By Stacy M. Brown
(NNPA) – In January 2026, Netflix will bring “Star Search” back to audiences around the world. The series that once carried dreamers from small-town talent shows to national stardom returns with a new host, Anthony Anderson, and a fully live format that lets viewers decide, in real time, who rises and who falls. The announcement has renewed attention on a program that helped shape the trajectory of some of the most influential Black performers in entertainment history.
Anderson said he is ready to guide the next generation, saying in a release that he is “super excited to host this new chapter of ‘Star Search’ and to introduce such an iconic format to a whole new generation” and that “the range of talent we are going to see is going to blow you away.”
While the categories remain familiar, Netflix is introducing a live voting system. Each episode will unfold on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, with viewers deciding in the moment who advances. It brings instant consequence to performances that once defined slow-building careers. This time, the audience becomes the judge from the very first night.
The reboot also shines a light on the history behind it. For decades, “Star Search” served as a launchpad for Black performers who arrived with talent, resolve, and very little else. Many were children stepping into the national spotlight for the first time.
Billy Porter walked onto the “Star Search” stage in 1992 and left as the singing champion. Years later he said that the prize money, which he remembered as about $44,000 after taxes, went directly toward what he needed to survive and toward improving his confidence. He said it paid for his teeth at a time when he was trying to break into movies. Tatyana Ali won the junior vocalist category at just 7 years old in 1983. Before she became a familiar face on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” she was a child singer earning a four-star rating under bright studio lights that dwarfed her.
Comedy also found a home on the stage. Dave Chappelle performed in 1993. He did not win, but the show placed him in front of audiences who would later follow him into film and stand-up. Martin Lawrence reached the final round during his run, and although he lost, executives from Columbia Television invited him to join “What’s Happening Now!!” after seeing his performance.
For many performers, the journey began even earlier. Aaliyah competed at age 10 with a rendition of “My Funny Valentine.” Usher appeared as a teen in 1991 and won the title of best teen vocalist. That appearance led to a record deal with L. A. Reid and marked the beginning of a career that would reshape R&B.
Girls Tyme, the group that included Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland, also came through “Star Search.” They lost to a competing band, but the defeat became part of their original story. Rowland later said she cried after the loss but added that something inside her still insisted that success was ahead. “No, we are still going to make it,” she remembered feeling.
Countess Vaughn, who won junior vocalist champion at 9, and comedians such as Sinbad and Tommy Davidson also passed through the show at pivotal moments. The 2003 revival introduced new faces such as Loni Love and Tiffany Evans. Love said on Instagram that losing helped her more than winning, because it freed her to begin working immediately in television. Evans won her season with a perfect score.
These stories form the backbone of the program’s legacy. “Star Search” gave Black performers a platform in an industry with few open doors. It also created moments of recognition long before social media or viral clips. The stage became a proving ground for young artists who were learning how to perform under pressure and how to command a national audience.
Netflix is now returning that stage to the public. Anderson said the live voting experience creates a direct line between viewer and performer. “Fans from all over the world can cast their votes in real time,” he said. “It is like we are all part of the show.”
The new season premieres January 13, 2026. A fresh group of unknowns will step forward, hoping for the kind of moment that once lifted Aaliyah, Usher, Beyoncé, Rowland, Porter, Lawrence, Vaughn, and so many others into the spotlight. The show that helped shape their early careers is ready to begin again.