Sofronio Vasquez on winning ‘The Voice’: ‘It’s a historic moment for everyone who’s been a dreamer’ [Watch]

Sofronio Vasquez is historic.

The 32-year-old singer became the first Filipino to join the iconic winners list on “The Voice” following the Dec. 10 finale. Vasquez says it’s “heartwarming” that so many people are celebrating his win back home in the Philippines, telling Gold Derby, “It’s also them saying, ‘We are proud of you,’ even if they didn’t even really know me as a person. They just root for me because I represent the Asian culture.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

“It’s such an honor. It’s a historic moment for everyone who’s been a dreamer,” he continues. The other four finalists on NBC’s competition program were Shye, Sydney Sterlace, Danny Joseph, and Jeremy Beloate. Read our minute-by-minute recap to see how it all went down on Tuesday night.

Heading into the finale, Vasquez says he tried to put the competition aspect “out of [his] mind.” He had a talk with his coach, Michael Bublé, who told Vasquez, “It’s a celebration. You guys are winning, whether you are at the top or you’re in the fifth place.” The final five all saw themselves as “winners,” Vasquez says, because they outlasted 150 other aspiring singers to make it to the end.

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Of all of the superstar celebrities who performed during the finale, Vasquez was most excited to see Kelly Clarkson, calling her “awesome” and a “powerhouse.” “Is she even real? Even at the rehearsal she was really perfect. I mean, I don’t think she has any nerves … the way she handles herself is inspiring.”

Vasquez was a four-chair turn in the blind auditions with the song “I’m Goin’ Down,” joining Team Bublé. He then won his battle of “The Power of Love” against Aliyah Khaylyn. In the knockouts, he sang “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” and beat out Kiara Vega and Beloate. Vasquez performed “Crying” in the playoffs, “If I Can Dream” and “Every Breath You Take” in the top eight, “Unstoppable” and “A Million Dreams” in the top five, and “Who’s Lovin’ You” in the finale as his coach duet.

Are you happy Sofronio Vasquez won Season 26 of “The Voice”? Be sure to sound off down in the comments section, and join the fan discussion in our reality TV forums.

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