The Masked Singer Over the course of 11 seasons, there have been some exciting winners.
The Hulu show sees celebrities dress up in lavish costumes and compete in a face-hiding singing contest. Hosted by Nick Cannon and featuring judges Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Rita Ora, and Robin Thicke, the show follows strict rules and guidelines to ensure contestants' identities are kept a secret.
Since it first aired in 2019, audiences have watched some of their favorite stars, including former boy band member Nick Lachey, compete for the title. Glee Powerful singer Amber Riley and the latest winner, actress Vanessa Hudgens.
Read more below The Masked Singer winner.
The Masked Singer Season 11 Winner: Vanessa Hudgens
In the season 11 finale in May 2024, the last surviving singer, Goldfish, was revealed to be actress and mother-to-be Vanessa Hudgens, a fact that several judges had predicted before she revealed her true identity.
“Honestly, this is the most incredible thing that's ever happened to me,” she said. “I can't wait to take my mask off, look Rita in the eyes, and say, 'Hey, this is why I never dated you. Because I can't lie!'”
“That was amazing, sister. You worked really hard on it,” Ola replied.
“I never thought I'd be given the freedom to just do what I love, and it's been a really long time since I've been able to do that,” Hudgens said of singing on the show. “It's really soul-filling.”
Hudgens wins Ginny and Georgia Starring Scott Porter.
The Masked Singer Season 10 Winner: NE-YO
NE-YO is known for wearing many hats, but this year he added another achievement by being crowned the winner of season 10. The Masked Singer As a cow.
During the finale, the “So Sick” singer reflected on her time on the show and how it was different from previous experiences.
“I'm used to taking on different roles, but coming here has allowed me to challenge myself in a whole new way,” Kau said, referring to her trademark accessory. “I had to completely relearn how to express myself, from how to move to how to dance. When you reach my level of success and fame, there comes with expectations and pressure to perform in the same way as before, so it's been a lot of fun trying on this whole new persona.”
For his final performance, Cow sang Rihanna's “Take a Bow” before judges Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke tried to guess who was under the mask.
The Masked Singer Season 9 Winner: Bishop Briggs
During the season 9 finale, soon-to-be winner Bishop Briggs explained that to those close to her, disguising herself as Medusa wouldn't be such a shocking choice.
“Anyone who knows me wouldn't be surprised to see me in a spooky costume with snakes all over my body,” she says, “so the sassy reptilian witch is basically my aesthetic.”
After a performance of Sia's “Elastic Hearts,” Robin Thicke told a still-disguised Briggs, “You're my favorite of the nine seasons. You're one of the best we've ever met. Period.”
For the final song, Briggs chose My Chemical Romance's “Welcome to the Black Parade,” a song that has personal meaning to her.
“The fact that I get to end my journey with my sister's favorite song, and sadly she is no longer with us, means so much to my spirit and soul,” Medusa said. “I really needed this. Thank you.”
When she was finally named the official winner, Briggs called the achievement “the craziest, kindest thing ever.”
The Masked Singer Season 8 Winner: Amber Riley
And that's what you missed… The Masked Singer!former Glee West End star Amber Riley won the Golden Mask for her role as the Harp on November 30, 2022, beating runner-up Wilson Phillips.
“It's been such an amazing experience to come here and be completely covered and talk about my talent,” the unmasked actress said, “and the love that I have for people and wanting people to heal and feel what I'm talking about. So I bared my soul on this stage and I hope people can feel my soul.”
Judge Nicole Scherzinger correctly guessed Riley's identity before she removed her mask, saying, “You are truly one of the greatest people to have ever graced our stage.”
The Masked Singer Season 7 Winner: Teyana Taylor
Singer and dancer Teyana Taylor appeared wearing a Firefly mask during the final performance on May 18, 2022, to accept the Golden Mask trophy.
“I thought it would be really nice to just sing and have fun again and no one will judge me,” Taylor, who previously announced her retirement from music, said of her reasons for appearing on the show. “No one knows who's under the mask and I'm just going to sing my heart out.”
Taylor's then-husband, NBA star Iman Shumpert, Dancing with the Starsso she joked about the gold mask: “I've got to put this next to the disco ball.”
The Masked Singer Season 6 Winner: Jewel
The Queen of Hearts, who unmasked as Jewel after winning the Group B final, defeated Bull (Todrick Hall) on December 15, 2021. Masked ShinjiShe later told People magazine during the season six finale that she saw the show as a chance to show off her “technique” voice.
“I've never written a song that showcases my skill as a vocalist. It's weird. I don't know why. I'm more of a storyteller, so I've never felt the need to show off my skill,” she said. “But this show is all about skill and heart, so for me, it was really fun to pump myself up and sing the songs that I've dreamed of since I was a little girl, the songs that made me want to be a singer.”
She also said the show's schedule allowed her flexibility as a single mother.
“It's really hard being a female musician and being a mother,” she says. “The industry isn't very mother-friendly. We're always on the road, touring, promoting. But this opportunity that's so high-profile and so public, but doesn't take up so much time, is really perfect for someone like me.”
The Masked Singer Season 5 Winner: Nick Lachey
The 98 Degrees member won the role of Piglet and said he took part in the show for the sake of his children – sons Camden and Phoenix, and daughter Brooklyn.
“Daddy's coming home with a little prize!” Nick Lachey said after being crowned Season 5 winner.
The star may have fooled the judges during his time on the show, but his kids quickly discovered their dad was disguised as Piglet.
“We watched the premiere episode together, and I was holding Brooklyn, and I think I made a couple of notes come out of my mouth, and she pointed at me and said, 'Daddy,'” Lachey told People magazine after the Season 5 finale. “They recognized it was me right away.”
The Masked Singer Season 4 Winner: LeAnn Rimes
The fourth episode of the show ended with the Grammy winner coming out on top. LeAnn Rimes, who played Sun, later said the experience was different from what she expected.
“It was an overwhelming experience,” Rimes said. “I didn't realize it would be so much work. To be honest with you, I thought, 'Okay, this is easy. This is going to be fun.' And it was awesome.”
The Masked Singer Season 3 Winner: Kandy Burruss
The Real Housewives of Atlanta Star Kandi Burruss made history by becoming the first woman to win the competition, and she let out a scream when host Nick Cannon praised her for her work as a Night Angel.
“For a long time, I really stopped singing on my own because I would get negative reactions and it would just mess with my mind,” Burruss told the judges after removing her purple mask. “But thank you, so I really stopped singing on my own, and I'm really grateful to all of you for helping me get my confidence back.”
The Masked Singer Season 2 Winner: Wannier Brady
Let's make a deal Host and ex Hamilton Star Wayne Brady struggled to keep his secret as Fox from host Nick Cannon, but when he won he made sure to let everyone know how much he enjoyed the show.
“I had a lot to say,” Brady, who was the last celebrity to be revealed in season two, told Cannon.
“This is the coolest, the most amazing, the most inspiring, the most challenging, the most bizarre, the most bizarre, and I'm hosting Let's make a deal“But I'll never forget this,” said Brady, who denied being “The Thingmajig” to People magazine earlier in the season.
The Masked Singer Season 1 Winner: T-Pain
Grammy Award winner T-Pain set the tone for all the winners by winning the competition's inaugural season: He beat out Bee (Gladys Knight) and Peacock (Donny Osmond) to take home the Golden Mask as the Monster.
“I didn't have the opportunity to be in the game with my natural voice, but a lot of my peers were accepted that way, and it helped me get my voice out there,” T-Pain said of why he chose to appear on the show.