The ninth season of the American television series The Masked Singer premiered on Fox on February 15, 2023, and concluded on May 17, 2023. The season was won by singer Bishop Briggs as "Medusa", with singer David Archuleta finishing second as "Macaw".
Panelists and host
Nick Cannon, singer-songwriter Robin Thicke, television and radio personality Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, actor and comedian Ken Jeong, and recording artist Nicole Scherzinger all return as host and panelists.
The second episode included Nick Viall and Shangela as additional guests, the third episode included Luann de Lesseps and Theresa Caputo as additional guests, the fourth episode included Helen Mirren, Zachary Levi, and Jim Lee as additional guests with Jennifer Nettles appearing in a post-credit gag, the fifth episode featured Nettles as a guest panelist, with Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, Count von Count, Abby Cadabby, and Elmo's puppy Tango as additional guests, the sixth episode included Bill Engvall, Robert Woods, and Deana Carter as additional guests, the seventh episode included Young MC, Donnie Wahlberg (who portrayed "Cluedle-Doo" during the fifth season), Erik Estrada, and Charlene Tilton as additional guests, and the ninth episode included Daphne Zuniga and Mike Massimino as additional guests.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin appeared as a guest in the fifth episode along with his younger brother, Damir. The episode was filmed in January 2023, a few weeks after his cardiac arrest medical incident.
Production The season is formatted similar to its predecessor, featuring three contestants in each episode, with one eliminated mid-show and taken to the VIP section and the other two battling it out in a Battle Royale. A champion is crowned at the end of each episode who then moves on to the following episode, with the other singer in the top two unmasking. However, it also introduces a gimmick known as the "Ding Dong Keep It On" bell, which allows a panelist to save a singer from elimination. The bell can only be used once per group. As a result, there was a special episode where those saved by the "Ding Dong Keep It On" bell compete for a second chance to stay in the competition.
The season also features the return of themed nights, a gimmick introduced in the previous season. The season includes themes such as "Opening Night", "ABBA", "New York", "DC Superhero", "Sesame Street", "80s Night", "Country", "Movie Night", "Space", and “British Invasion”.
The twelfth episode of the season ended with a dedication for TV host Jerry Springer who died on April 27, 2023. Springer portrayed "Beetle" in the previous season.
Contestants The contestants in this season are reported to have a combined 95,231,000 records sold, 28 Emmy nominations, 26 books, 10 gold albums, six Grammy wins, five lifetime achievement awards, five medals, four Golden Globe nominations, four stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and two Tony Award nominations.
One mask, "French Hen", was revealed in promotional material prior to the airing of the season, but did not participate in the season. Although nothing has been officially revealed about the celebrity participant, Variety has reported that a celebrity exited the season after testing positive for COVID-19, which ultimately led to Debbie Gibson's participation.
+ Results Stage name Celebrity Occupation(s) Episodes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Medusa Bishop Briggs Singer WIN WIN KEPT WIN SAFE SAFE WINNER Macaw David Archuleta Singer WIN SAFE SAFE RUNNER-UP California Roll Pentatonix A capella group WIN SAFE OUT UFO Olivia Culpo Model/internet personality WIN OUT Gargoyle Keenan Allen NFL player KEPT OUT Mantis Lou Diamond Phillips Actor KEPT OUT Lamp Melissa Joan Hart Actor OUT Dandelion Alicia Witt Actor/singer WIN OUT Doll Dee Snider Singer WIN OUT Scorpio Christine Quinn TV personality OUT Moose George Wendt Actor/comedian OUT Fairy Holly Robinson Peete Actor/singer WIN OUT Axolotl Alexa Bliss Professional wrestler OUT Jackalope Lele Pons Internet personality OUT Squirrel Malin Akerman Actor WIN OUT Wolf Michael Bolton Singer OUT Polar Bear Grandmaster Flash DJ/rapper OUT Night Owl Debbie Gibson Singer OUT Rock Lobster Howie Mandel Comedian/TV personality OUT Mustang Sara Evans Singer OUT Gnome Dick Van Dyke Actor/comedian OUT
Episodes Week 1 (February 15) + Performances on the first episode # Stage name Song Identity Result 1 Mustang "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake SAFE 2 Gnome "When You're Smiling" by Billie Holiday Dick Van Dyke OUT 3 Medusa "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish SAFE Battle Royale 4 Mustang "Diamonds" by Rihanna Sara Evans OUT Medusa WIN
After being unmasked, Van Dyke sang "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins as his encore performance.
Week 2 (February 22) - "ABBA Night"
+ Performances on the second episode # Stage name ABBA song Identity Result 1 Medusa "Dancing Queen" SAFE 2 Night Owl "Fernando" SAFE 3 Rock Lobster "SOS" Howie Mandel OUT Battle Royale 4 Medusa "The Winner Takes It All" WIN Night Owl Debbie Gibson OUT
Week 3 (March 1) - "New York Night" Guest performance: Panelist Robin Thicke performs "Living in New York City" + Performances on the third episode # Stage name Song Identity Result 1 Medusa "New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra SAFE 2 Polar Bear "Rapture" by Blondie Grandmaster Flash OUT 3 California Roll "Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga SAFE Battle Royale 4 Medusa "Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel KEPT California Roll WIN
After being unmasked, Grandmaster Flash scratched along to "Good Times" by Chic as his encore performance.
Week 4 (March 8) - "DC Superheroes Night" Guest performance: Panelist Nicole Scherzinger performs "Holding Out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler + Performances on the fourth episode # Stage name Song Identity Result 1 Gargoyle "One Call Away" by Charlie Puth SAFE 2 Wolf "Break On Through" by The Doors Michael Bolton OUT 3 Squirrel "Try" by P!nk SAFE Battle Royale 4 Gargoyle "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down KEPT Squirrel WIN After being unmasked, Bolton performed his signature song "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" as his encore performance.
Week 5 (March 15) - "Sesame Street Night" Guest performance: Sesame Street characters perform "Dynamite" by BTS + Performances on the fifth episode # Stage name Song Identity Result 1 Squirrel "Just the Two of Us" by Grover Washington, Jr. feat. Bill Withers Malin Akerman OUT 2 Fairy "You're No Good" by Linda Ronstadt SAFE 3 Jackalope "Whenever, Wherever" by Shakira SAFE Battle Royale 4 Jackalope "On Top of the World" by Imagine Dragons Lele Pons OUT Fairy WIN
Week 6 (March 22) - "Country Night" + Performances on the sixth episode # Stage name Song Identity Result 1 Fairy "Angel from Montgomery" by Bonnie Raitt SAFE 2 Axolotl "Can't Fight the Moonlight" by LeAnn Rimes Alexa Bliss OUT 3 Macaw "Live Like You Were Dying" by Tim McGraw SAFE Battle Royale 4 Fairy "That Don't Impress Me Much" by Shania Twain Holly Robinson Peete OUT Macaw WIN
Week 7 (March 29) - "'80s Night" Guest performance: Young MC performs "Bust a Move"
+ Performances on the seventh episode # Stage name Song Identity Result 1 Doll "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds SAFE 2 Scorpio "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper SAFE 3 Moose "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis & the News George Wendt OUT Battle Royale 4 Scorpio "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran Christine Quinn OUT Doll WIN
Week 8 (April 5) - "WB Movie Night" + Performances on the eighth episode # Stage name Song Identity Result 1 Doll "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley (from Elvis) Dee Snider OUT 2 Dandelion "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland (from The Wizard of Oz) SAFE 3 Mantis "Old Time Rock and Roll" by Bob Seger (from Risky Business) SAFE Battle Royale 4 Dandelion "(I've Got A) Golden Ticket" by Jack Albertson & Peter Ostrum(from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) WIN Mantis KEPT After being unmasked, Snider performed an acapella version of his signature song "We're Not Gonna Take It" as his encore performance.
Week 9 (April 12) - "Masked Singer In Space" + Performances on the ninth episode # Stage name Song Identity Result 1 Dandelion "Starlight" by Muse Alicia Witt OUT 2 Lamp "Venus" by Bananarama SAFE 3 UFO "Yellow" by Coldplay SAFE Battle Royale 4 Lamp "Rocket Man" by Elton John Melissa Joan Hart OUT UFO WIN
Week 10 (April 19) - "Supreme Six" + Performances on the tenth episode # Stage name Song 1 California Roll "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler 2 Macaw "Photograph" by Ed Sheeran 3 UFO "Stargazing" by Kygo
Week 11 (April 26) - "Battle of the Saved" + Performances on the eleventh episode # Stage name Song Identity Result 1 Medusa "Mercy" by Shawn Mendes SAFE 2 Gargoyle "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" by Usher ft. Pitbull SAFE 3 Mantis "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks Lou Diamond Phillips OUT Battle Royale 4 Gargoyle "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy Keenan Allen OUT Medusa WIN
After being unmasked, Phillips performed "La Bamba" by Ritchie Valens as his encore performance.
Week 12 (May 3) - "Quarter Finals" (British Invasion Night) + Performances on the twelfth episode # Stage name Song Identity Result 1 Macaw "Your Song" by Elton John SAFE 2 California Roll "Creep" by Radiohead SAFE 3 UFO "Tears Dry on Their Own" by Amy Winehouse Olivia Culpo OUT 4 Medusa "Someone like You" by Adele SAFE
Week 13 (May 10) - "Semi-Finals" + Performances on the thirteenth episode # Stage name Song Identity Result 1 California Roll "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson Pentatonix OUT 2 Medusa "Take Me to Church" by Hozier SAFE 3 Macaw "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction SAFE Battle Royale "Runaway Baby" by Bruno Mars
Week 14 (May 17) - "Finale" + Performances on the fourteenth episode # Stage name Song Identity Result 1 Macaw "Hold Back the River" by James Bay David Archuleta RUNNER-UP "All by Myself" by Eric Carmen 2 Medusa "Elastic Heart" by Sia Bishop Briggs WINNER "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance
After being unmasked, Briggs sang her signature song "River" as her encore performance.
Ratings
Notes
References