Not your average star! Sawyer Fredericks was officially crowned the season 8 winner of The Voice on Tuesday, May 19, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to pack up his bags and stay in sunny California for good. The upstate New York native opened up about his plans following the grand finale during a press conference with host Carson Daly and his mentor Pharrell Williams.
“I’m feeling great and I kind of want to get back to the farm just to have a little bit of a break from all of this, so I’m excited to get back home,” Fredericks, 16, told reporters. “I do not want to move to L.A.!”
The folk singer — the youngest contestant of the season — was a frontrunner since he first took the stage to sing Soggy Bottom Boys’ “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow” for his blind audition. All four judges turned their chairs around, but as it turns out, the nerves never quite went away for Fredericks. (Danielle Bradbery also won The Voice in the fourth season at age 16.)
“I was a little nervous about singing with John Fogerty,” he said of the finale. “But I mean, I was really just excited for the night. I got to see all the top 20 again, perform with them, so that was super fun. I wasn’t really nervous about winning or losing because I knew I’d be happy no matter what and I was just happy for the night.”
Fredericks’ win also means that Williams beat out fellow judges Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton. The famed producer is proud of what he’s accomplished, but kept mum on whether he will be returning for another round. (Nashville native Meghan Linsey, 29, from Shelton’s team finished as runner-up.)
“I love this show. To be honest with you, I don’t know that there’s another show that gives you this amount of like, diversity,” Williams, 42, said. “[Fredericks was] 15 when he came on, and [played with] 70-year-old — incredible — John Fogerty tonight on the finale. Show me another show that does that, that finds the value in classic Southern rock bands that have influenced us all. Show me another show.” He added: “We get to break the rules and do all kinds of things.”
Up next, Fredericks is ready to record music with Williams — and reunite with his family. “My dad said he was proud of me, but I know my family have always been proud of me through this whole entire experience and I know they will always be proud of me no matter what,” he said. “I’m hoping [for a day off] on my farm, so I’m really just excited to be able to get back to work on the farm and just really take in the open space.” Williams chimed in, laughing: “You can’t make this up!”
Tell Us: Are you happy that Fredericks took home the win?
