how New Year’s resolutions “work,” his wish for 2023 is to hear Leatherwood on the radio.
“I’d like to be in my truck driving down the road listening to a country radio station and the DJ says, ‘Up next is Bryce Leatherwood, the guy that just wonThe Voice,'” he said. “I want to hear that. I don’t know if that’s a resolution, but that’s my wish.”
As for Leatherwood, he’d like to “impact more people’s lives with my music and with my personality” in 2023.
TheVoice’slive season 22 finale aired Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.
source: people.com
