The DWTS Mirrorball Trophy Has a Surprising Price Tag, and Humble Roots

ABC

Every season on DWTS, celebrities and pro dancers pour months of sweat, sore muscles, and rehearsed perfection into winning one iconic prize: the glittering Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

Unlike other reality competitions, there is no giant finale check waiting at the finish line. Just bragging rights and that coveted piece of hardware. Still, while the trophy carries a surprisingly steep price tag today, it actually started out with much humble and more DIY beginnings.

How Much is a DWTS Mirrorball Trophy Worth?

During a 2023 appearance on the podcast “Trading Secrets,” alongside fellow “Bachelor” star Jason Tartick, Kaitlyn Bristowe revealed just how much a DWTS mirrorball trophy is worth. The surprising amount is shocking.

She revealed her trophy cost around $10,000 to make. However, the Season 29 winner said its true value has no price tag.

“You could pay me $1 million. I wouldn’t sell it,” Bristowe exclaimed.

A 2023 Instagram post by Hollywood 3D Printing confirmed that they crafted mirrorall trophies for the show. It is a high-tech upgrade that feels worlds away from Season 1, when the show’s production designer had to improvise the very first prize out of a dismantled brass lamp.

According to People Magazine, DWTS production designer James Yarnell revealed that for the series’ first season the budget was ultra tight. The original trophy, presented to GH star Kelly Monaco, was a DIY special.

“The original one, the Kelly Monaco one, was literally part of a brass lamp and had it put on a wooden base with the mirrorball on it,” Yarnell explained. He added, “No matter how much we put into the trophy, how much we spend, it always has a $10 mirrorball on top.”

Additionally, he told Cosmopolitan, “They stopped making the lamp at Lamps Plus, so we’d run out of options and had to start casting it. And put a heavy acrylic base with a brass stem.”

 What Do DWTS Champions Win Other Than The Trophy?

DWTS does not actually award a grand prize payout to its champions. Instead, the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, and bragging rights, is the sole reward for finishing in first place.

As pro dancer Jenna Johnson-Chmerkovskiy explained on “The Morning After” podcast, there is no extra windfall waiting for the last couple standing. “Whoever makes it to the finale, you all get paid up until then. And you do get a nice bonus,” she shared.

The pro dancer added, “If you win, it’s not like you win a million dollars and split it with your partner. You’re just getting a cute trophy together.”

That does not mean celebrities walk away empty-handed, of course. According to Variety, stars earn a reported $125,000 sign-on bonus just for completing initial rehearsals and the first two weeks of the season, with additional weekly payments stacking up the longer they survive. Depending on contract negotiations and the length of the season, Variety noted that total payouts have traditionally capped around $295,000 to $345,000.

Still, because every finalist takes home the exact same finale-week paycheck regardless of placement, that glittering Mirrorball is truly the only thing separating the champion from the runners-up.

DWTS airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. New episodes air the next day on Hulu.