“The Voice” has its season 26 winner.

Silky-smooth Sofronio Vasquez III, a 31-year-old aspiring dentist from Mindanao, Philippines, was crowned champion of the Emmy-winning NBC singing competition, securing the first win for rookie coach Michael Bublé.

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The Utica, NY resident, dubbed a Filipino phenom on the internet, bested fellow Team Bublé finalist Shye on Tuesday night. He also surpassed candidates selected by the competition series’ other coaches, Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg and Gwen Stefani, who had Danny Joseph, Jeremy Beloate and Sydney Sterlace in the running, respectively. On Monday night, Sofronio sang an upbeat version of Sia’s “Unstoppable” and a downtempo version of “A Million Dreams” from the 2017 musical “The Greatest Showman.” In the finale, he also sang a soulful rendition of “Who’s Lovin'” with Bublé You” by the Miracles.

The top eight finalists opened the show with the song “Defying Gravity” from the Universal Pictures blockbuster film “Wicked.”

“Dreams really do come true,” Vasquez wrote on Instagram on Tuesday, sharing a photo of himself holding his trophy and hugging his coach. Vasquez fell to his knees with tears in his eyes as host Carson Daly named him the Season 26 champion in the finale.

Shye, who was 18 when she joined the show, also congratulated her co-star on social media, writing on her Instagram Story that she didn’t mind coming second: “I’m so happy right now, that you don’t understand at all.” “

Vasquez, who moved to the United States to pursue a singing career, caught the attention of all four coaches when he sang “I’m Goin’ Down” by Mary J. Blige during his blind audition. Bublé, Snoop, McEntire and Stefani fought over him as they all turned their iconic red chairs to recruit him for their teams.

Throughout the season, he sang a version of Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love” in a match with teammate Aliyah Khaylyn and delivered his renditions of Dusty Springfield’s “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” and Roy Orbison’s “Crying” . “Vasquez performed his updated version of Elvis Presley’s “If I Can Dream” during the first live show of the season, securing a spot in the finale. He also sang Police’s “Every Breath You Take” along with fellow contestants Beloate and Sting, who played bass guitar.

According to PhilStar Global, Vasquez previously competed in the Philippine reality TV competition “It’s Showtime” but only reached the semifinals. The singer paid tribute to his home country as he was named one of the top five finalists.

Shortly before the winner was announced, Vasquez called Bublé’s mentorship a blessing for him, his family “and all the dreamers out there.”

“They opened the doors to everyone, thank you very much,” Vasquez said. Shye also told Bublé that he had been both a teacher and a friend to her, praising his humor, talent and coaching skills. In an Instagram story posted after their joint performance, Bublé called them his heroes.

Bublé, now the reigning champion, will return for Season 27 of “The Voice” when it premieres February 3 on NBC. He will be joined by returning coaches Kelsea Ballerini, John Legend and Adam Levine. Asher HaVon, the show’s first openly LGBTQ+ winner, who won Season 25 with McEntire in May, also took the stage at this week’s finale.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.