American Idol and The Voice have been household names when it comes to singing reality TV competitions. Throughout the years, both TV shows have created some of the biggest names in the music industry. However, there are some upsides and downsides to joining American Idol or The Voice that goes beyond the prize that the grand winner gets to bring home.
‘American Idol’ success
American Idol is one of the leaders when it comes to finding lesser-known individuals who have the talent in singing. Throughout the years, the hit ABC show has produced successful careers.
Kelly Clarkson is the biggest (and inaugural) American Idol winner. Her career has been so successful that she’s not just releasing new music regularly; she also helps other hopefuls to make a mark in The Voice.
According to reports, the winners of American Idol bring home $250,000. However, the money isn’t given to the winners right after the show ends. Instead, they first need to sign a contract with Hollywood Records.
Once they start working on their album, they will receive the first half of their grand prize amounting to $125,000. They will only be able to bring home the other half of their prize after they finish their album.
It is unclear if the prize of the winners from Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood to last year’s winner, Just Sam has always been $250,000.
‘The Voice’ grand prize
The Voice, on the other hand, awards its winners $100,000. This amount is much smaller than what the winners of American Idol bring home.
However, this never stepped hopeful contestants to audition for the hit NBC reality TV show. In fact, The Voice is currently on its 20th season. Technically, the singing reality TV competition has already aired more episodes than American Idol.
But it is important to remember that The Voice airs more than one season in a year. And American Idol didn’t air on ABC for several years before returning in 2018.
Even though the prize from The Voice is much smaller than the prize from American Idol, there’s an upside to those who will bring home the title.
Since The Voice contestants work closely with their celebrity coaches and mentors, some of them get tapped for collaborations right after the season concludes.
Still, one cannot discount the fact that American Idol has produced more popular winners compared to The Voice. And the winners of American Idol have careers that span decades.
Kelly Clarkson net worth
Clarkson, who is the first winner of American Idol has a net worth of $45 million. Following her big win, Clarkson nabbed a $1 million recording contract with RCA Records. While under their management, the singer sold 13 million albums and won three Grammys. In 2016, Clarkson signed with Atlantic Records.
Some of the singer’s hit singles include Breakaway, with 6.5 million units, and Thankful with more than 2 million copies sold.
Underwood is another American Idol success story. After winning the show in Season 4, she released her debut album, Some Hearts.
Some of Underwood’s hit singles include “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” “Before He Cheats,” and “Wasted.”
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Underwood’s fortune is estimated at $140 million. The majority of her net worth comes from her albums, endorsements, and appearances.
While the winners of The Voice are not as popular as the winners of American Idol, the former still has a slew of well-known champions.
Reports revealed that Season 3 Cassadee Pope is the richest The Voice winner with her $4 million net worth. Since her big win, Pope has already released three albums. However, her net worth is nothing compared to Clarkson and Underwood.
The second-highest earner from The Voice is Josh Kaufman, who won during the show’s sixth season. His net worth is estimated at $2.5 million.
Ranked in third place is The Voice Season 9 winner, Jordan Smith. His net worth is estimated at $2 million.
American Idol and The Voice are both airing their current seasons on ABC and NBC, respectively.
The nine remaining contestants plus a returning contestant on American Idol will be heading to Walt Disney World for their annual Disney Night segment.
Following Sunday’s live episode, at least one contestant will be headed home.
The Voice, on the other hand, aired its first episode for Season 20 last month. This week, the contestants will compete in the second part of the Knockouts round.
Coaches Clarkson, Blake Shelton, Nick Jonas, and John Legend would have to choose who they want to keep in their team and who they want to steal from the other coaches.
Source: Screenrant, Parade, Celebrity Net Worth