Development
Auditions
The auditions were opened to anyone between the age of 8 and 14, as of 1 January 2014. Contestants were to submit an online application via The Voice official website, which ended on 24 September 2013. [1] Selected applicants out of the 8,000 hopefuls who applied for the auditions were invited to the producers' auditions in various capital cities. Two of the audition cities were Perth, Western Australia, held on 18 October 2013; and Adelaide, South Australia.
The producers' auditions consisted of three stages. Firstly, the contestants were grouped and had to sing a song together. Selected contestants from the first stage then moved on to the second stage, where they had to sing for The Voice Kids head vocal coach, Lindsay Field. The last stage of the auditions required the contestants to sing for the show's executive producers. [2]
For the online applicants who live more than 200 km away from their capital cities, they were not invited to the producers' auditions. Instead, the producers reviewed each of their online audition videos. [3] At the end of the auditions, the producers narrowed down the artists to the 100 who progressed onto the Blinds to perform for the coaches. [4]
Promotion
A special look at the series was premiered on 27 May 2014, featuring various artists from the Blinds covering an acoustic version of The Black Eyed Peas' "Let's Get It Started". [5]
Format
The show is part of The Voice franchise and is structured as three phases: blind auditions, battle rounds and live performance shows. The winner receives a recording contract with Universal Music.
Blind auditions
Three coaches, all noteworthy recording artists, choose teams of contestants through a blind audition process. Each coach has the length of the audition, a live performance lasting about one minute, to decide if he or she wants that singer on his or her team. If two or more judges want the same singer, the singer has the final choice of coach.
Coaches and hosts
On 26 November 2013, it was announced that Delta Goodrem and Joel Madden, who were the coaches from the adult version of the show, had signed on as the first two coaches. [6] Goodrem announced her departure from the adult version of the show to focus on her music career, but decided to join The Voice Kids as it "allows her the time to continue working on the show, and to focus on new music". [7] In her announcement, she also revealed that Joel would be joining her in the show. [8] On 1 February 2014, Nine Network revealed that former Spice Girls member Mel B and Good Charlotte's Benji Madden were the final two coaches for the series. Benji would team up with his brother Joel on the show. [9]
Darren McMullen, who is also the host for the adult version, was announced as the show's first host. The Voice season 1 quarter-finalist Prinnie Stevens was announced as the show's backstage correspondent during the Blinds.
