The Voice Australia is back in 2022! The singing sensation has now returned to screens on Channel 7, showing some of the greatest singing talent for 2022.
Last year saw a super-successful season with the arrival of judges Keith Urban and Rita Ora on the coaching panel, and the return of beloved Aussie pop singers Jessica Mauboy and Guy Sebastian.
While all four had a team of strong songbirds who put on some stellar performances, it was Guy’s mentee, Bella Taylor Smith, who took out the top spot in the public vote.
While Bella has been busy preparing to join Guy on his tour, another season has been getting underway to find Australia’s next great performer.
Guy fought hard to get Bella on his team last year, and is prepared to put in similar effort again this year.
“Special voices are rare, and it is worth fighting for as a coach when you hear it,” he told Channel Seven.
“I’m listening for passion. I want to hear how much the person loves to sing and their passion for their artistry,” Rita said of her own search.
As the judges are beginning to claim members for their teams, four very strong groups of singers are forming! Meet them below:
Team Guy
Alley Eley
Only 19 years old, Alley wowed the judges with her cover of Teenage Dirtbag.
Alley’s confidence was rocked as a child when a teacher laughed at her and made fun of her for singing in front of the class, but now she’s ready to reclaim her spot on the stage.
“We get a lot of fuel from the cheerleaders in our lives, but man we get a lot of fuel from the naysayers who say to us: you’ll never amount to anything,” Keith told Alley.
“You have just scratched the surface of something beyond your expectations,” Rita added.
In the end, Alley chose to join Team Guy.
Jordan Tavita
Shy and unassuming, Jordan Tavita took to the stage very nervously to sing Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror, with his parents watching on via a video link, and family in attendance.
He received four chair turns, and the judges even took a moment to sing with him, harmonising as he took over main vocals.
In the end, Jordan chose Team Guy, leaving Guy thrilled.
Nicola De Sensi
Nicola came along to the Blind Auditions with her mum, dad, brother and her Nonna, who is Nicola’s self-proclaimed ‘biggest fan’.
Singing Billie Eillish’s when the party’s over, Nicola turned four chairs very early on into her performance.
She went with Team Guy.
Liam Conroy
This curly-haired piano player got chair turns from Rita, Guy, and Jess with his rendition of Falling by Harry Styles.
Keith also praised Liam’s performance, revealing that he hadn’t turned as he knew the other three were after someone like Liam for their teams.
Liam opted to go for Team Guy.
Vanessa Librea
Bringing high energy and a love for Latin culture, Vanessa Librea sang Don’t Go Yet by Camilla Cabello, turning Guy’s chair.
Rita had instant regret when she spotted Vanessa, saying she was obsessed with her energy and her look.
Now she’ll get to bring her Latin stylings to Team Guy.
Georgie Lyons
Eighteen-year-old Georgie came to her audition with some experience under her belt, having played with her musical family since she was little. She cited her grandfather as her inspiration, given he still plays in a band at age 83.
Singing a Justin Bieber song, Georgie got turns from Keith and Guy, but decided eventually to join Team Guy.
Emerson Alexander
A 39-year-old father of two, Emerson performed Head and Heart by Joel Corry.
He told the audience how he had to pause his music career in order to focus on raising his two daughters, but now that they were a little older, he was ready to try again.
He turned Rita and Guy’s chairs, and selected Team Guy.
Jas Winter
Jas took to the stage to play piano while she sang a pared-back version of Runnin’ by Beyonce and Naughty Boy.
Impressing the coaches with her raw talent, she turned Guy, Rita, and Keith’s chairs with her performance.
Guy took the liberty of blocking Keith, leading Jas to choose to join his team.
Jesse Rudman
Cattle buyer Jesse Rudman has only been performing for a year and a half, but admitted to the audience that he still mostly just sings to the cows he encounters at work.
As things were getting down to the wire, with teams filling up, Jesse turned just Guy’s chair with his performance of 3AM by Matchbox Twenty, leading him to join Team Guy.
Connor Wink
Blind performer Connor Wink won the hearts of the coaches and the audience with his love for Cher and his pared-back version of Believe by the famous songstress.
Connor turned four chairs but ultimately decided that Team Guy was the place for him.
Celestial Utai
An EPIC performance of Déjà vu by Beyoncé from Celestial Utai had the judges speechless.
While Jess pitched hard, she copped a block from Guy, whom Celestial
ended up choosing as her coach.
Guy then smashed the battle pass button for Celestial, securing her place beyond the next round of the competition
Cassidy Mackie
Victoria’s Cassidy Mackie took Go West’s hit, The King of Wishful Thinking, down tempo on the piano; instantly turning Jess, Guy and Rita’s chairs and winning praise from Keith who had already completed his team.
“Everything about you is what makes me excited to be a coach,” said Guy of the 26 year old’s stunning performance. “I just adore you. You’re fantastic.”
Cassidy chose Team Guy, citing his musicality and longevity in the industry, officially rounding out the coach’s team.
“Everybody is so diverse and has something to offer,’ said Guy. “I’ve got artists that are realising they are good for the first time. That’s an amazing thing to uncover.”
Team Keith
Thando Sikwila
Melbourne singer, songwriter and mother, Thando Sikwila, easily impressed at the blind auditions with a rendition of Chaka Khan’s I’m Every Woman.
Thando brought her three-year-old daughter, Charlie, along to the audition with her, saying that she “inspired me to just go for it”.
“There is nothing wrong with following your ambitions and still wanting to be a mum. It is possible to live your dreams,” Thando says.
“I think that whatever you do and wherever you go, it’s going to be spectacular,” Rita told her after her audition.
However, Thando went to Team Keith.
0Danny Phegan
A true country man from Walla Walla, New South Wales, Danny blew the judges away with his rendition of Niall Horan’s This Town.
He had the crowd in stitches with his Australian slang, which had Rita super-confused as she tried to use the words ‘fair dinkum’ in the correct context.
“I didn’t expect a chair to turn. I said … ‘I’ll throw me hat in the ring and give this a crack’,” he told the judges.
“I can’t understand a word,” Rita told him. “Luckily, music has no language.”
Danny went with Team Keith, a perfect choice given Danny’s love for country music.
Jay Sierra
1Jay Sierra comes from a performing background. He was performing with Cirque de Soleil in North America when the COVID-19 outbreak occurred, sending him home.
However, the resilient guitarist couldn’t be held down for long. He performed God Is A Woman for the coaches, three of whom turned their chairs, blown away by his talent.
Keith was so impressed he went so far as to block Guy, meaning Jordan couldn’t choose to join his team.
In the end, he chose Team Keith.
Shaun Wessel
A humble carpenter from Ulladulla, Shaun was one of the more shocking performances of the night.
The former NRL player and father of four walked onto the audition stage in thongs, carrying his guitar along. He sang Whipping Post by The Allman Brothers in a surprisingly gravelly and beautiful voice, which led Keith to turn almost immediately.
2While all the coaches fought hard for Shaun, Keith’s connection to the late Greg Allman and current country star Chris Stapleton, as well as his love of country music, won Shaun over in the end.
Keith then chose to use his new advantage to put Shaun past The Battle Rounds, securing his place further into the competition.
Shaun is definitely one to watch!
Sam McGovern
Lifeguard Sam McGovern sang I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For by U2, playing along on guitar. He captured the heart of Jess and Keith, who turned their chairs for him.
The relaxed, beachy guy chose to join Team Keith.
3Freddie Bailey
Seventeen-year-old country boy Freddie Bailey took to the stage to sing a Keith Urban classic, Wild Hearts.
Once he got Keith’s turn, it was a no-brainer – Freddie obviously chose to go with Keith.
Zoe Koul
Determined 21-year-old Zoe Koul (who has been trying to get her license for four years) came on to the stage with conviction, with 2022 being the fourth year she has auditioned for The Voice.
She took to the stage and sang Hold by Vera Blue, who is one of the most successful artists to come out of The Voice Australia since coming in third place in 2013.
Zoe turned four chairs with ease, and when the time came to chose a coach, she pulled a picture from her pocket that Guy Sebastian had signed for her when she was a little girl.
4The sweet moment lead Keith to block Guy, leading Zoe to choose to join his team.
Ethan Conway
Session musician Ethan Conway shared with the audience how hard it has been for him to break into the industry.
Singing Exile by Taylor Swift and Bon Iver, Ethan moved all four coaches, who all turned their chairs and pitched for him to join their teams.
Ethan chose to join Team Keith.
Melanie Cowmeadow
5Melanie turned all four chairs with her rendition of Never Let Me Go by Florence + The Machine. The song was her one of her father’s favourites, and she sang it in his honour, having lost him in 2021 in an accident.
Her singing, and her very emotional story of loss, moved the judges, and they pitched with tears in their eyes. In the end, Melanie chose to go with Keith.
Lane Pittman
Decked out with a mustache and a mullet, Lane Pittman shocked the judges when he announced he was only 15 years old.
The country boy sang an ode to his father that moved the judges, but his country roots had him pick Team Keith.
Chriddy Black
6It was an anxious performance for Chriddy Black, who was returning to The Voice after an appearance on season eight.
He was supposed to perform as a duo but when his partner pulled out at the last minute, he had to perform Stay by The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber alone.
However, he pulled it off flawlessly, choosing Team Keith in the end.
Taylor Piggott
Twenty-six-year-old Taylor Piggott from Victoria sang Coldplay’s epic hit Yellow, dedicating the performance to the memory of his late nan, who was a huge supporter of his music.
Mesmerised by Taylor’s performance, all four coaches began pitching, but Taylor agreed to take the final place on Team Keith.
“I’ve never heard anything like that. That tone that you have is extraordinary,” said Keith.
7Team Rita
Lachie Gill
A P.E. teacher from Melbourne, Lachie was making serious headway toward a career in AFL, but a voice inside him pushed him towards music.
“As soon as I could walk I had a footy in my hand. I was one step away from my dream of playing footy at the highest level, but music started to take over,” he reveals.
“Ultimately I had to choose. I love footy, but I love music even more.”
Lachie performed If The World Was Ending by JP Saxe and Julia Michaels, and shocked all four coaches with his talent, leading Rita to use her first block to stop Lachie from joining Team Guy.
It paid off, with Lachie choosing Team Rita!
8Asha Newman
Asha took a risk as she took to the stage, choosing to sing Rita’s song RIP, playing guitar simultaneously.
The risk paid off when she turned four chairs, and ultimately decided to join Team Rita – obviously!
Dominic Clarke
This multi-talented performer came to impress!
An Olympic gymnast who just returned from the Tokyo Olympics, Dominic sang This City by Sam Fischer with the support of his mum, his sister, and nieces.
He garnered four chair turns and chose to join Team Rita.
9Aleisha Gam
Aleisha took to the stage to sing Make You Feel My Love by Adele, dedicating the performance to her mother, who was suffering from esophageal cancer.
While all four coaches turned for the 26-year-old, Rita was particularly moved by Aleisha’s story, sharing that her own mother had suffered from breast cancer when she was a teenager.
Aleisha decided to go with Team Rita!
Robbie Dolan
Professional jockey Robbie Dolan had his moment on stage this week, where he sang Let It Go by James Bay.
0He wowed all the judges, and got turns from Rita, Guy, and Jess, who were amazed that he’d never sung professionally prior to his appearance on stage.
While the three coaches fought it out for him, he chose Team Rita in the end. It looks like Robbie will go far in this competition!
WATCH: Robbie Dolan stuns judges on The Voice. Story continues below.
Jioji Nawanawa
Jioji Nawanawa took a risk in his audition, taking to the stage to rap instead of sing.
He performed Get Jiggy With It, with his own additions throughout, turning Rita’s chair, and landing himself a spot on her team.
1Chloe Kandetzki
At just 20 years old, Chloe is already a professional singer, fronting a band that performs at weddings and corporate events.
Hoping to appeal to Jess, Chloe sang I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston, which Jess performed at her own audition for Australian Idol many years ago. Jess loved the performance, and even took to the stage to sing a few bars with Chloe.
This moment of connection had Rita smashing her block button, taking Jess out of the running to coach Chloe, and bringing her over to Team Rita.
Ella & Sienna
Talented sisters Ella & Sienna took to the stage with a beautiful rendition of Cardigan by Taylor Swift. The impressive pair chose to join Team Rita.
2Bri Dodd
Victorian volunteer fire service worker, Bri Dodd, lit up the stage with Jess’ hit Fallin’.
Rita and Jess turned their chairs immediately, praising Bri’s haunting vocals and bravery for taking on a coach’s song.
In a surprise twist, Rita managed to sway the 25-year-old Mauboy fan to join her team, saying: “Your runs were spectacular; you are very special. You have such a great tone. I can hear you on the radio like yesterday.”
Theoni Marks
Theoni Marks, 19, thrilled the coaches with her electrifying performance of Adele’s Easy on Me.
3Theoni’s earth-shattering performance left Rita with a sense of vindication about her slow and steady approach to filing her team.
“I have never been the most patient person and my mother would vouch for that, but for some reason something genuinely told me just to wait… And look what God has delivered me!” she said welcoming her final artist to the team.
It didn’t stop there, with Rita adding: “This is not only fate; this was so meant to be and there’s only one way forward for you in this competition,” before rewarding Theoni with a shiny Battle Pass.
Xanthe Campbell
Seventeen-year-old Xanthe Campbell from the ACT owned the stage with Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever, immediately spinning Jess and Rita’s chairs.
“Thank you! I knew I was waiting for something special and here you are,” said Rita of Xanthe’s explosive performance before welcoming her to the team.
4Liam Keates-Ryley
A born performer, 19-year-old Liam Keates-Ryley from Queensland chose Wilson Pickett’s Land of 1000 Dances to convince the coaches he belonged on The Voice stage.
A pitching tussle immediately erupted between Jess and Rita; with Jess reminding Liam his song choice featured in her break-out film, The Sapphires, before joining him onstage and busting her dance moves from the film.
Despite Jess’ moves, Rita managed to snatch the artist for her team, wryly declaring: “sometimes less is more.”
Team Jess
Faith Sosene
Faith turned four chairs singing her mother’s favourite song, Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion.
Faith is a full-time carer for her mother, who suffers from heart disease.
5Jess was completely moved by Faith’s story, which brought her to tears. Jess told Faith how much her relationship with her own mother meant to her, and that she understood their connection.
After Faith chose Team Jess, Jess chose to fast-track Faith past the Battle Rounds, securing her a place past the hardest round in the competition.
Sunrise Michelle
Just 16 years old, Sunrise Michelle got a chair turn from Jess and Rita with her rendition of Birdie’s People Help The People.
The high school student spoke of the struggles experienced by her mother, which led her and her younger sister to be taken in by her grandparents, who have loved and cared for her ever since.
Her sweet story moved the coaches, and in the end, she chose to join Team Jess.
6Emily-Jane Conidi
Displaying powerhouse vocals, Emily sang This Is Me from The Greatest Showman, with the judges recognizing how personal it was to her.
Although they all turned, Emily opted to join Team Jess, which she had her heart set on from the beginning.
Kaylee Bell
Kaylee arrived ready to take a risk, singing her original song Keith, which was inspired by Keith Urban, while he sat before her on the coaching panel.
While she turned all four chairs with the country banger, it was likely she’d pick her idol to be her coach. However, a cheeky block from Jess meant Keith couldn’t pitch to have Kaylee on his team, leading her to join Team Jess instead.
7Ethan Hall
Recognised nation-wide as ‘The Hiccup Kid’, Ethan Hall is known for a viral video in which he hiccupped his way through a performance of the Australian national anthem.
He blew all four judges away with his rendition of Pie Jesu, and made the nation laugh with his little anecdotes about viral fame and his hiccups.
In the end, he chose Team Jess tearily, telling her afterwards just how happy he was.
Jael Wena
Jael recently starred in The Voice: Generations as part of the Wena family, who made it to the finals of the short series.
While the Wenas were coached by Guy during their time on the show, Jael turned four chairs with her rendition of Whitney Houston’s How Will I Know? and ended up choosing to join Team Jess this time around.
8Sammy Toubia
Tik Tok star Sammy Toubia gained notoriety on the video platform when she started posting videos of herself dancing at her day job – she works as a traffic controller.
Singing Scars to Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara, Sammy was able to turn Jess’ chair, landing her a spot on Team Jess!
Richard Tanumi
Super handsome and talented backup dancer Richard Tanumi took to the stage to sing Call Out My Name by The Weekend, starting an all-out fight between Jess and Rita.
The two women judges were very taken with the dancer, especially after he showed off his fire-twirling skills.
9After all the pitching and pleading, he chose Team Jess.
Summer Beecham
The Oodie-wearing Summer Beecham sang Without You by The Kid Laroi and Miley Cyrus, and her lack of professional experience proved to be no issue, with all the coaches turning for her.
They were obsessed with her Oodie and her fun attitude, especially when she presented them all with a personalised Oodie after choosing to join Team Jess!
Amber Reid
TikToker and KPop fanatic Amber Reid blew everyone away with her rendition of Butter by BTS. The high-energy performer chose to go to Team Rita.