American Idol debuted in 2002 during the reality TV boom and ran for 15 seasons on Fox. It moved to new home ABC in 2018. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest since day one, the show gives unknown singers a chance to win a recording contract. During its two decades, “Idol” has produced many successful superstars, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Phillip Phillips. The current trio of judges are Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. See our photo below to see an updated list of “American Idol” winners for all seasons.
Season 20 : Noah Thompson
As a construction worker living in a small town, Thompson loved music, but never thought he had a shot at American Idol. In fact, it wasn’t until her best friend pushed her to audition that the 20-year-old singer felt more confident about following her dreams.
As audiences fell in love with the country star, Thompson began sharing her vocal chops online via TikTok videos singing hits like “Stay” by Rihanna and “Blue Side of the Mountain” by Chris Stapleton. Prior to joining the show as a contestant, Thompson had already produced three original songs: “Pedestal,” “Not a Phase,” and “Hearts Painted Black.” Recently, he released a new song titled “One Day Tonight” which has already catapulted him to the number one spot on the iTunes charts.
Season 19 : Chayce Beckham
During the season 19 finale on May 23, 2021, Chase Beckham (age 24 on the show), a forklift driver from Apple Valley, California, won the title. The runner-up was Willie Spence. Chase’s winning song was “23”, an original tune that climbed the iTunes country charts even before he claimed victory.
Season 18 : Just Sam
Season 18 was temporarily after the Top 21 was revealed, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread. The show resumed production in late April with Seacrest, the judges and contestants filming their parts virtually from home. Just Sam was crowned as the winner, with Arthur Gunn finishing as the runner-up.
Season 17 : Laine Hardy
Len Hardy was crowned champion in 2018 after defeating other contenders Alejandro Aranda and Madison Vandenberg, and he couldn’t contain his joy while speaking with ET backstage. “My mind is full of so many different emotions right now. I’m still trying to digest it, but it’s been a wild night,” Hardy told ET, who attended the show last season. He had no intention of auditioning again.
Season 16 : Maddie Poppe
Maddie Poppe (age 20 in the show) auditioned with the Kermit the Frog song “The Rainbow Connection”. In the May 21, 2018 season finale, Maddie had to re-perform the song by herself with Kermit. The Season 16 runner-up was Caleb Lee Hutchinson, who was Maddie’s boyfriend at the time.
Season 15 : Trent Harmon
The 15th and final season of American Idol on Fox ended in a blowout as Trent Harmon beat out favorite La’Porsha Rene for the win. “I know I have a God-given ability, but I didn’t want to admit it,” Harmon tearfully told the crowd after his win, before performing his single “Falling”, which was covered by Idol. was co-written. Judge Keith Urban. The Mississippi-born country singer released a self-titled EP in 2016, followed by her debut studio album, You Got ‘Em All, in 2018.
Season 14 : Nick Fradiani
Nick Fradiani (age 29 on the show) auditioned with the song “In Your Eyes”. He previously tried out for “America’s Got Talent” with his band Beach Avenue, only making it to Judgment Week. Nick’s winning song was “Beautiful Life”.
Season 13 : Caleb Johnson
All things considered, it’s fair to say that Caleb Johnson is the lesser-known American Idol winner. By season 13, the show was no longer at its peak, and it was facing stiff competition from new TV shows such as The Voice and the US version of The X Factor. In any case, Caleb, 22, of Asheville, North Carolina, put together a stellar Season 13 performance that justifies his win.
Season 12 : Candice Glover
Candice Glover, 23, won the show’s first place in 2013 after auditioning three times for the show, beating out runner-up Cree Harrison. Glover was the first woman to win American Idol since Jordin Sparks in 2007.
The singer tried unsuccessfully to deliver a tearful thanksgiving speech, but as the night came to a close, she regained her composure in time to play her new song “I’m Beautiful”. Music Speaks, his debut album, was released by the South Carolina native in 2014. She has released two singles, but as of early 2020, she has not released another full-length album.
Season 11 : Phillip Phillips
Fun Fact: Phillip Phillips’ debut song, “Home”, is the best-selling song in American Idol history, selling over five million copies in the US alone. Their debut album, The World from the Side of the Moon, produced two major hits including “Gone, Gone, Gone”.
Season 10 : Scotty Mccreery
Many old Idol fans remember how strong Scottie McCreery, the front runner from the very beginning of American Idol season 10, was. Similar to Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia, and Carrie Underwood, it seemed like she was always built to win that season. At his audition, Scotty revealed that he was just 16 years old and hailed from Garner, North Carolina. Her performance at the grand finale included “Gone” by Montgomery Gentry and “Check Yes or No” by George Strait.
Season 9 : Lee Dewyze
On May 26, 2010, Lee Davis became the ninth American Idol. The Illinois-born singer, who had previously seen a music career with an independent label, found her way onto the singing show through an audition in Chicago. She defeated competitor Crystal Bowersox in the season finale. Davis closed out her Idol run with a performance of her first single, a cover of U2’s “Beautiful Day”.
Season 8 : Kris Allen
Chris Allen defeated Adam Lambert in the 2009 contest, which was considered an upset. Following his victory, Allen’s coronation song, “No Boundaries” and his version of “Heartless” achieved major success on the Billboard Hot 100. His self-titled album was released later that year and Allen’s second major-label album, Thank You Camellia, dropped in 2012. Her fifth and latest studio album, Letting You In, came out in 2016, although a decade after her Idol win, she released an album called 10, which featured songs from her previous albums. The year before his reality TV appearance, Allen married his high school sweetheart, Katy O’Connell, and the two have since welcomed two sons and a daughter.
Season 7 : David Cook
David Cook, a native of Blue Springs, Missouri, won American Idol in 2008, beating out David Archuleta and Jason Castro to become the show’s seventh winner. Later that year, he released his self-titled album, which has already been certified platinum, and he followed it up with This Loud Morning in 2011 and Digital Vein in 2015.
Season 6 : Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks – Season 6 (2007) – Jordin Sparks, the winner of the sixth season of American Idol, became famous for her soulful performances and powerful voice. She has several albums on her account and received a Grammy for her work on the song Chris Brown.
Season 5 : Taylor Hicks
Like Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks also won American Idol as someone from Birmingham, Alabama. Taylor was older than the average Idol winner, being 29 when she competed. American Idol Season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee has also enjoyed a highly successful career following her stint on the show.
Season 4 : Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood officially became a star on May 25, 2005, when she won the fourth season of American Idol. The Oklahoma singer auditioned for the show in St. Louis, eventually beating out Bo Bice on the last episode months later. Underwood performed “Inside Your Heaven” as a part of the final competition, releasing the track as her debut single.
Season 3 : Fantasia Taylor
Fantasia Barrino (age 19 on the show) auditioned in Atlanta, Georgia with Lauryn Hill’s “Killing Me Softly” and Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary”. The winning song from Fantasia was “I Believe”. Since winning the show, she has starred on Broadway in “The Color Purple” and won a Grammy in 2010.
Season 2 : Rubben Studdard
From Birmingham, Alabama, Ruben Studdard was only 24 when he auditioned for American Idol Season 2. After going head-to-head against Clay Aiken in the grand finale, Reuben was declared the winner and Clay finished as runner-up. In the finale, Reuben performed “A House Is Not a Home” by Dionne Warwick, “Imagine” by John Lennon, and an original song called “Flying Without Wings”.
Season 1 : Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson shot to fame at the age of 20 after winning the first season of American Idol in 2002. He has since enjoyed careers in music, film, publishing and television.
Kelly has released seven albums under RCA Records and has enjoyed commercial success with hits such as Miss Independent, Heartbeat Song and My Life Would Suck Without You.
