Survivor has officially reached the end of an era, with the Sia Prize coming to a close.
Jeff Probst, the host of the long-running CBS series, revealed on social media Friday that the pop star will no longer be awarding money to her favorite Survivor players each season.
“After eight years, 14 seasons, 19 players and over $1,000,000 awarded, Survivor is officially bringing the Sia Prize to a triumphant end!” he wrote on his Instagram Story. “Over the many years, Sia has brought so much joy to so many players and it was always straight from her heart.”
Probst added, “So it is with tremendous gratitude and admiration to Sia that we bring to a close one of the most unique relationships a TV show could ever have with a pop star of Sia’s global wattage. I’m really honored for Survivor to have this one of a kind association with Sia. She’s in the Survivor Hall Of Fame of Superfans!”
The “Chandelier” artist began her tradition with the reality competition show in 2016 during the season 32 finale for Survivor: Kaôh Rōng — Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty.
“I still vividly remember the day Sia stood up in the audience during the live finale … and made her way onstage,” Probst recalled of the moment. “She was so taken by Tai [Trang]’s commitment to protecting a chicken from being eaten that she awarded him $50,000 of her own money.”
The host continued in his post, “Tai was shocked, the audience was shocked, I was shocked! What was happening? Sia was onstage in her wig handing out money to a Survivor player!? That was the beginning of what became affectionately known as ‘The Sia Prize.’”
The singer-songwriter went on to award 18 more players with various amounts of money, including seven players who received $100,000 each.
The Sia Prize is not officially affiliated with the Survivor franchise, as the show’s winner wins a $1 million prize.
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