Every American Idol Winner and Where Are They Now?

American Idol crowned its Season 24 winner in the season finale on May 11, 2026. Including the latest winner, Hannah Harper, the show has a total of 24 title winners, some of whom are very prominent figures in the music world.

One of the former winners is the current judge of the season, Carrie Underwood, who replaced Katy Perry to join Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie from Season 23. However, fans haven’t kept up with all of the winners from all the seasons of the show.

American Idol	Details
Created by	Simon Fuller
No of seasons	24
No of episodes	734
Presented by	Ryan Seacrest
Current judges	Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie
First Winner	Kelly Clarkson
Latest Winner	Hannah Harper
TV Network	Fox (earlier), ABC (currently)
Streaming platform	Hulu

From Season 1‘s winner, the pop idol Kelly Clarkson, to Season 23‘s winner Jamal Roberts, and the current season’s Hannah Harper, here are all the winners of this singing competition and what they are doing now.

1. Kelly Clarkson – American Idol Season 1 (2002)

Kelly Clarkson is perhaps American Idol‘s most popular winner, with ten hit studio albums and three Grammys out of 17 nominations to show for her immense talent. The singer got to host her talk show, titled The Kelly Clarkson Show, in September 2019. The show wrapped after seven seasons. Clarkson also became a judge on The Voice in 2018, appearing in ten seasons of the show, and is confirmed for the eleventh season as well.

She was married to Brandon Blackstock from 2014 to 2020, and they have two kids, River Rose and Remington Alexander. Her divorce-inspired album Chemistry in 2023 served as her final release under a major label (Atlantic). She is currently on her second concert residency, called Kelly Clarkson: Studio Sessions, which is set to wrap on August 15, 2026, after 24 shows.

2. Ruben Studdard – American Idol Season 2 (2003)

Ruben Studdard released his platinum-selling album, Soulful, right after the competition. He went on to receive a Grammy nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for Superstar. He has released eight studio albums so far. In 2013, he went on to compete on The Biggest Loser. In 2023, Studdard joined forces with Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken for a musical tour to celebrate the season’s 20th anniversary. Studdard was previously married to Surata Zuri McCants. He and his now-wife, Kristin Moore Studdard, share a son, Olivier, and a daughter, Henri.

3. Fantasia Barrino – American Idol Season 3 (2004)

Fantasia went on to become a pop idol after her run on the Idol. She has seven studio albums to her name. She won a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance out of her 12 nominations. She was just 19 at the time and brought great energy to her performances in the competition. Her first album right out of the show, Free Yourself, earned four Grammy nods. However, it was Bittersweet that finally won her the golden trophy.

She ventured into acting, appearing on Broadway. In 2005, her memoir, Life Is Not a Fairy Tale, revealed all the struggles behind her fame. It was made into a Lifetime movie. She also starred in a VH1 reality series in 2010, titled Fantasia for Real. In 2023, she earned a Golden Globe nod for her appearance in the movie musical, The Color Purple. She is married to Kendall Taylor, with whom she has a daughter, Kezia.

4. Carrie Underwood – American Idol Season 4 (2005)

Carrie Underwood’s debut album came the same year she won American Idol. Titled Some Hearts, the album featured her hit numbers like Jesus, Take the Wheel and Before He Cheats. Out of the winners of the show, she has the most Grammy wins and nominations: eight and sixteen, respectively. She ventured into acting with NBC’s The Sound of Music Live! in 2013. She served as a guest mentor on Season 20 before being invited as a judge in Season 23.

She released the New York Times bestseller, Find Your Path, in 2020. She is married to hockey player Mike Fisher, and they have two sons, Isaiah Michael and Jacob Bryan. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, cementing her legacy.

5. Taylor Hicks – American Idol Season 5 (2006)

You know Taylor Hicks as the fan-favorite who beat Scorpion actress Katharine McPhee to win the fifth season of the reality show. However, it was Chris Daughtry, through his Daughtry band, who became the most successful recording artist among the contestants. Hicks was signed to Arista Records after his Idol run. He later released his music under his own label, Modern Whomp.

He continues to release music and perform live to this date, with his recent popular single being Porch Swing, released in 2023. His live performances are mostly held in Nashville, Tennessee, where the singer currently resides. Hicks also co-owns a restaurant in his hometown of Alabama.

6. Jordin Sparks – American Idol Season 6 (2007)

The youngest winner in the history of American Idol was just 17 when she was crowned the sixth season winner. Her self-titled debut studio album in 2007 was an instant hit. She has released five albums so far, including No Restrictions in 2024. She ventured into acting, appearing in many television and Broadway roles. She played the role of Nina Rosario in the 2010 stage musical, In The Heights.

She made her film debut alongside Whitney Houston in 2012’s Sparkle. He competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2022. She appeared as a mentor in Season 21. The singer also hosts the podcast, What’s Your Spark?. On the family front, she is married to fitness model Dana Isaiah. They have a son, Dana Isaiah Thomas Jr., born in May 2018.

7. David Cook – American Idol Season 7 (2008)

David Cook’s career also took off after his Idol win, as he released his self-titled album. The single, Light On, went on to become a huge hit. He has since released four albums and made an appearance on Broadway in Kinky Boots. He was diagnosed with anxiety disorder a few years after his appearance on the show.

He shared with PEOPLE that he picked up “new tools and processes along the way to deal with it.” He talked about the creation of his song Red Turns Blue, sharing, “This song became a therapeutic process for me.” He is married to Rachael Stump.

8. Kris Allen – American Idol Season 8 (2009)

Kris Allen’s title win in the eighth season was unexpected, since Adam Lambert was everyone’s favorite to win the competition. Allen found success after the show, with seven studio albums to show for it. These included Thank You Camellia, Letting You In, and a retrospective project 10.

However, it was Lambert who eventually went on to have a bigger career after the season. Allen’s single No Boundaries and his cover of Kanye’s Heartless were some of his hit works. He is married to Katy O’Connell, and they share three children.

9. Lee DeWyze – American Idol Season 9 (2010)

A paint store guy chasing a dream with a guitar, Lee DeWyze won millions of hearts when he appeared in the ninth season of Idol. Over the years, he released five studio albums, including his major label debut with RCA, Live It Up, and the critically acclaimed album, Frames, released under Vanguard Records.

His career was never loud like the others, but he still managed some major achievements. His song, Blackbird Song, was featured in The Walking Dead. He released his albums Oil and Water and Paranoia under Shanachie Records. He is married to model and actress Jonna Walsh.

10. Scotty McCreery – American Idol Season 10 (2011)

Scott McCreery was very young when he won the tenth season of American Idol. The time after his win saw him release his debut album, Clear as Day, which was certified platinum. He also opened for Brad Paisley and The Band Perry in 2012. He hit a low point in his career when he was dropped by his record label in 2016.

In 2018, he released his hit single, Five More Minutes. The same year, he got married to Gabi Dugal. They have a son, Merrick Avery, born in October 2022, and a second child, born in September 2025. In the 2023 docuseries CMT Stages, he opened up about his journey on the show, “It was ridiculous. My top five days of my life would be my hometown visit.”

11. Phillip Phillips – American Idol Season 11 (2012)

Phillip Phillips beat Jessica Sanchez to take home the Season 11 title. His single, Home, went on to become a very popular soundtrack, used everywhere from ads to the Olympics. He soon released his debut album, The World From This Side of the Moon, which was certified platinum. His other studio albums include Behind the Light, Collateral, and Drift Back. He has toured with the likes of Gavin DeGraw, John Mayer, and the Goo Goo Dolls.

Interestingly, the relationship between Phillips and the show went sour after he filed a lawsuit against its production company, 19 Entertainment, in 2015. According to THR, he alleged that the company “manipulated” him into taking unpaid work. They reached a settlement in 2017. He married Hannah Blackwell in 2015, and they have a son, Patch Shepherd, born in 2019, and a daughter, born in 2025.

12. Candice Glover – American Idol Season 12 (2013)

Candice Glover’s title win might be one of the hardest-earned ones in the show’s history. Before she got a chance on the big stage, she auditioned for the show three times. Following her success in Season 12, she went on to release her debut album, Music Speaks. She released several singles before academically pursuing music. She graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She became a music coordinator and director at the same university. She also headlines the band POPSOUL.

13. Caleb Johnson – American Idol Season 13 (2014)

Caleb Johnson’s showmanship is what won him the title against Jena Irene in 2014. Before the show, he was the frontman for the North Carolina-based band, Elijah Hooker. After his win, he released his debut solo album, Testify. He went on to form another band, Caleb Johnson and the Ramblin’ Saints. They released their first album in 2019, titled Born from Southern Ground. Johnson released his second solo album, Mountain Mojo, Vol. 1, in 2021.

14. Nick Fradiani – American Idol Season 14 (2015)

Before Nick Fradiani entered the 14th season of American Idol, he gained popularity with his appearance on the ninth season of America’s Got Talent. The Guilford, Connecticut native became the first winner from the Northeast region on Idol. After the show, he was signed to Big Machine Label Group and released his album, Hurricane, in 2016.

Later in 2017, he released a six-song EP, this time as an independent artist. He released his second album, Past My Past, in 2022. He also made his Broadway debut with the role of a young Neil Diamond in A Beautiful Noise in November 2022. He was part of this production in 2026. He is dating actress Lauren Celentano.

15. Trent Harmon – American Idol Season 15 (2016)

Trent Harmon won the last season of the show on Fox before it went on a two-year hiatus. He was signed to Big Machine Records until 2019 after his win. He released his self-titled EP in December 2016, which included the hit track, There’s a Girl. In 2018, he released his debut album, You Got ‘Em All. He married Kathleen Couch in 2019 and released a single dedicated to her in 2021, She’s My Heaven. They welcomed a daughter in 2023. As of 2025, Harmon pivoted to Christian music, releasing an EP called Scars & Sins in May 2025.

16. Maddie Poppe – American Idol Season 16 (2018)

Maddie Poppe impressed the fans in many ways during American Idol‘s return in 2018 on ABC. She had a great voice, and she charmed us with her skills on the guitar and the ukulele. And she revealed that she was dating fellow finalist Caleb Lee Hutchinson before the results were announced. Poppe already released her independent album, Songs from the Basement, before her win. She was signed to Hollywood Records and released her second studio album in 2019, titled Whirlwind.

In 2020, she dropped the holiday EP, Christmas from Home. That December, she went on Maddie Poppe’s Acoustic Christmas tour in Iowa. It later expanded nationwide the following year, and eventually evolved into an annual Christmas show at the Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She collaborated with Joshua Radin on the song Neverland and toured with him in 2023. The same year, she confirmed her relationship with singer-songwriter Gabe Burdulis.

17. Laine Hardy – American Idol Season 17 (2019)

Laine Hardy went from accompanying his best friend’s sister as a guitar player during auditions to winning the 17th season of the competition. Before showing up for the auditions, Hardy had released a three-song EP, titled In the Bayou, and a song called Blue Christmas. Following his win, his coronation song Flame was officially released. He announced his first tour in 2019.

He released several singles and appeared in a few televised performances. He performed on ABC’s The Bachelor. He released his debut album, Here’s To Anyone, in 2021. Hardy got arrested in 2022 for planting a recording device in a woman’s dormitory room at Louisiana State University. He became a father to a son, Hollis James, with his fiancée, Jordan Gautreau, in 2025.

18. Samantha Diaz, aka Just Sam – American Idol Season 18 (2020)

Before their American Idol win, Just Sam was the subject of a short documentary called Sam, Underground, where they described their bullying experience in high school. While they released a few singles post their win, the pandemic affected their career. They told The Washington Post, “I’m grateful for [Idol team]. They changed my life forever. Even though it’s not in the way I expected.” They later told TMZ Live:

I thought the same thing. I was like, ‘That’s it. Me and my grandmother will never see the same or experience the same struggles again.’

While they had returned to sing in New York subway stations, this news brought some possible collaboration opportunities with Lil Durk and Timbaland. The singer had their first child in 2025.

19. Chayce Beckham – American Idol Season 19 (2021)

Season 19 winner Chayce Beckham released his original song 23 from the show as a single right after his win. He followed it up with the release of his debut EP in 2022, Doin’ It Right. Beckham was invited to Idol judge Luke Bryan’s annual Farm Tour in 2023 and 2024. He married his longtime partner, Ashley, in 2025.

20. Noah Thompson – American Idol Season 20 (2022)

Noah Thompson was a 20-year-old construction worker from Kentucky who went on to win the 20th season of American Idol. When he arrived on the show, he was already a father to a baby boy named Walker. He told ET after the finale that he wanted to win the competition for Walker. He shared, “I ended up looking up to my dad that way, so maybe I think that’s the best part of all of this whole process. I think that’s what’s cool about it.” He released his debut EP in 2023, titled Middle of God Knows Where.

21. Iam Tongi – American Idol Season 21 (2023)

Iam Tongi winning the title of Season 21 was very special, as he was the first Hawaiian to win the competition. Tongi was also one of the youngest winners of the competition at just 18. He was also the first winner to have been born after the show’s premiere in 2002. When he won the finale, he was elated and thanked his people for the support they showed not just for him, but also for the other contestants. He shared with PEOPLE:

It’s crazy, all my Polynesian people out there just … they’re always supporting, and when they come, they show out. They just cheer for everyone. Honestly, they cheer for everyone. They don’t only cheer for me. My brother voted for Zachariah Smith.

Tongi graduated from high school after his win, and he performed at his graduation ceremony. He released his first single dedicated to his father, I’ll Be Seeing You, soon after the show wrapped. In 2025, he recorded a song for the Disney live-action movie, Lilo & Stitch.

22. Abi Carter – American Idol Season 22 (2024)

Abi Carter held her first concert, as part of a fundraising event, even before she was crowned the winner of American Idol. Right after her win, she went on a publicity tour in New York, during which she appeared in a Broadway theatre show. She held her first full concert in July 2024, No Amount of Dark, at Acrisure Arena with singer Laur Elle performing the opening act. She released her first full album, Ghosts in the Backyard, in November 2024, which she described as being about missing childhood. She has yet to sign with a record label.

23. Jamal Roberts – American Idol Season 23 (2025)

Mississippi-based teacher Jamal Roberts beat John Foster and Breanna Nix to win the American Idol title in Season 23. Roberts won the hearts of the judges and fellow contestants with a soulful rendition of Anthony Hamilton’s Her Heart. The winner’s title was awarded to a Black man for the second time in history after Ruben Studdard. He is actively pursuing his music career following the win, and released his single recently, titled Perfect for Me.

24. Hannah Harper – American Idol Season 24 (2026)

Hannah Harper is the latest winner of American Idol in Season 24. The 2026 season saw Harper beat Jordan McCullough to emerge the winner, while Keyla Richardson was placed third. The star-studded guest list, including Alicia Keys and Brad Paisley, made the finale feel less like a standard results night and more like a victory lap for the entire season. Harper performed No One, Married Into This Town, and her original song, String Cheese in the finale.

Here’s a summary of all the season winners of American Idol.

American Idol Seasons	Winners
Season 1	Kelly Clarkson
Season 2	Ruben Studdard
Season 3	Fantasia Barrino
Season 4	Carrie Underwood
Season 5	Taylor Hicks
Season 6	Jordin Sparks
Season 7	David Cook
Season 8	Kris Allen
Season 9	Lee DeWyze
Season 10	Scotty McCreery
Season 11	Phillip Phillips
Season 12	Candice Glover
Season 13	Caleb Johnson
Season 14	Nick Fradiani
Season 15	Trent Harmon
Season 16	Maddie Poppe
Season 17	Laine Hardy
Season 18	Samantha Diaz, aka Just Sam
Season 19	Chayce Beckham
Season 20	Noah Thompson
Season 21	Iam Tongi
Season 22	Abi Carter
Season 23	Jamal Roberts
Season 24	Hannah Harper

Who is your favorite American Idol title winner? Let us know in the comments below!

American Idol is now available for streaming on Hulu.