Thirteen weeks after the official kick-off of season three of The Voice Nigeria on March 27, 2021, the stage is set for the final weeks of the reality and talent hunt show.

For 13 weeks, four coaches – Falz, Waje, Yemi Alade, Darey – had gone through different phases from soliciting for team members to getting to know each of the talents, stealing a perceived better talent, pitching them against one another, and ending their journey in The Voice Nigeria season three.

The show’s headline sponsor, First Bank. also revealed the reasons behind the decision to bankroll the talent hunt cum reality TV show. In a recent statement from the bank, FirstBank’s Corporate Communications Group Head Folake Ani-Mumuney noted that The Voice Nigeria’s dream to discover and promote talented singers to actualise their dreams of becoming international stars aligns with the bank’s commitment to providing a platform for nurturing and showcasing talents and driving social cohesion.

Ani-Mumuney further stated that the bank’s support for the Voice Nigeria is a demonstration of the bank’s commitment to contributing to the projected revenue of US$86m by 2021 from Nigeria’s music industry aimed at promoting a diversified economy in line with the Federal Government’s diversification policy.

Here’s the journey so far between week one and week 13.

The blind auditions

After 25 blind auditions within four weeks, coaches showcased their abilities to canvass as well as pitch a better future for each of the lucky talents. However, before the talent was allowed to choose among the coaches, the talents strive to give a stellar performance for a possibility of joining any of the four teams with a turn from any of the coaches.

At the end of an interesting blind audition, which kicked off on March 27, 2021, 24 lucky talents identified with at least one of the four coaches. Each of the coaches had six talents in their teams.

At the end of the sixth week, all the coaches had six members each. In Yemi Alade’s team are Kitay, Olubukola, Toscene, Tim Ayo, Vanilla, and Loven. Waje was responsible for Nuel Ayo, Eazzie, Inioluwa, Teslim, Ifunnaya, and Anu. Darey had in his team, Dapo, Blescene, Jeremiah, Ayomikun, Esther, and Rachel, while Falz, who promised his team members refreshments had Naomi, Peace, Okemdiya, Kpee, Tamara, and Neki.

The Knockouts

After six weeks, the blind audition was over and it was time for each of the 24 talents to unleash the real reason the talents chose each of the coaches and their teams in the knockout stage. The stage also provided opportunities for other coaches to steal talent from another team after a performance and the talent’s coach verdict. The stage was also filled with frills and thrills as coaches stole from one another during the stage. The highlights of the knockout stage will be the drama between coaches, Falz, Waje, and Darey Art Alade. In week eight, Darey stole the talented Kpee after coach Falz sent him to the danger zone. In week nine, Anu became the second talent to be stolen in the knockout stage. In week 10, coach Falz took delight in taking a pound of flesh from coach Darey as he stole Dapo from Darey while Waje stole Ayomikun from team Darey. In an interesting twist, five members of Darey’s team made it to the battle – either through stealing or save. In all, 16 talents namely Rachel, Esther, Jeremiah, Dapo, Ayomikun, Nuel Ayo, Inioluwa, Eazzie, Vanilla, Kitay, Naomi Mac, Peace, KPee, Tamara, Anu, and Toscene made it through to the battlefield.

The Battles

In the 11th week, The Voice Nigeria season three had 16 talents and their four coaches entering the musical battlefield to further showcase their abilities to shine while collaborating. With 16 talents already through to the battlefield, the coaches witnessed the first edition of the battle of the fittest.

The battlefield showcased the brilliance of many of the talents but also marked the end of the road on the show for some of the talents as only eight talents made it through to the next stage, the live show. The show host, Nancy Isime also announced that two of the eight talents, who lost in the battles will be saved by viewers’ votes to compete in the next stage. Successfully through to the live show are Dapo, Eazzie, Inioluwa, Naomi Mac, Kitay, Esther, Anu, and Kpee. Two among the other talents – Peace, Nuel Ayo, Ayomikun, and Tamara, Vanilla, Jeremiah, Toeseen, and Rachel – on the Viewers Save list will join the eight others for the live show in week 14.