Team Gwen Stefani: ‘The Voice’ Season 26 photos, bios, artist rankings
Pop-rock Grammy winner Gwen Stefani has been a coach on “The Voice” eight different times now (though never consecutively), and she married former judge Blake Shelton in 2021. She successfully coached Carter Rubin to a victory in Season 19, and is itching to become a two-time “The Voice” champion with her current crop of contenders. Now that the Season 26 blind auditions have begun, can Gwen prevail for the second time on NBC’s reality TV show?
Tour our gallery above (or click here for direct access) for a closer look at Team Gwen Stefani on “The Voice” Season 26, including photos, bios and artist rankings. Also see our features for Team Michael Buble, Team Reba McEntire and Team Snoop Dogg.
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Frankie Torres (4-CHAIR TURN)
Age: 24
Hometown: Minnetonka, MN
Resident: Deephaven, MN
At 8 years old, Frankie joined School of Rock in Eden Prairie, Minn., and stayed with the program for almost a decade, through which she went on six national tours. Currently, she performs with her rock cover band, Midnight Rambler, in the Twin Cities. Alongside playing at bars, parties and weddings, Frankie works for a nonprofit program offering therapeutic support services to young adults with physical and intellectual disabilities. Growing up, Frankie’s family fostered dogs. Housing sometimes 13 dogs at a time, this work was a great comfort to Frankie and her family during her father’s illness. Her dad’s diagnosis with ALS took a great toll on Frankie’s mental health. She has worked hard to overcome the depression of her father’s passing by investing in friends and family, passions and, most importantly, her music.
Austyns Stancil (4-CHAIR TURN)
Age: 34
Hometown: Oakland, CA
Resident: Kansas City, MO
Austyns is a devoted “girl dad” with four beautiful daughters. While he’s not in an ongoing relationship with the mother of his daughters, they co-parent well and always ensure that the happiness of their daughters comes first. Austyns strives for greatness in everything he does to make his daughters and late father proud. Raised by two loving parents, he shared a home with two brothers and one half-brother growing up. Austyns was devastated when his father was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2021 and eventually lost his battle in 2023. Music has been Austyns’ key to processing his emotions, dating back to when he was a child. Austyns has been making music since he was 7 and had his first solo performance at 9. He has honed his skills on the piano, organ and drums, and has performed with top gospel artists such as Fred Hammond, Byron Cage, Marvin Sapp and Kirk Franklin. Despite juggling countless responsibilities, you’ll find Austyns performing at local gigs in his hometown or sharing the magic of music with his daughters at home.
Sydney Sterlace (4-CHAIR TURN)
Age: 15
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Resident: Buffalo, NY
Although Sydney is the only musical one in her family, she has always had their full support throughout her journey. It began with competing in local talent shows when she was 7 and by the time she was 10, she had already struck gold by winning first place in the Erie County Fair Talent Competition. She has since kept that momentum, singing the national anthem at a Buffalo Sabres game this year and multiple Buffalo Bisons games. She has also been a regular performer at a local music arts festival organized by Robby Takac of the Goo Goo Dolls. Her dedicated mom has played a crucial role in Sydney’s success, including scouting singing opportunities on social media to finding local competitions for Sydney to compete. Sydney recently won a TikTok challenge promoted by Broadway Evolved. Unsure if the competition was real and never dreaming it would lead to anything, Sydney was blown away when she won. She was flown out to New York on an all-expenses-paid trip for a weeklong Broadway intensive with Betsy Wolfe, an experience she will never forget.
Gabrielle Zabosky (4-CHAIR TURN)
Age: 25
Hometown: Oxford, PA
Resident: Philadelphia, PA
Gabrielle has been singing since she could talk. Her music career really took off when she turned a day job at a major supermarket chain into a springboard for her dreams. When she was 20, she auditioned for the store’s radio station and was cast in their first-ever a cappella group, consisting of 11 talented employees from across the country. This gave Gabrielle the opportunity to work alongside Cupid on “Cupid Shuffle,” perform on “Good Morning America” and star in music videos for social media. Even with all of her success, Gabrielle came from humble beginnings. She was raised in a three-bedroom trailer with her mom, four younger sisters, and an honorary auntie” Despite facing times without power or heat and her mother’s struggle with mental health, Gabrielle has immense respect for her mom, who raised her family with limited resources. Gabrielle’s relationship with her father was distant growing up, but, after he was involved in a severe car accident that left him partially immobile, she rekindled their bond. This tragic event, along with Gabrielle becoming an adult, not only brought them closer than ever before, but also motivated Gabrielle to pursue her musical dreams.
Jan Dan (2-CHAIR TURN)
Age: 29
Hometown: Newark, NJ
Resident: Douglasville, GA
Jan Dan is a stage name that was derived from the first part of his given name, Najee spelled backward, and the first letters of his last name, Daniels. Jan Dan’s mom, Fundisha, is a singer and songwriter. She landed a record deal with Jermaine Dupri’s company, So So Def, and moved Jan Dan and his siblings to Atlanta when he was just 10 years old. Besides his mom, his uncle, LaShawn, was a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer and one of Jan Dan’s biggest inspirations. Unfortunately, LaShawn died in a tragic car accident in 2019, which left Jan devastated. Although music was something he loved, Jan Dan wasn’t ready to pursue music full-time after high school. He went the safer route and enrolled in culinary school. Over the years he became more confident in his musical abilities and pushed fear aside. Remembering what his uncle told him before he passed, Jan Dan shifted his focus to music to build upon his family’s legacy. He has been writing, recording and producing, sometimes even writing with his wife, Nicole. They are expecting their first child soon, and Jan Dan feels this is the best time as any to go full force into his passion.
Felsmere (2-CHAIR TURN)
Age: 33
Hometown: Vero Beach, FL
Resident: Los Angeles, CA
Returning to “The Voice” as Felsmere, former Season 1 contestant Kelsey Rey is set to honor her late father and showcase her artistic growth. In the show’s inaugural season, she competed on Team CeeLo Green, leaving her Battle Rounds performance with a hunger for more. Sadly, Felsmere’s father passed away suddenly in 2016, delivering a devastating blow to her family and fueling Felsmere’s determination to follow her dreams. In response to her father’s death, Kelsey changed her stage name to Felsmere, a city neighboring her hometown where she cherishes memories with her late father. Since “The Voice,” she has released several singles, including her latest, “Tables Turned,” featuring Khalil, which has landed a spot on multiple viral Spotify playlists. Currently in Los Angeles, Felsmere is excited to release more original music and, eventually, a debut album.
Rowdy Shea (2-CHAIR TURN)
Age: 23
Hometown: Bowling Green, KY
Resident: Newcastle, TX
Rowdy is a full-time rancher on “Radiator Ranch.” There, he tends to the animals, feeds and waters them, and rides the horses. Rowdy also works for a social media influencer who makes educational videos about what it’s like to be a rancher. Named after famous cowboy Rowdy, played by Clint Eastwood in the TV series “Rawhide,” it’s no wonder Rowdy was destined for this line of work. While horses have been a constant, Rowdy didn’t find his love for music until later in life. After graduating high school, Rowdy took a job training horses where he worked around the clock. Soon, he started to burn out, which is when his mom suggested he try singing. One thing led to another and before he knew it, Rowdy was singing at small gigs and doing writers’ rounds in Nashville. Not only is Rowdy embarking on a new career as a musician, but he is also freshly married to the love of his life, Jaci. Having been by Rowdy’s side for the past three years, Jaci’s support has never wavered.
Sloane Simon (2-CHAIR TURN)
Age: 19
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Resident: New York, NY
Sloane discovered her love for music at age 8 when her parents bought her a guitar to help distract her from her mother’s battle with an aggressive spinal cancer. Music carried her through several joyful years of her mother’s remission. However, she recently received news that her mother was once again fighting cancer. Following a successful operation, Sloane’s mother is currently on the mend. However, in a cruel twist of fate, the family learns that her father is also battling cancer. His late-stage diagnosis has the family grappling with the reality that he’s fighting for his life. Watching “The Voice” has been a longtime family tradition, so it’s the perfect time for Sloane to find herself on that stage. Sloane began songwriting and gigging at an early age. Her songs have gained her recognition from various prestigious organizations, including the Jazz Aspen Festival, Women Who Rock and the National Foundation for YoungArts. One of her songs landed her a spot opening for Ann Wilson of Heart at a gala. Currently, in her freshman year at the Clive Davis Institute at NYU, Sloane is pursuing a degree in recorded music.
Jaylen Dunham (1-CHAIR TURN)
Age: 14
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Resident: Matthews, NC
Jaylen is a 14-year-old singing prodigy known for his social nature and love for cleaning. When he’s not running around with his friends, he runs track. While these traits set him apart from other teens, he’s most known for his singing, which he has been doing since he was three. In sixth grade, Jaylen performed in an open mic. In 2023, Jaylen went to Amateur Night at the Apollo and won first place, singing Beyoncé’s “Listen,” the same song he sang for his Blind Audition. The same year, Jaylen went viral on TikTok with a cover of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire,” garnering over 9.5 million views as well as a comment from Olivia herself. In his free time, Jaylen sings the national anthem at the Charlotte Hornets’ games and participates in community musicals. When he’s not singing, he can be found zooming across the street on a Segway, delivering a meal to his grandma, Mawmaw. With a supportive family, Jaylen is confident that “The Voice” could be his path to stardom.
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Launch Gallery: Team Gwen Stefani: 'The Voice' Season 26 photos, bios, artist rankings
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