There’s a new addition to the decade-long list of Sia Prize winners on Survivor.
The Grammy-nominated pop star and fan of the show bestowed a $100,000 cash prize on Wednesday (May 20) upon Cirie Fields, who was selected based on a fan vote. Though she placed sixth on Survivor 50, fans may recognize Field’s name from her numerous previous attempts to outwit, outplay and outlast on CBS’ reality competition, and her first-place finish on the inaugural season of the U.S. version of The Traitors.
Sia did not make an in-person appearance to hand Fields her prize, but host Jeff Probst’s announcement was still met with uproarious applause from the studio audience and her fellow contestants. On May 13, underneath a joint Instagram post from Survivor, Sia and Probst announcing the return of the Sia Prize, Fields commented, “Sia is a real one; thank you, Sia,” signing off with a red heart emoji.
The Sia Prize first entered the Survivor universe in 2016 as an unofficial cash reward for players whose personal stories resonated with the “Cheap Thrills” singer. Over the next few years, Sia gave away more than $1 million in prize money to 19 different Survivor contestants, including the inaugural recipient, Tai Trang, who refused to let his tribe slaughter a chicken. The Sia Prize was last awarded in 2023 during Survivor 45; Katurah Topps took home a whopping $100,000, while Jake O’Kane and Kaleb Gebrewold each earned $15,000.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Probst explained why he asked Sia to revive the fan-favorite tradition for the show’s latest season, which is themed “In the Hands of the Fans.” “She loved the idea of fans having a real voice in shaping the game and was very enthusiastic about participating,” he told the magazine. “And the twist on the Sia Prize was actually her idea. She said, ‘If this season is truly about the fans having a say, then the fans should choose the winner of the Sia Prize too.’”
Sia isn’t the only music presence on Survivor 50. To celebrate the landmark season, Probst wrote an original song titled “Survivor 50 Come and Get It,” which he recorded at Hollywood’s A&M Studios — the same place Joni Mitchell’s Blue and Carole King’s Tapestry were assembled. He even performed the song live alongside The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Furthermore, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and his son Jakob recorded a cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes” for this season’s promos, and country star Zac Brown also launched his own “epic spearfishing” prize for Survivor 50.
Watch Jeff Probst announce Cirie Fields as the winner of the Sia Prize for Survivor 50 below.
