American Idol | Summary, Judges, Winners, & Facts (2024)

American Idol, American reality television series in which aspiring singers competed for a recording contract and a shot at wealth and fame. Following its debut on the Fox network, American Idol (2002–16) became one of the most-watched shows in the United States and produced numerous imitations. After a two-year hiatus, it returned to TV in 2018, airing on ABC.

The American Idol format was imported from the United Kingdom, where Pop Idol, the creation of music and television executive Simon Fuller, aired. Both shows followed the same premise: judges travel throughout the country in search of its most-talented singer. In the American version a series of auditions narrowed the candidates to a top few, who competed against each other on a studio set in Hollywood. Originally, contestants had to be between 16 and 24 years of age; the age rules were later modified, eventually allowing for performers aged 15 to 28. The early auditions tended to focus on the spectacle offered by tone-deaf contestants warbling before the judges. As the field of candidates narrowed, the show became a more-stylized showcase for talented contestants. The performers sang well-known pieces, which usually corresponded to a set theme that varied from week to week, and celebrity guests routinely made appearances on the show. In the contest’s final stages, the home audience—rather than the panel of judges—voted via telephone call, text message, or the show’s Web site and thereby decided the winner.

The show’s original lineup featured cohosts Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman and a panel of judges consisting of former pop star Paula Abdul, music producer Randy Jackson, and British music executive Simon Cowell. During the auditions the judges critiqued the performers in a predictable manner: Abdul’s comments were typically sympathetic, Jackson’s humorous, and Cowell’s biting. After American Idol’s first season (2002), Dunkleman left the program, and Seacrest became its sole host. The show’s eighth season (2009) saw a number of other changes to the show’s formula, most notably the addition of a fourth judge, songwriter Kara DioGuardi. Judges were also given the power to directly influence the final rounds of competition with the “judges’ save rule,” which allowed the panel to override the votes of the viewing public once per season to give a deserving contestant a second chance. In August 2009 Abdul left the show when contract negotiations with American Idol producers broke down, and she was replaced by Ellen DeGeneres. At the conclusion of the ninth season, in May 2010, Cowell left the program, and both DeGeneres and DioGuardi departed later that year. In later seasons Jackson was joined on the judging panel by such musicians as Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith), Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, Nicki Minaj, and Harry Connick, Jr. In 2014, his last year on the show, Jackson moved into a mentorship role, leaving the judging to Urban, Lopez, and Connick. In 2015 it was announced that the show would end with its 15th season. The final episode on the Fox network aired on April 7, 2016.

In March 2018 a reboot of American Idol debuted on ABC. The judges were Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan. Seacrest returned as host.

Several winners of the contest became recording sensations, most notably Kelly Clarkson, the winner of season one, and Carrie Underwood, the winner of season four. Other winners included Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, and Kris Allen. Proving that success on the show was not necessarily a prerequisite to success in show business, Jennifer Hudson was voted off in season three but went on to win an Academy Award for her performance in Dreamgirls (2006), and Chris Daughtry, a finalist in season five, scored multiplatinum success with his hard rock band Daughtry. Adam Lambert, the runner-up in season eight, had success as a solo artist and also collaborated with the British rock band Queen, replacing deceased singer Freddie Mercury when the group performed live (as Queen + Adam Lambert).