Sia gave $1 million to Survivor players, including those who never won

For eight years, Survivor contestants had something to look forward to beyond the competition's usual prize money. Singer Sia, a longtime admirer of the reality series, developed an unusual tradition of giving cash directly to players who caught her attention.

The recipients were not necessarily the contestants who made it to the final or walked away with the show's grand prize. Some had become memorable for their behaviour, personal stories or individual moments during the competition.

As reported, by the time the arrangement ended, the singer had distributed more than $1 million among 19 contestants across 14 seasons, creating a separate source of financial recognition within the long-running television franchise.Sia's unexpected $50,000 reward at the 2016 Survivor finaleAccording to Survivor host, Jeff Probst Instagram story in 2024, the story began at the live finale of Survivor: Kaoh Rong in 2016. Sia was in the audience when she noticed contestant Tai Trang, whose conduct during the competition had particularly impressed her.