Sofronio Parojinog Vasquez III (born November 8, 1992) is a Filipino pop singer based in the United States. He is the winner of season 26 of the American talent competition '' The Voice.'' Vasquez is the first Filipino to win the competition, as well as its first male Asian winner. Vasquez previously competed on the second season of ''

Tawag ng Tanghalan ''Tawag ng Tanghalan'' (, abbreviated TNT) is a Philippine television reality competition show broadcast by ABS-CBN. Originally hosted by Jaime dela Rosa, Patsy and Lopito, it aired as a reality competition from 1954 to September 1972 and f ...

'' in 2017, finishing as a finalist and returning for its all-star spin-off in 2019 where he finished in third place.

Early and personal life

Vasquez was born in

Misamis Occidental Misamis Occidental (; Subanen languages, Subanen: ''Sindepan Mis'samis''; ; ), officially the Province of Misamis Occidental, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province located in the Regions of the Philippines, region of Northern Mindanao in th ...

to Aida Parojinog, a member of a politically active family in

Ozamiz Ozamiz, officially the City of Ozamiz (; ), is a component city in the province of Misamis Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 140,334 people making it the most populous city in Misamis Occidental. Al ...

, and Oniol Vasquez. He cites his father–whom he also regarded as his first coach–for his affinity for singing. Vasquez studied dentistry and practiced as a dental hygienist. After the death of his father in June 2018, he was inspired to pursue a singing career, working as a singer for the

Carnival Cruise Line Carnival Cruise Line is an international cruise line with headquarters in Doral, Florida. The company is a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. Its logo is a funnel (ship), funnel shaped like a whale's tail, with a red, white, and blue colo ...

and entering singing competitions. In 2022, Vasquez moved to

Utica, New York Utica () is the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The tenth-most populous city in New York, its population was 65,283 in the 2020 census. It is located on the Mohawk River in the Mohawk Valley at the foot of the Adiro ...

, where he worked as a dental assistant to provide for his family.

Career

2017–2019: ''Tawag ng Tanghalan''

In 2017, Vasquez competed in the second season of ''

'', a segment of

ABS-CBN ABS-CBN is a leading Philippine media and content company. It serves as the flagship media brand of ABS-CBN Corporation, a subsidiary of Lopez Holdings Corporation. Once the country's largest free-to-air television network, ABS-CBN has since ...

's noontime variety show '' It's Showtime'' where he finished in seventh place. He later competed in the '' All-Star Grand Resbak'' spin-off of the program and finished in third place. Following his stint, the program tapped Vasquez to become a vocal coach.

2024–present: ''The Voice''

In 2024, Vasquez auditioned for the 26th season of '' The Voice USA''. All four coaches (

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Regarded as a pop icon, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American ...

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani Shelton ( ; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani rose to fame as a member and lead vocalist of the band No Doubt, whose hit singles include " Just a Girl", " Spiderwebs", an ...

Reba McEntire Reba Nell McEntire ( ; born March 28, 1955), or simply Reba, is an American country music, country singer and actress. Dubbed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Sin ...

, and

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

) expressed interest in working with him. Vasquez ultimately chose to be a part of Team Bublé. He progressed to the live finale held on December 10, 2024, where he won, becoming the first male Asian winner in the show's run, as well as the first Filipino to win. Vasquez won US$100,000 and a recording contract with

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

. Upon his return to the Philippines, Vasquez paid a courtesy call to the

Malacañang Palace Malacañang Palace (, ), officially known as Malacañán Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila district of San Miguel, Manila, San Miguel, along Jose Laurel S ...

on January 8, 2025, performing for Philippine president

Bongbong Marcos Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. (, , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials BBM or PBBM, is a Filipino politician who has served as the 17th president of the Philippines since 2022. He is the second child ...

and first lady

Liza Araneta Marcos Marie Louise "Liza" Cacho Araneta Marcos ( Araneta; born August 21, 1959) is a Filipino lawyer and academic who has been the first lady of the Philippines since 2022 as the wife of Bongbong Marcos, the 17th and incumbent president of the Philip ...

. Vasquez held his debut solo concert on January 18, at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino in

Cebu City Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu, is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 964,169 people, making ...

, in conjunction with the

Sinulog Festival The Sinulog Festival (also known as Sinug and Sulog) is an annual Filipino cultural and religious festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu, with the center of the activities being in Cebu City; and is the core of Santo Niño Chr ...

. On January 20, Senator

Joel Villanueva Emmanuel Joel Jose Villanueva (, born August 2, 1975), nicknamed "Tesdaman", is a Filipino politician who previously served as the Senate Majority Leader from 2022 to 2024 and has been a Senator since 2016. He previously served as the Director ...

, along with the consolidated resolutions from Senator

Imee Marcos Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios "Imee" Romualdez Marcos-Manotoc (; born November 12, 1955) is a Filipino politician and film producer serving as a Senate of the Philippines, senator since 2019. She previously served as governor of Ilocos Norte ...

and Senate President Pro Tempore

Jinggoy Estrada Jose Pimentel Ejercito Jr. (born February 17, 1963), better known as Jinggoy Estrada or Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, is a Filipino politician and film actor serving as a senator since 2022 and previously from 2004 to 2016. He is the current presi ...

, unanimously adopted Senate Resolution No. 1259 in honor of Vasquez. In March 2025, Vasquez signed with

Star Magic ABS-CBN Center for Communication Arts, Inc., doing business as Star Magic (formerly known as ABS-CBN Talent Center), is a Philippine talent agency owned by ABS-CBN Corporation based in Quezon City, Metro Manila. Founded in 1992, Star Magic ha ...

for his activities in the Philippines. He will sing the national anthem at President Marcos's fourth State of the Nation Address on July 28.

Filmography

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vasquez, Sofronio 1992 births 21st-century Filipino male singers ABS-CBN people Living people Filipino expatriates in the United States Musicians from Utica, New York Singers from Misamis Oriental The Voice (American TV series) The Voice (franchise) contestants The Voice (franchise) winners Star Magic personalities Tawag ng Tanghalan contestants