Dancing with the Stars crowned Kaitlyn Bristowe and her professional dance partner Artem Chigvintsev its Season 29 champions during Monday night's finale broadcast on ABC.

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The Season 11 The Bachelorette star and Artem were declared the winners of Dancing with the Stars based on the combination of judges' scores and home-viewer votes cast live as Dancing with the Stars aired in the Eastern and Central time zones on Monday night.

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Dancing with the Stars judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli were not allowed to use their Judges' Save this week, so Kaitlyn and Artem relied totally on their scores and on America's votes.

This marked Artem's first Dancing with the Stars victory as a pro dancer, and Kaitlyn appeared ecstatic and overwhelmed after host Tyra Banks called out her name as the winner.

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Catfish creator and host Nev Schulman and partner Jenna Johnson finished the competition in second place.

Rapper Nelly and partner Daniella Karagach place third on Dancing with the Stars this season, and actress Justina Machado and partner Sasha Farber claimed fourth place.

Kaitlyn and Artem received the mirrorball trophy after competing in two final rounds of competition -- a memorable routine from Season 29 taken to the next level as well as the fan-favorite freestyle in which multiple dancers can perform and there are no rules.

Three couples topped the judges' leaderboard and tied for first place with perfect scores of 60 out of 60 points apiece: Kaitlyn and Artem, Nev and Jenna, and Justina and Sasha.

Kaitlyn and Artem first took the stage with their Britney Spears-inspired Argentine tango, and they earned a perfect score of 30 out of 30 possible points for the routine.


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Derek called it "a perfect dance" and said she's "definitely a contender for that mirrorball trophy."

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Bruno added that Kaitlyn had taken his breath away, and Carrie Ann called Kaitlyn's performance "exquisite."

"This is now one of my Top 3 favorite dances of all time," Carrie Ann gushed.

Kaitlyn and Artem later danced their freestyle set to "Sparkling Diamonds" and received 30 additional points.

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Carrie Ann said Kaitlyn had met her expectations and there were so many dance styles incorporated into the routine, and Bruno gushed about how Kaitlyn was shining the brightest and her performance was "dazzling."

Nev and Jenna's first dance was an encore of their Swan Lake-inspired paso doble that received 30 points from the judges.

Carrie Ann told Nev the dance was "perfection" and he's such a treat to watch in the ballroom. Bruno said he appreciated how this dance had even more intensity and drama than the first time they performed it earlier in the season.

Nev and Jenna's freestyle was set to "Singing in the Rain" and had an old Hollywood feel to it -- until it took on a modern, electric twist. The couple received 30 points from the judges for it.

Derek complimented Nev on being a leading man and said he loved it, and Bruno noted the performance was "show-stopping." Carrie Ann pointed out that Nev and Jenna's partnership was magical and really set them apart.


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Justina and Sasha initially took the stage with a 30-point worthy cha cha performance set to an Aretha Franklin hit.

"You are exploding with charisma and energy, and you have been all season long," Derek said.

Bruno added that Justina was almost "too hot to trot," and Carrie Ann called Justina "fire."

Justina and Sasha followed that up with a spicy and fun number promoting female empowerment and her Latin roots that also earned 30 judges' points.


Bruno thought the dance was a celebration of the Latin spirit that's good for the soul, and Carrie Ann said she loved the message of strength, courage and Justina's culture.

"I couldn't think of a better freestyle to finish this entire season... You guys crushed it!" Derek gushed.

Nelly and Daniella were behind the three other couples by only three points after the two rounds of competition. Nelly and Daniella finished in fourth place on the judges' leaderboard on Monday night with a total of 57 points.

Nelly and Daniella reprised their samba routine for the first round of competition and earned 27 points from the judges.

Carrie Ann said Nelly has made quite the transformation and exudes joy on the stage, and Derek called Nelly "a moment maker" who makes people feel good when he dances.

For the freestyle, Nelly and Daniella performed a provocative number to "Hypnotize" by Notorious B.I.G. that earned a perfect score of 30 points from the judges.


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Bruno said the ballroom was in the presence of "hip-hop royalty," and Carrie Ann said Nelly and Daniella's partnership was "outstanding" and the couple brought multiple music genres together that gives her "hope for the future."













About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.