The Voice Season 26 Winner Sofronio Vasquez talks about his big win

Season 26 of The Voice saw fierce competition, with coaches trying to put another win under their belts or, for a new judge, their first win. This season, we saw Sofronio Vasquez turn the heads of all four judges on his way to winning The Voice. StarStepping had the chance to catch up with him and talk to him about the big win.

Vasquez had a four-chair turning-blind audition that landed him on Team Buble. He later won his battle against Aliyah Khaylyn. In the cockpit rounds, he defeated Kiara Vega and Beloate. This led to his performance of Unstoppable and A Million Dreams in the top five and a duet with Buble of Who’s Lovin’ You in the finale. All of this led to Vasquez being crowned the winner.

The Voice Season 26 Winner Sofronio Vasquez talks about his big win

Ricky Valero: What made you try out for The Voice?

Sofronio Vasquez: I started this dream by being a fan of season one of The Voice. I can clearly remember what song and who won, and I never really thought that it would be possible for me to be on it after 26 seasons. I was just really watching it at home, back in the Philippines, like, how would that feel to be on that stage? And sometimes I admit that I would say, oh, it was easy, but when you're on it, no, it's never easy. All the pressure, the early call, every call times, rehearsals, making sure that you pace your energy on the right direction, it's a lot. But it's a blessing.

Valero: What was the guidance from someone like Bublé, and how did that help you navigate this season?

Vasquez: His guidance was the most critical and personal of all the coaches. He always ensured we were confident with our songs during every round. He didn't treat this as him just sitting there and getting paid to do the show. It's his moment to win with someone from his team, so his guidance is important.

Valero: You hear Carson Daly say the winner of the voice is, and there's like a pause. Did that pause feel like five hours to you?

Vasquez: It was the longest 20 to 30 seconds of my life. It's really nerve-wracking. It's hard to control the emotions. I was thinking I was going to pass out on that stage if he really prolonged it more.

Valero: What does this win mean to you?

Vasquez: This win is family. I joined The Voice because I really think that if given the chance to just win, it's me giving hope to the rest of the Filipino communities, Utica as a small and beautiful community, and all dreamers out there. And now that I have won, I send out the message of, keeping the faith and no matter what happens or no matter what the situation is, finish the race strong.