Behind the Scenes: Samsung NXT 2.0 Contestants Meet Their Celebrity Mentors

The grand finale for Samsung and Billboard’s NXT 2.0 took place on Friday (February 17), with Nyla XO winning the title and bringing the months-long singing competition to a close.

Nyla, as well as her fellow finalists –– Julian King and Kyn Rose –– made it through three competitive rounds so far, beating out nine other talented contestants. They were first tasked with putting their unique spin on the BTS hit, “Butter,” before showing off their musical style with an original song in Round 2 and making their own backing instrumental in Round 3.

But before making their way to a Los Angeles stage, where they performed in front of a live audience and celebrity judges Eric Nam, Natti Natasha, and Tinashe, this year’s finalists were given the chance to meet one-on-one with their industry mentors –– all who’ve helped announce challenges thus far in the competition –– for some invaluable coaching.

Armed with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4, Galaxy Buds2 Pro, and their Galaxy Watch5, each contestant teamed up with their respective mentor to better prepare for the big event. Julian flew to Miami to get some tips from reggaeton star Mariah Angeliq, while Nyla XO met up with rapper Flo Milli in Atlanta. Kyn Rose, meanwhile, video chatted with his mentor, KPop star, BIBI, ahead of the grand finale.

While their mentorship sessions can be seen here, Billboard is sharing some behind-the-scenes photos from their mentorships.

This year’s Samsung NXT 2.0 winner has won the cover of a special digital issue of Billboard, a meeting with a record label, funding for a music video, and tickets to the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.