'The Voice' finale: Team Bublé's Sofronio Vasquez wins

“The Voice” has its Season 26 winner.

The velvet-voiced Sofronio Vasquez III, a 31-year-old would-be dentist from Mindanao, Philippines, was named the champion of the Emmy-winning NBC singing competition, clinching the first victory for rookie coach Michael Bublé.

Dubbed the Filipino Phenom online, the Utica, N.Y., resident topped his fellow Team Bublé finalist Shye on Tuesday night. He also outperformed contestants chosen by the competition series’ other coaches, Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg and Gwen Stefani, who had Danny Joseph, Jeremy Beloate and Sydney Sterlace in the running, respectively. On Monday night, Sofronio sang an upbeat version of “Unstoppable” by Sia and a down-tempo version of “A Million Dreams” from the 2017 musical “The Greatest Showman.” He also sang a soulful rendition of the Miracles’ “Who’s Lovin’ You” with Bublé during the finale.

The top eight finalists opened the show singing “Defying Gravity” from Universal Pictures’ blockbuster film “Wicked.”

“dreams really do come true,” Vasquez wrote Tuesday on Instagram, sharing a photo of himself holding his trophy and embracing his coach. Vasquez fell to his knees with tears in his eyes when host Carson Daly announced him as the Season 26 champ during the finale.

Shye, who was 18 when she joined the show, also congratulated her co-star on social media, writing on her Instagram story that she didn’t mind placing second: “I am so f happy right now you don’t even understand.”

Vasquez, who moved to the United States to pursue a singing career, caught the ear of all four coaches when he sang Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Goin’ Down” during his blind audition. Bublé, Snoop, McEntire and Stefani fought over him when they each turned their iconic red chairs to claim him for their teams.

Throughout the season, he sang a version of Céline Dion’s “The Power of Love” in a battle with his teammate Aliyah Khaylyn and delivered his renditions of Dusty Springfield’s “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” and Roy Orbison’s “Crying.” Vasquez performed his updated take on Elvis Presley’s “If I Can Dream” during the season’s first live show, earning a spot in the finals. He also sang the Police’s “Every Breath You Take” with fellow contestant Beloate and Sting, who played bass guitar.

Vasquez previously competed on the Filipino reality TV contest “It’s Showtime” but only reached the semifinals, according to the PhilStar Global. The singer gave a shout-out to his homeland when he was announced among the Top 5 finalists.

Moments before the winner was announced, Vasquez called Bublé’s mentorship a blessing to him, his family “and all the dreamers out there.”

“You opened the doors for everyone, thank you so much,” Vasquez said. Shye also told Bublé that he had been both a teacher and a friend to her, praising his humor, talent and coaching ability. In an Instagram story posted after they performed together, Bublé called them his heroes.

Bublé, now the reigning champ, will return for Season 27 of “The Voice” when it premieres on NBC on Feb. 3. He will be joined by returning coaches Kelsea Ballerini, John Legend and Adam Levine. Asher HaVon, the show’s first openly LGBTQ+ winner who won Season 25 in May with McEntire, also took the stage during this week’s finale.