It seems impossible to believe thatThe Masked Singeralready has 10 seasons under its belt, especially since the reality singing competition show only premiered in 2019. But with several seasons per year, each featuring a revolving door of elaborate costumes and exciting celebrity competitors, the show has become staple family viewing. Indeed, many of the higher profile celebrities who have appeared said they did so for their kids or grandkids, knowing they would be watching and wanting to surprise them once they were unmasked.
As with any other singing competition show, only one person can be crowned winner for each season ofThe Masked Singer;and while those who are actual singers have dominated every season,some of those winners stand out more than others, for various reasons.So, let’s rank every winner of The Masked Singer, and see which character (artist) comes out on top.
The Masked Singer
The Masked Singer: Celebrities compete in a singing competition while wearing elaborate costumes and masks to conceal their identities. A panel of judges and the audience work together to guess the performers' identities based on their voices, performances, and given clues, with weekly eliminations revealing the masked celebrity.
10Teyana Taylor as Firefly
Teyana Taylorbelted out fabulous tunes throughout her run competing on the 7th season ofThe Masked Singer. Among these were memorable performances of songs likeMichael Jackson’s “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” andRobin Thicke’s “Lost Without U.” In fact, it was that last performance that might have helped clinch her the victory, singing the song of one of the judges and receiving his high praise.
However, Taylor left a bad taste in viewers’ mouths when she was put at risk in the second week. She was visibly disappointed but also seemed angry, and as though she walked off. (She has reportedly said she was just nervous). Taylor made it through and ended up going all the way to win against Ram (Joe Buck) by singingAriana Grande’s “God is a Woman.” Still, fans believe she’s the least deserving winner because she didn’t deliver consistently good performances. It didn’t help that her identity was leaked online long before, and her season featured the controversial competitorRudy Giuliani, who drove judgeKen Jeongto walk off stage in anger when the politician and lawyer was unmasked. Fans were really pulling for the Queen Cobras (En Vogue) to become the first group winner that season as well.
9Kandi Burruss as Night Angel
Kandi Burrussdelivered a number of incredible performances. However, fans believed that runner-upJesse McCartney, an early2000s heartthrobsinger, was robbed of the win. He had so many flawless performances, and it seemed that the audience and judges were rooting for him to win the whole way through.
Burruss may have gotten some votes, even if subconsciously, because fans and judges wanted to see a female win. Both previous seasons had been won by men, so it ws time for the ladies to stand up and make their voices heard. Nonetheless, Burruss showed off her flawless vocal talents, and earned the win singing vocally complex and emotionally heart-wrenching songs likeLady Gaga’s “Million Reasons” andAndra Day’s “Rise Up.”
8Bishop Briggs as Medusa
Bishop Briggsis an incredible vocalist, best known for her song “River.” But with singers winning the show again and again, by season 9, fans were hoping for another type of celebrity to win. It started to seem like non-singer contestants might never have the potential to win. Still, the win should go to the best singer and performer, and Briggs wowed with her rendition ofRihanna’s “Diamonds.” She also showed a more fun side withABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” and brought down the house withShawn Mendes’ anthem track “Mercy.”
But with a football player,Keenan Allenas Gargoyle, making it all the way to the finals, fans hope that someone other than a singer might make it. There’s no denying that Briggs gave every performance her all, however, and rocked an incredibly elaborate and eye-catching costume, to boot, taking home a much deserved win in Season nine.
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7Jewel as Queen of Hearts
Jewelhas such a distinctive voice that it became evident to many viewers long before she won, and she was unmasked. This ruined a bit of the fun, since her identity was all but confirmed before she had the chance to surprise the audience, judges, and viewers at home. Still, Jewel delivered one of the best, and most consistent, performances on the show.
From songs like “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga and “River” by Bishop Briggs, Jewel tried her best to disguise her sweet, soothing tone. When she sangEdith Piaf’s “La Vie en rose,” fans were convinced they knew it was her. It makes sense that Jewel would win a singing competition, mask or not. But it wasn’t one of the more surprising wins. Jewel was always the favorite to win, and she did just that; which puts her, sadly, in the middle of the pack.
6Ne-Yo as Cow
In the most recent season,Ne-Yo, who had been guessed many times prior on the show, finally showed his face, and went round after round to win the whole thing. Before the end of the show, however, something clicked with judgeNicole Scherzinger. Having worked with him before, she figured it out. Once she did, she was absolutely certain it was him.
However, Ne-Yo did the best job of any competitor ever on the show to try and disguise his identity. He chose a feminine costume, sang an interesting mix of songs from pop rock to R&B, and chose a lot of songs sung by women. He also changed his mannerisms to act more flamboyantly. This helped throw the panel and viewers off all the way until the end. Ne-Yo-s was one of the most fun reveals, even if Scherzinger figured out who he was in the nick of time.
5Nick Lachey as Piglet
Anyone who grew up in the ‘90s instantly peggedNick Lachey’s voice. As the lead singer of the boy band98 Degrees, his songs were on heavy rotation through that decade and his voice pretty identifiable. Nonetheless, Lachey usedThe Masked Singerto showcase that he’s more than just a formerboy bandmember. He impressed the judges and audience with songs like “7 Years” byLukas Grahamand “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” byPhil Collins.
Still, even if the judges figured out he was a boy bander, they were stumped as to which one. Considering Lachey competed against icons likeBobby Brownand other ‘90s heartthrobs likeHansonandMark McGrath, that made his win that much more sweeter, and much deserved.
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4Amber Riley as Harp
Considering she starred in a TV show where she sang on virtually every episode,Amber Riley’s identity was evident once the judges were able to place it. From there, it was just about listening to her sing, as if watching a concert. She was that good. Some of Riley’s most memorable performances includedLizzo’s “About Damn Time” andJohn Mayer’s “Gravity.”
With a larger cast than usual that season, Riley had much more competition than other winners, making her victory arguably the most challenging one. She faced off against amazing voices likeWilson Philips, Mario Cantone, and even the iconGloria Gaynor. The competition was experienced, tough, and fierce. Going up against such legends in the music business, and coming out on top in the end, cemented the fact that her win was one of the most satisfying ones in the history of the series, solidifying Riley’s status as more than just Mercedes, one ofthe funniest charactersonGlee.
3LeAnn Rimes as Sun
It was an epic battle betweenLeAnn Rimes,Aloe Blacc, andNick Carterin season 4, who made it to the top three. But Rimes proved to everyone that she still has the same amazing voice she has had since she was a child. She won the show by singingBrandi Carlile’s “The Story” and her rendition moved the judges, and likely viewers at home as well, to tears. There was no question she deserved to win.
Throughout the season, Rimes outperformed everyone with one power ballad after another, like “Praying” byKeshaand “Piece of My Heart” byJanis Joplin. She knew exactly what songs to choose to show off her incredible range and silky-smooth voice, making her one of the smartest competitors as well. Despite the sheer amount of talent surrounding her, Rimes was a clear favorite to win, and she did just that.
2T-Pain as Monster
The reveal of the veryfirst winner of the showremains among the best. It was a new concept for American viewers andT-Pain’s identity wasn’t one that anyone was certain about. So, when he was unmasked, it was a huge surprise. But what was most surprising is that T-Pain is known for rapping and producing, most notably for popularizing the use of Auto-Tune. This led many to believe that he wasn’t a fantastic singer himself and needed Auto-Tune for more than just adding creative flare to his music.
However, throughout the season, T-Pain’s performances turned heads. He sang songs that were not ones anyone would expect him to, like “I Don’t Want to Be” byGavin DeGrawand “Stay With Me” bySam Smith. But most important, T-Pain was not just good, he was fantastic. His win taught viewers a lesson: never judge or criticize without knowing what someone is truly capable of.
1Wayne Brady as Fox
Wayne Bradyoffered the perfect mix of singing and performing, often doing complete dance routines alongside the songs. He performed upbeat tunes like “Every Little Step” byBobby Brownand “Blame It” byJamie Foxxand T-Pain, but also slowed things down with songs likeChris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey.” Every time he was on stage, Brady commanded it, making everyone feel like they were attending a concert, not watching a competition.
What makes Brady’s win so much more impactful is that he’s the only person to win the show who isn’t primarily a singer or involved in the music business. While it’s known that he can sing, and he has even released music, he is, first and foremost, known as a TV host, actor, and comedian. Brady seemed genuinely touched to have won, talking about his lack of self-confidence and how the show helped boost that when he heard such awesome feedback week after week. It was the most feel-good win of the show thus far for a very deserving competitor.
