Season 1 (2009) The show featured eight a cappella groups performing popular songs live. The winner's prize was $100,000 and a
Sony Music recording contract. and that
Sara Bareilles would replace Scherzinger on the judging panel. Nick Lachey, Ben Folds, and Shawn Stockman all returned. Since there were sixteen vocal groups, the groups were divided into two brackets of eight for the first four episodes to get down to the top ten. The first and second episodes had the groups sing their signature songs, while the third and fourth episodes had the groups perform a current hit and a classic from the 1960s. The fifth episode saw the two brackets merge, with the remaining ten groups performing their guilty pleasure songs. In the sixth episode, the eight remaining groups performed a hip-hop song and at the end of the episode, the show had its first-ever
Sing-Off showdown, in which bottom two groups sang different versions of a song and the judges voted which to send home. The remaining groups in the seventh episode sang a superstar medley and in the eighth episode, the remaining six performed a country song and a rock-and-roll song. The top five groups performed rhythm-and-blues hits from today, and classics from the past, in the ninth episode. In the tenth episode, the top four performed master mix songs, a song picked by the judges. In the elimination, Urban Method and Pentatonix advanced to the finale. The judges could not come to a decision on the remaining two groups, Afro-Blue and the Dartmouth Aires, so they performed their favorite songs from past performances. In a two-to-one decision by the judges, Afro-Blue was voted off and the Dartmouth Aires advanced to the finale. The live finale crowned
Pentatonix as winners, with the Dartmouth Aires coming in second, and Urban Method coming in third place. One week after the third season ended, a Christmas special (titled "The Sing-Off Christmas") was aired on December 5, 2011. It featured groups from all three seasons singing various Christmas songs.
Season 4 (2013) was the new judge for the fourth season, replacing Sara Bareilles On March 13, 2013, NBC announced that
The Sing-Off would return for a fourth season, with additional production by Mark Burnett's One Three Media, which also produces NBC's other singing competition show,
The Voice. After the fourth season was announced, Sara Bareilles announced that she would not be returning to the show. On July 2, 2013, it was announced that
Jewel would replace Bareilles as a judge. The show returned on December 9, 2013, and aired over several nights, concluding on December 23, 2013.
Home Free was crowned the winner, with Ten coming in second and Vocal Rush coming in third.
Season 5 (2014) was the new judge for the fifth season, replacing Ben Folds On October 1, 2014, NBC renewed the series for a fifth season to air at the end of 2014. Although a "season" of shows did not air (to the confusion of some fans), NBC aired a two-hour special on December 17, 2014. Lachey, Stockman and Jewel returned with
Patrick Stump replacing Folds, and
Deke Sharon returned as music director/vocal producer. At the end of the night, the
Vanderbilt Melodores were crowned as the new champions,
The Exchange were the runners-up, and Traces placed third. The other competitors on Season 5 were a.squared, San Fran 6, and Timothy's Gift. Season 5 marked the first and only time that a competing group on the show was permitted to use electronics to supplement their live vocal sound (as demonstrated by a.squared's performance of "Pompeii" by Bastille). This use of electronic effects had been previously banned, most notably in the case of season 3 contestants
Arora (formerly Sonos) who were not allowed to perform with their signature effects pedals. The special received 5.10 million viewers, a 1.3 rating, and a 4 share.
Performances • Group Performance: "
Kids in America" by
Kim Wilde •
Pentatonix (season 3 winners) performed Christmas Holiday Medley of "
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", "
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town", and "That's Christmas to Me".
First round • Theme: Contestants' choice
Second round • Theme: Judges' choice ==International broadcasts==