NBC Bryce Leatherwood
“The Voice” season 22 Champion Bryce Leatherwood gave a special shoutout to 2022 as a special year ahead of the New Year after winning the competition for Blake Shelton’s team.
The country singer took some time to post a slew of images from his year including winning “The Voice,” graduating college, and spending time with his family.
“2022 was a very special year,” he wrote in the post. “I couldn’t sum it up if I tried. This past year was filled with new experiences, great family moments, so many incredible people.”
He added, “To everyone who has impacted me this year, you know who you are. Here’s to another record year. God bless and Happy New Years.”
Leatherwood Was ‘Lost For Words’ After Winning
In an Instagram post after being crowned the winner of “The Voice,” Leatherwood shared that he was “lost for words.”
“I am lost for words,” he wrote at the time. “This experience has been one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. The incredible people I have met along this journey have made this all worth it. To my family, the people of Georgia, and for my fans watching around the world, THIS IS FOR YALL! God is good.”
Because he won “The Voice,” Leatherwood earned a record deal and a cash prize. The record label is generally with Big Machine Label Group, which has worked with the show for the past four seasons, though there have been no announcements about Leatherwood’s signing at the time of writing.
During the season’s airing, some fans shared thoughts about Leatherwood’s performances, with many saying that he should not have made it so far in the competition.
Up until the season finale, some outspoken viewers were upset about Leatherwood and his fellow country singer, Brayden Lape’s, presence in the show. The winner told Cinema Blend, however, that he wouldn’t let that get to him while he was competing.
“I’ll always tell people just be careful what you read online because it can impact you especially because it can impact you especially because you’re an artist and your confidence can be fragile sometimes,” he told the outlet. “But for me, I personally didn’t mind it. People were like, ‘Bryce, you can’t be reading that stuff,’ and I was like, ‘I like it.’”
He said people would tell him it was unhealthy to read the negative comments and that those bad comments work more “like fuel” for him.
What’s Next for Leatherwood?
In an interview with NBC after winning the show, Leatherwood said he’ll be working on new music.
“Definitely releasing a lot of music,” he told the outlet. “Playing shows. That’s what I love to do: play shows. But I want to get some original content out there. I want to get an album or two out there in the next couple of years.”
He added, “So many people have given so much love to me, it’s time to give back to them. So whether that’s music or playing shows and festivals, making people happy is my goal.”
“The Voice” is set to return on March 6, 2022, for season 23 of the show, which will be Blake Shelton’s last season as a coach. He’ll be joined by coaches Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan, and Chance the Rapper.