Bryan Olesen blew The Voice viewers away with his rendition of “Love Runs Out” by OneRepublic during the Blinds. However, it didn’t take long for fans to recognize him as the Grammy-nominated former guitarist of Newsboys. Olesen was in the Christian rock band from 2004 to 2006. After leaving Newsboys, he founded the Christian rock band VOTA. This left many fans wondering if Olesen was eligible to compete on the show. After all, his experience in the music industry seems to give him an advantage over many other hopefuls.
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Fans took to social media to share their opinions and questions about Olesen’s eligibility to compete on The Voice. “IMO, anyone who has made a living singing shouldn’t compete. Especially someone who was nominated for a Grammy,” one fan wrote. “Just a little confused how this is allowed. He is already famous,” another tweeted. There were plenty more reactions. However, those sum up the sentiments of a large portion of the audience.
[RELATED: ‘The Voice’ Fans up in Arms After GRAMMY-Nominated Singer Is Allowed to Compete]
Bryan Olesen Isn’t the First Grammy Nominated Contestant on The Voice
This isn’t the first time someone with a Grammy nomination under their belt competed on The Voice. Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Wendy Moten competed on the show during season 21. Before appearing on the show, she released several solo albums and sang backup for the likes of Faith Hill and Julio Iglesias.
Throughout the season, she leaned on her years of experience as a professional singer to take her through the ranks. Moten made it to the finals and was her season’s runner-up. She finished behind the group Girl Named Tom.
According to the official eligibility requirements for The Voice, there is no rule against an established artist competing on the show. In fact, the only show business history that would disqualify a contestant is a connection to NBC, Universal, MGM, or any other company associated with the show.
However, the producers can choose to deem a contestant ineligible at their discretion. Per the official rules, “Producer reserves the right to render ineligible any person that Producer determines, in its sole discretion, is sufficiently connected with the production, administration, judging, or distribution of the Program such that his or her participation in the Program could create the appearance of impropriety.”
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