How is the Winner Chosen on ‘The Masked Singer’?
FOX Reading Time: 2 minutes
We all enjoy watching The Masked Singer and trying to guess which celebrities are under those crazy costumes. But you might be wondering how the winner is chosen each season, and who decides which contestants go home from week to week.
Who Votes on ‘The Masked Singer’ Each Week?
The Masked Singer is pre-taped, so unfortunately viewers at home aren’t able to vote for their favorite contestants like they do during the live shows of The Voice and similar shows. Instead, just sit back, relax, putting your clue-finding hat on, and enjoy the ride.
But who does vote on which contestants move on after each episode? As host Nick Cannon explains at the end of each episode, that honor goes to the panel of judges (Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong, and Nicole Scherzinger), the in-studio audience, and “super-fans across America.”
You might be wondering who these super-fans are. According to a casting call for Season 6, these fans are chosen to vote from home as part of a virtual audience, gaining early access to the performances. During Season 4 and 5, the audience was entirely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This season, it’s a mix of in-person and remote.
Rather than voting for which singer they want to see unmasked, the audience and panelists are voting for their favorite contestants. At the end of the night, the contestant (or contestants, if it’s a double elimination) with the least number of votes is forced to reveal their identity and leave the competition.
SEE ALSO: WHEN TO WATCH ‘THE MASKED SINGER’ HOLIDAY SING-ALONG THIS YEAR
How Is the Winner Decided Each Season?
This season, the format of the show leading up to the finale is a little bit different. In the past, there have been three finalists. For Season 6, there will be a finale for Group A and Group B, and the winners of those groups will then go head-to-head to determine the winner.
The winner is decided just like the other results. The panelists, audience, and superfans vote for their favorite. The contestant with the most votes is named the winner and receives the Golden Mask trophy. Both the winner and the losing contestants are unmasked, revealing their identities.
There’s also a trophy up for grabs among the panelists. The judge with the most correct first impression guesses for the season receives the Golden Ear. So far this season, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger are tied with one point each. There’s still plenty of time for one of the other panelists to swoop in and beat them.
