The shy Queenslander with a soulful voice, who was coached by Delta Goodrem, was named the winner of the 2017 series on Nine and awarded a recording contract with Universal Music and $100,000 in prize money.

In the end it was an all-male contest, with Hoseah Partsch and Kelly chosen as the final two singers by an audience vote.

Before performing his winner's single, 20-year-old Kelly said: "I've had my struggles and I've had my doubts and I've had my times of darkness. But I've had people there to help support me. And the song for me is, you know, I'm there for them as well.

"I'm living my dream right here. I'm creating some music that I love and that hopefully when people listen to it, they will love it too."

Partsch, the 18-year-old from Melbourne, said: "I honestly never saw myself in a recording studio.

"I honestly saw myself on the streets being a bad kid, doing bad things. But with family and friends and God behind me, you know, it put me on the right path."

Boy George said runner-up Partsch was "an Aussie battler, he just gets on with it, he doesn't complain".

In what Sonia Kruger, the host of the Nine show, had initially dubbed a "super-sized finale" the four remaining contestants –  Fasika Ayallew, Lucy Sugerman, Kelly and Partsch – opened the show with a performance alongside international superstar Katy Perry.

"What a way to start our biggest ever show," Kruger exclaimed, as white confetti rained down on the quintet co-ordinated in monochrome.

Perry performed twice on the show, alongside other star guests Niall Horan from One Direction (performing his hit solo single Slow Hands) and Noah Cyrus, the younger sibling of Miley Cyrus, who is attempting her own career in music.

"Wow, three of my favourite things – The Voice, Australia and my little sister Noah," said Miley Cyrus, introducing her sister via a taped message.

Despite the superstar encouragement, Noah seemed flustered at times during her performance (which was her debut on live Australian television) but she managed to show off an edgier presence which won over the in-studio audience.

Apart from singing during the grand finale, Katy Perry also chatted to Kruger onstage and appeared to outdo herself with a selection of Australian clichés, including her declaration that "this time I am just trying to eat all the meat pies I can".

She also used the high-profile television appearance to announce her Australian tour next year. "I'm excited," Perry said. Boy George also announced he will return to Australia with Culture Club in December, joking "you can't get rid of me".

Apart from singing during the grand finale, Katy Perry also chatted to Kruger onstage and appeared to outdo herself with a selection of Australian clichés, including her declaration that "this time I am just trying to eat all the meat pies I can".

She also used the high-profile television appearance to announce her Australian tour next year. "I'm excited," Perry said. Boy George also announced he will return to Australia with Culture Club in December, joking "you can't get rid of me".

The inclusion of Kelly Rowland and Boy George as new coaches on The Voice Australia this year appears to have been a hit for Nine, with both Seal and Delta Goodrem returning to the red chairs this year.

Partsch was the first finalist to perform solo with the John Legend track All of Me. "I'm going to sing this song for my Mum," he said. "I hope she knows I love her so much."

Seal described his 15-year-old singing protégé Lucy Sugerman as "a real national treasure" before performing a duet of Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds with her.

"Before I came on The Voice I was just a typical 15-year-old schoolgirl," Sugerman said. "If there's ever a time to be fearless, it's the grand finale of The Voice". The teenager later appeared noticeably nervous during her solo performance of Taylor Swift's You Belong With Me but she was buoyed by a video message from her school friends in Canberra.

All of the coaches performed duets with the finalists from their respective teams. Delta Goodrem and Judah Kelly performed I Was Here by Beyonce.

"There's no doubt in my mind King Judah should be The Voice of 2017," Goodrem said.

Kelly sang Climb Every Mountain from The Sound of Music despite admitting he had never seen the film. Seal generously told him he represented "all the people that wish for greater things".

Boy George and Partsch had earlier created their own bit of onstage magic with a duet of What A Wonderful World. "To be able to share the stage with a music icon, words can't explain how happy I am right now," Partsch said.

The standout highlight of the live performances was Kelly Rowland and Fasika Ayallew wowing the audience with a rousing rendition of Proud Mary, which revealed Ayallew as a genuine contender for stardom beyond the reality show, despite not making it into the final two.

"What a moment!" Kruger exclaimed.

Rowland had earlier picked her own song When Love Takes Over(written by Rowland with the Australian duo Miriam and Olivia Nervo over the track created David Guetta) for Ayallew to perform solo.

The 19-year-old university student said her father was now supportive of her entertainment career, alongside the rest of her family. "At the end of the day I know they will be proud of me," Ayallew said.

Stylists for the show appeared to have raided the 1970s section of the Nine wardrobe department with plunging jumpsuits, fringed disco dresses and platform boots on show throughout the grand finale.

The no-expenses spared finale made for spectacular television on Nine but what will become of the winner's actual music career remains to be seen.

The grand finale, as always, featured the usual gushfest from host and coaches and about "dreams coming true" and young artists "winning it all".

However the last two winners of The Voice, Alfie Arcurio and Ellie Drennan, did not make a significant dent in the charts. Arcuri's debut song Cruel was notable only for being the lowest-ever debut by a winner of The Voice, coming at number 89 on the ARIA charts, although it fared higher on iTunes Australia.

Judah Kelly is releasing a winner's single titled Count on Me.

Brisbane Times