COUNTRY NEWS

“The Voice” announces Keith Urban as the Mega Mentor of its 25th season

Mar 26, 2024, 4:12 PM | Updated: 4:13 pm

NBC announced Monday that longtime country music staple Keith Urban will add “The Voice” to his list of television stints in addition to “American Idol” and “The Voice Australia”.

The singing competition show made the announcement on Instagram that Urban will be the so-called Mega Mentor for the show’s 25th season. Mega Mentors do not belong to any one judge’s team, but rather provide feedback and coaching to all contestants during the knockout rounds. The season is well underway, having premiered on February 26. Urban’s involvement will begin April 8.

This is a far cry from being Urban’s first association with the show.

In addition to serving as a judge on “The Voice Australia” on seasons 1, 10 and 11, Urban performed “Blue Ain’t Your Color” live on the most recent season finale of “The Voice” and was the advisor to Blake Shelton’s team during season 15.

Urban will find himself in good company with other country artists on the show — Dan + Shay and Reba McEntire are current judges, accompanied by Chance the Rapper and John Legend. McEntire herself was a Mega Mentor for season 23. The Australian-American follows up another country artist, Wynonna Judd, who held the role last season.

In the knockout rounds, two teammates separately perform songs of their own choice while their opponent watches. Judges then select the winner, and the other contestant is sent home unless another judge steals them for their own team. Judges are only permitted one steal during the knockout rounds.

The knockouts are proceeded by the final two rounds: the playoffs and the live shows. The season finale will end with granting the last artist standing a recording contract.

The “Somebody Like You” singer is well-qualified to mentor up-and-coming artists. The Grand Ole Opry inducted the musician in 2012, and he is the recipient of four Grammys, 13 CMA awards and six ARIA Music Awards.

Post Malone and Morgan Wallen tease a collaboration

Jackson Dean, Chayce Beckham to headline the Greeley Stampede’s free entertainment stage

Country News

Riley Green...

Tracy Dixon

Get Ready, Y’all—The 2026 ACM Awards Are About to Be Incredible

Mark your calendars, country music lovers! The 61st ACM Awards is heading back to Las Vegas on Sunday, May 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and honestly? This lineup […]

6 hours ago

Tucker Wetmore...

Sarah Nelson

Fresh batch of country tunes sweeter than a spring nectarine | Music City Minute

Spring is an enchanting time, and honestly, a second chance at a new beginning. Now, technically, the spring equinox does not occur until Friday, March 20, but it is never […]

1 day ago

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for ABA...

Sarah Nelson

Riley Green: ‘Well, this is going to be a fun story to tell in the emergency room…’ | Music City Minute

Since the dawn of creative expression, artists have been the target of some gnarly flying projectiles. Over the centuries, this behavior has been dubbed fan-mania, which is very different from […]

2 days ago

Colter Wall...

Sarah Nelson

Colter Wall gives up ‘transcendent ramblin” in hopes of ‘corralling the blues’ | Music City Minute

One of my all-time favorite movies is called “The Rose,” starring Bette Midler, from 1979. Inspired and loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin, Midler’s character Mary Rose is […]

3 days ago

(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)...

Sarah Nelson

Sturgill Simpson evokes spirit of Johnny Blue Skies for new concept album | Music City Minute

In the music world, a concept album or song typically breaks from the cookie cutter commercial structure, allowing an artist more creative freedom. Oftentimes an artist will assume a character […]

7 days ago

Jelly Roll...

Sarah Nelson

Jelly Roll proves achieves a powerful (and rare) honor | Music City Minute

A modern-day “Man in Black” is now a bona fide member of the Grand Ole Opry. This week, friends Craig Morgan, Ernest and comedian Leanne Morgan were on-hand to celebrate […]

8 days ago

“The Voice” announces Keith Urban as the Mega Mentor of its 25th season