The Voice 28 Battles Begin with Celebrity Advisors and a NEW TWIST
The Voice season 28 Battle Rounds begin airing Monday, October 13. This season the four coaches — Michael Bublé, Reba McEntire, Niall Horan and Snoop Dogg — will reduce their teams using a major new twist that changes how contestants face off. In addition to the twist, each coach is joined by a high-profile Battle Round advisor to help fine-tune performances and strategy.
Returning to the show as advisors are well-known artists who have previously served as coaches or notable guest mentors: Kelsea Ballerini works with Team Bublé, Nick Jonas advises Team Reba, Lewis Capaldi teams up with Team Niall, and Lizzo joins Team Snoop. Each advisor brings a different perspective to the preparation process, coaching vocal technique, arrangement choices, and stage presence as contestants prepare for head-to-head duets.
The Voice 28 Battles: For the first time, the artists pair themselves
For the first time in the show’s history, coaches will not select Battle pairings. Instead, contestants on each team will pair themselves. Once two artists have chosen to go head-to-head, they will perform a duet together. After the performance, the coach will decide which artist advances to the next round.
When an artist loses a Battle, they are not necessarily eliminated. Other coaches can attempt to “steal” that performer and add them to their own team. If more than one coach tries to steal a contestant, the artist chooses which team to join. Coaches may also choose to save their own losing artist, and that decision can lead to direct competition between coaches who try to keep or acquire a given performer.
By the end of the Battle Rounds, each coach will have eight artists remaining on their team. That roster will typically include six Battle winners plus one artist acquired via a steal and one saved by the original coach. In total, 32 artists across all four teams will move forward to the Knockout Round.
This format change places more control in the hands of the contestants and adds strategic drama to the Battles, as artists must decide who they want to face and how best to present themselves in a duet setting. The presence of celebrity advisors further raises the stakes, helping contestants elevate arrangements, vocal delivery, and performance decisions that could determine which artists survive to the next stage.
Below are the official team rosters heading into the Battle Rounds. These lists reflect the contestants who will now negotiate self-selected pairings, perform duets, and compete for a place in the Knockout Round.
Team Michael Bublé
- Lucas Beltran
- Max Chambers
- Rob Cole
- Max Cooper III
- Aarik Duncan
- Austin Gilbert
- Elias Gomez
- Carly Harvey
- Jazz McKenzie
- Marty O’Reilly
- Teo Ramdel
- Trinity
Team Reba McEntire
- Vinya Chhabra
- Manny Costello
- Cori Kennedy
- Conrad Khalil
- Peyton Kyle
- Daron Lameek
- Letter to Elise
- Ryan Mitchell – Carson Callback
- Aaron Nichols
- Aubrey Nicole
- Leyton Robinson
- Shan Scott
Team Niall Horan
- Jack Austin
- Alex Brown
- Kayleigh Clark
- Revel Day
- DEK of Hearts
- Dustin Dale Gaspard
- Kirbi
- Ava Nat
- Carolina Rodriguez
- Aiden Ross
- Camille Tredoux
- Liam von Elbe
Team Snoop Dogg
- Natalia Albertini
- Lauren Anderson
- Sadie Dahl
- Ralph Edwards
- Kenny Iko
- Toni Lorene
- Jerrell Melton
- Mindy Miller
- Makenzie Phipps
- Emmanuel Rey
- Kanard Thomas
- Yoshihanaa
As the Battle Rounds unfold, viewers can expect heightened competition, surprising steals, and memorable duets as artists navigate this new self-pairing format. With celebrity advisors collaborating with each coach, this season’s Battles promise fresh arrangements, bold performance choices, and decisive moments that will shape which 32 artists move on to the Knockouts.