Overview
- The season 34 finale concluded with a new champion and featured five finalist couples: Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, Robert Irwin and Witney Carson, Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten, Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach, and Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa.
- Winners do not receive a cash prize, while pros and celebrities are paid for participating, with a bonus for reaching the finale, according to pro Jenna Johnson.
- The Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy is estimated to cost about $10,000 to produce, though the mirrorball component itself is a roughly $10 item.
- The award’s origins trace to season 1, when production designer James Yarnell fashioned the first trophy from a dismantled brass lamp.
- Newly crowned champions typically appear on Good Morning America and often join the Dancing with the Stars Live! tour, with many leveraging the exposure into hosting, acting and brand deals.