Emma Ziza Cohen Wins Dramatic Finale of 'The Voice' 2026 Despite Illness
Emma Ziza Cohen, 17, won the grand finale of "The Voice" 2026. Despite battling illness during her performance and starting in third place, the audience vote propelled Noa Kirel's prodigy to victory.
A Dramatic Finale and Triumph Against All Odds
The 17-year-old singer Emma Ziza Cohen completed a dramatic turnaround to win the grand finale of "The Voice" 2026. The young artist, a member of Noa Kirel's team, was crowned Israel's next big voice after securing the majority of votes against three formidable finalists.
Competing alongside Emma in the finale were Osher Cohen from Eden Ben Zaken's team, Renana Hovav mentored by Idan Raichel, and Tamir Seri from Static's team. During the evening, each finalist performed a solo song before returning to the stage for a special duet with their respective mentor.
Emma chose to perform Alicia Keys' "Girl on Fire" for her solo act, but the performance hid a difficult physical struggle. Immediately after the song, she burst into tears, and the host Michael revealed to the audience that she was feeling unwell. Despite severe hoarseness and real-time physical difficulties, she pushed through to the end, earning praise from all the mentors.
Mentors Rally Behind the Young Star
Noa Kirel expressed immense pride in her contestant, offering strong words of encouragement. Static admired her resilience when things did not go as planned, while Idan Raichel highlighted the inspiring message she sent to young viewers:
"They see how someone fights through this, doesn't stop, and that is what true professionalism is all about."
Eden Ben Zaken added: "This is part of your journey, and you conquered it beautifully."
At that stage, however, Emma's victory was far from guaranteed. After the mentors' initial points were tallied, she stood in third place. Osher Cohen led the scoreboard, followed by Renana Hovav in second, Emma in third, and Tamir Seri in fourth.
The Decisive Audience Vote
The studio audience vote completely shifted the dynamics. Emma climbed to first place, Renana remained second, Osher dropped to third, and Tamir stayed in fourth. The studio votes accounted for half of the final score, with the remaining half determined by home viewers. Once the final calculations were made, Emma was declared the grand winner.
The other finalists also received widespread acclaim:
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Osher Cohen performed Eyal Golan's "Negat Li BaLev" ("You Touched My Heart"), leaving a lasting impression. Static predicted she would soon be filling major concert halls.
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Tamir Seri sang Omer Adam's "Malkat HaDor" ("Queen of the Generation"). Mentors praised his vocal growth, with Static noting: "You arrived here as a contestant who didn't even realize how much of a singer he was."
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Renana Hovav performed "Ananim" ("Clouds"), originally by Yishai Levi. Eden Ben Zaken predicted a massive career for her outside the show.
Star Duets and Mentor Performances
During the duet segment, Tamir and Static performed "Chik Chak," Osher and Eden Ben Zaken sang "Mangina," and Emma joined Noa Kirel for "Love Song." A standout moment was Renana and Idan Raichel's performance of "Kol HaOlam Sheli Ata" ("You Are My Whole World"), an original song Raichel wrote specifically for her, which he accompanied on the piano.
Before the final results were announced, the four mentors performed a special segment, swapping hits. Raichel sang Eden Ben Zaken's "BaSivuv HaBa," while she performed his "Shoshanim Atzuvot." Noa Kirel chose Static's "HaPesha HaMushlam," and he responded with his own version of her hit "Panthera."
At the end of an emotional night filled with dramatic shifts and tears, Emma Ziza Cohen completed her journey to the top, proving that determination can overcome any physical obstacle to win the title of Israel's next great voice.
