Luca Manfè being crowned as America's MasterChef champion in the Season 4 finale.
The MasterChef is the eponymous title that is given to the winner of the competitive cooking reality television show MasterChef. The title is awarded to a contestant who has obtained a coveted white apron from the judges in the auditions, survived the competition's many grueling challenges until the number of contestants are whittled down down to three finalists (formerly two finalists in the first six seasons), become a finalist, (having made it all the way to the finale) and successfully winning the final challenge of flawlessly perfecting a three-course meal cook-off against each other in the grand finale showdown.
Upon winning, the champion is crowned when the finalists switch places and receives the following prizes from the judges: a check for $250,000 in cash prize money, a MasterChef trophy, the right to publish one's cookbook (all seasons except Season 2), and the prestigious title of MasterChef. In recent years, some seasons involved additional prizes, such as sailing on the next MasterChef cruise in the Season 8 three way finale, and receiving professional training at the judges' restaurants in Season 10.
List of U.S. MasterChefs
| Name | Image | Season | Hometown | Age | Occupation | Finalist(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitney Miller |  |
1 | Poplarville, Mississippi | 22 | College Student | David Miller |
| Jennifer Behm |  |
2 | Wilmington, Delaware | 34 | Realtor | Adrien Nieto |
| Christine Hà |   |
3 | Houston, Texas | 32 | MFA Student | Joshua "Josh" Marks |
| Luca Manfè |   |
4 | Astoria, New York | 31 | Restaurant Manager | Natasha Crnjac |
| Courtney Lapresi |   |
5 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 25 | Aerial Dancer | Elizabeth Cauvel |
| Claudia Sandoval |   |
6 | La Mesa, California | 31 | Events Manager | Derrick Peltz |
| Shaun O'Neale |   |
7 | Las Vegas, Nevada | 33 | DJ | Brandi Mudd David Williams |
| Dino Angelo Luciano |   |
8 | Bensonhurst, New York | 28 | Dancer | Eboni Henry Jason Wang |
| Gerron Hurt |   |
9 | Louisville, Kentucky | 25 | English Teacher | Ashley Mincey Cesar Cano |
| Dorian Hunter |   |
10 | Cartersville, Georgia | 45 | Creeler | Sarah Faherty Nick DiGiovanni |
| Kelsey Murphy |   |
11 | Indianapolis, Indiana | 32 | Physical Therapist | Autumn Moretti Suu Khin |
| Dara Yu |   |
12 | Culver City, California | 20 | Private Chef & Culinary Entreprenuer | Christian Green Michael Silverstein |
| Grant Gillon |   |
13 | Altoona, IA | 32 | Brewery Sales Director | Jennifer Maune Kennedy Underwood |
| Michael Leonard |   |
14 | Myrtle Beach, SC | 27 | Business Owner | Becca Gibb Kamay Lafalaise |
