The newest Team Blake champion wowed the coaches from day one!
Cam Anthony is The Voice's season 20 champion!
After a season of show-stopping performances from all across the musical spectrum, the 19-year-old Philadelphia native won the singing competition title on Tuesday night, and when ET's Cassie DiLaura caught up with Cam and his coach, Blake Shelton, after the big win, they were just trying to soak it all in.
"It has not registered yet," Cam admitted. "This is definitely a big moment in my life. It's a turning point. So I'm just trying to collect myself, because things are just starting to roll."
"Just watch and see what happens now," Blake agreed.
Cam's win was a record-extending eighth Voice title for the country star, and said that while they may have seemed to be an unlikely pairing, it ended up being a perfect match.
"It's amazing that, after 20 seasons, that God put this artist not only in my life, but on this show," he reflected. "He needed this opportunity, we needed this opportunity to have someone like him."
Cam agreed, explaining that he was he was grateful for Blake's guidance and experience throughout the process -- particularly since he's the mentor who has coached on all 20 seasons of The Voice.
"Blake has been real from the start," he noted. "Since the beginning of the show, he's been the same, doing his thing, honest, all that. I've appreciated that as something that I want to carry on into my career."
After his finale performances on Monday, Cam shared with reporters how grateful he was that Blake had allowed him to "explore and have fun with my creativity and my artistry," which may have made all the difference for the young singer, who wowed viewers with an a cappella Boyz II Men dedication one week and a rocking Bon Jovi cover the next.
He even learned to scat over the course of one week for his Knockout Round performance of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good," but the pressure didn't seem to faze him.
"It was definitely a fun, challenging experience," Cam said of his time on the show. "You're trying to take it all in, because there's so much happening all at once... One of the things I kept in the back of my mind was that I was just trying to have fun with it."
Cam's impressive season began with his stunning Blind Audition performance of Sam Smith's "Lay Me Down," which led to a crucial block of hopeful coach John Legend by Nick Jonas. But Cam chose a different direction, following his mother's wishes and teaming up with Blake, who showered the young performer with effusive praise all season long.
"You have delivered every time you stand on this stage," Blake marveled after Cam's Top 17 performance of Hozier's "Take Me to Church." "I've never had more people asking me about an artist on my team, in 20 seasons of doing this show. You could be the first superstar that we launch off this show."
Cam's finale performance of Cynthia Erivo's Harriet anthem "Stand Up" had Blake doubling down motivating the usually-goofy country star to "try and get serious for a second" about the talent he saw in the young performer.
"On my 20th season, God put this young man in my life on The Voice that may change everything for this show," Blake said. "I want people out there to know that the only thing bigger than Cam's talent is his heart and his mind."
As for his future musical plans, Cam told reporters following that he's ready for "even bigger stages," noting that he's got dreams of one day performing on the GRAMMYs.
"We're working towards some amazing things," he shared. "I'm hoping to release an album, trying to work on some really amazing things."
But he's also looking forward to getting back to his musical family in his hometown. "There's this place called Warmdaddy's in Philly," he said, when asked about of one of his favorite places to perform. "They closed down, but we would have these jam sessions there all the time. We'll move to another location, but I'm hoping to just get back to my roots and have a jam session with all those people."
For Cam, who found viral fame at a young age but struggled to get his career off the ground, his success on The Voice has been about finding some hard-earned "validation" as an artist.
"To be able to know that I can be myself onstage and I can be received in this way has been such an amazing and validating experience," he shared. "I'm grateful."
The Voice will return later this year with season 21 -- featuring new coach Ariana Grande! See more from this season in the video below.
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