This Is How Much the Judges and Celebrity Guests Earn on 'The Masked Singer'

"The Masked Singer" is like a live carnival TV show which has become popular for its elaborate sets, costumes, and celebrity guests. The reality TV singing show premiered on Fox in 2019 and since then has had a run of nine successful seasons. The show is hosted by comedian-actor-singer Nick Cannon and features prominent judges like actor and comedian Ken Jeong, television star Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, music artist Nicole Scherzinger, and singer-songwriter Robin Thicke. The main concept of the show revolves around celebrities performing their favorite songs while remaining anonymous to the audience and judges behind dramatic costumes. The reality contest has so far attracted A-listers like Caitlyn Jenner, Dick Van Dyke, Busta Rhymes, and Sarah Palin. So how much do the celebrity guests and judges make on the show?  

According to Stylecaster, host Nick Cannon makes an estimated $5 million per season on "The Masked Singer"; his total net worth is $20 million. According to Daily Mail, the judges on the UK version of the singing reality show earn $250,000 to $500,000. Considering that the US version of the show pays the judges somewhere between $1.25 million (minimum) to $2.5 million (maximum) per season. The popular adaptation of "King of Mask Singer," a Korean reality show, has "no particular prize" reports US Today.

According to the US Sun, the reality singing contest is "just for fun." "Each person behind the masks is a celebrity of some kind who presumably has plenty of money and opportunities, so it wouldn't make sense to give them even more," Bustle reports. Every season, the winner is presented with a mask-embellished trophy, while the judge who guessed the celebrities correctly earns the Golden Ear trophy. The show does not give out any cash prize to the winner or choice of donation amount to charity. 

However, the reality show does pay the celebrity contestants a signing bonus. No guest has a definitive salary, and the amount paid varies according to the popularity and star status of the performer. The prize has been a late addition to the reality show. It was instituted during the fourth season and the first winner of the Golden Ear trophy was Judge Jenny McCarthy. She won the trophy again in season five and Nicole Scherzinger bagged the coveted trophy in the next season. However, the prize system was dropped in seasons seven and eight. 

The ninth season of the show premiered on February 15, 2023, and concluded on May 17, 2023. The season opened with the sensational reveal of Dick Van Dyke as Gnome and included performances by Michael Bolton as Wolf, Debbie Gibson as Night Owl, and Grandmaster Flash as Polar Bear. British singer Bishop Briggs, who dressed up like Medusa for her performance, was declared season nine winner.