With 35 million votes cast, it was 37-year-old country singer Tate Stevens who beat out Carly Rose Sonenclar to win the season two title and a $5 million recording contract.
It seems likely that the third place finishers, girl group Fifth Harmony, and 13-year-old Sonenclar split the youth voting block, leaving the way clear for Stevens to end up on top.
Music exec. L.A. Reid considered it a well-deserved win for the contestant he mentored this season. He recently announced that he won’t be returning as a judge on the X Factor next year.
Check out a video clip of the final minutes below:
Photo: WENN