NBC’s The Voice has been an Emmy darling since its first nomination for outstanding reality-competition program in 2012, but according to host and executive producer Carson Daly, “it’s never normal.”
“It’s still literally unbelievable,” he told The Hollywood Reporter of the show’s most recent nomination. “The first nomination we got was incredible and it was the first, I think, Emmy nomination for a singing competition and to think that a show like American Idol, which blazed a path for a show like The Voice, I don’t think it has been nominated and that was such a popular thing.”
“We got nominated for an Emmy and we were just stunned,” Daly recalled. “And now for all this time to have gone by and for us to have won… People probably think, ‘Oh, you’re used to it, it’s normal.’ It’s never normal, it’s always cool.”
The Voice is currently shooting its 15th season on NBC, and since the show has “always reserved the right to tweak” its format, Daly teased a new addition coming to the new season.
“We’re always trying to tweak things to make it more fun and we’re doing something else – I can’t say – in season 15 … that’s going to straddle both digital, online and linear on the live shows, so that’ll be fun, too.”
Daly also discussed fan-favorite coach Kelly Clarkson, who joined the competition last season and took contestant Brynn Cartelli across the finish line. “Kelly’s been such a great, great addition,” he said.
“What makes a great coach, at the end of the day, is great people. It’s really just that simple. There’s no magic formula. It’s really just about people, and Kelly is just a great person. All that infectious energy you see on screen, her caring and crying and standing, that’s just how she is.”
He added: “She’s a great mom, she’s a great person, she’s a great friend and those are the characteristics that make a great coach and they’re undeniable when they’re on TV. You can’t really hide it, to be honest with you.”
Watch the video above to hear Daly also discuss The Voice‘s most memorable performances, which celebrity has made him starstruck and why music videos don’t have the same impact as they used to during the days of MTV’s TRL.
