102-401: Idol Gives Back was the name of a charitable campaign that spanned two episodes of American Idol during its sixth season . A second Idol Gives Back concert and fundraiser occurred on April 9, 2008, during the seventh season of the show. Idol Gives Back was not held in 2009 due to the economic crisis and recession . The executive producer released a statement saying that it was not
204-571: A TV ratings juggernaut." For an unprecedented eight consecutive years, from the 2003–04 television season through the 2010–11 season , either its performance show or result show was ranked number one in U.S. television ratings . American Idol was based on the British show Pop Idol created by Simon Fuller , which was in turn inspired by the New Zealand television singing competition Popstars . Television producer Nigel Lythgoe saw
306-447: A celebrity mentor related to the theme. From the tenth to twelfth seasons, Jimmy Iovine was brought in as a mentor for the season. Initially the contestants sang one song each week, but this was increased to two songs from top four or five onwards, then three songs for the top two or three. The most popular contestants are usually not revealed in the results show. Instead, typically the three contestants (two in later rounds) who received
408-441: A death threat, which he dismissed as a joke 'blown out of proportion'. The performance of " Summertime " by Barrino, later known simply as "Fantasia", at Top 8 was widely praised, and Simon Cowell considered it as his favorite Idol moment in the nine seasons he was on the show. Fantasia and Diana DeGarmo were the last two finalists, and Fantasia was crowned as the winner. Fantasia released as her coronation single " I Believe ",
510-557: A duet with a former Idol contestant. In each group, the judges chose 7 contestants to advance to the top 14 where the judges chose 4 to advance to the top 10 and remaining 6 contestants were chosen based on the vote. In the sixteenth season, the top 24 performed at the Academy in the Heart of LA, and the show repeated the process from the previous season. However, instead of Idol alumnus as duet partners, superstar celebrity singers were used as
612-472: A few days of auditions, due to being uncomfortable with giving out criticism. The show decided to continue with the three judges format until the eighth season . All three original judges stayed on the judging panel for eight seasons. In the eighth season, Latin Grammy Award -nominated singer-songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi was added as a fourth judge. Abdul left the show in 2009, after
714-528: A full list of performances, see below. Ellen DeGeneres co-hosted the event from the Disney Hall stage. Proceeds from ticket sales benefited the fund. Videos of the results show's performances are available for purchase on iTunes , with proceeds going to charity. Due to the "charity" theme of the show, no contestant was eliminated on the April 25th results show. All of the votes from that week were added to
816-534: A live audience, and these performances determine who makes into the Top 24. In the seventeenth and eighteenth seasons, the showcase round took place in Hawaii. From the nineteenth season onward, a showstopper round was used. From the semi-finals onward, the fate of the contestants is decided by public vote. During the contestant's performance as well as the recap at the end, a toll-free telephone number for each contestant
918-456: A mix of potential finalists, interesting characters and woefully inadequate contestants. Each successful contestant receives a golden or platinum ticket to proceed on to the next round in Hollywood. Based on their performances during the Hollywood round (Las Vegas round from the tenth through twelfth seasons), 24 to 36 contestants are selected by the judges to participate in the semifinals. From
1020-412: A phenomenon largely due to its personal engagement with the contestants by prompting the viewers to vote, and the presence of the acid-tongued Cowell as a judge. By 2004, it had become the most-watched show on U.S. television, a position it then held for seven consecutive seasons until 2011. However, after a few years of sharp declining ratings starting in 2012, with rating falls of over 20% each season,
1122-512: A revival of the series began airing on ABC . It started as an addition to the Idol format that was based on Pop Idol from British television, in which the programme's first series , which was won by Will Young , ended over four months before the show began, as it later became one of the most successful shows in the history of American television . The concept of the series involves discovering recording stars from unsigned singing talents, with
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#17327906239341224-472: A second solo round and move directly to the final Hollywood round. In the twelfth season, the executive producers split up the females and males and chose the members to form the groups in the group round. In the tenth and eleventh seasons, a further round was added in Las Vegas, where the contestants performed in groups based on a theme, followed by one final solo round to determine the semi-finalists. At
1326-506: A select panel of judges who critique the contestants' performances. The original judges, for seasons one through eight, were record producer and music manager Randy Jackson , singer and choreographer Paula Abdul , and music executive and manager Simon Cowell . The judging panel for the last three seasons on Fox consisted of singers Keith Urban , Jennifer Lopez , and Harry Connick Jr. Season sixteen brought three new judges: singers Luke Bryan , Katy Perry , and Lionel Richie . Beginning in
1428-401: A single episode. Ruben Studdard emerged as the winner, beating Clay Aiken by a small margin. Out of a total of 24 million votes, Studdard finished just 134,000 votes ahead of Aiken. This slim margin of victory was controversial due to the large number of calls that failed to get through. In an interview prior to the fifth season, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe indicated that Aiken had led
1530-435: A single-only deal. BMG / Sony (first through ninth seasons), UMG (tenth through fifteenth seasons), and Disney Music Group 's Hollywood Records (sixteenth through eighteenth seasons) had the right of first refusal to sign contestants for three months after the season's finale. In the fourteenth and fifteenth seasons, the winner was signed with Big Machine Records . Prominent music mogul Clive Davis also produced some of
1632-417: A song co-written by the first season finalist Tamyra Gray, and DeGarmo released " Dreams ". The fourth season premiered on January 18, 2005. Ryan Seacrest returned as host, and Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell returned as judges. This was the first full season of the series to be aired in high definition; the finale of the third season was also aired in high definition. The number of those attending
1734-446: A song together. In the final round, the contestants performed solo with a song of their choice a cappella or accompanied by a band—depending on the season. In the second and third seasons, contestants were also asked to write original lyrics or melody in an additional round after the first round. In the seventh season , the group round was eliminated and contestants may, after a first solo performance and on judges approval, skip
1836-473: A telethon. Near the end of the broadcast, Seacrest announced the show raised $ 30 million, with the final tally coming on May 1, 2007. In total $ 76 million in corporate and viewer donations has been raised as a result of Idol Gives Back . In addition to public and News Corp donations, regular show sponsors and special contributors donated funds. These companies include Coca-Cola , Ford , AT&T , Allstate and ExxonMobil . The donation-per-vote model
1938-420: A total of ten finalists. In the second and third seasons, each of the three judges championed one contestant with the public advancing a fourth into the finals, making 12 finalists in all. From the fourth through seventh and ninth seasons, the twenty-four semi-finalists were divided by gender in order to ensure an equal gender division in the top twelve. The men and women sang separately on consecutive nights, and
2040-760: A version in Australia and helped bring it over to Britain. Fuller was inspired by the idea from Popstars of employing a panel of judges to select singers in audition. He then added other elements, including telephone voting by the viewing public (which at the time was already in use in shows, such as the Eurovision Song Contest ), the drama of backstories, and real-life soap opera unfolding in real time. Pop Idol debuted in Britain in 2001 with Lythgoe as showrunner —the executive producer and production leader—and Simon Cowell as one of
2142-501: The American Idol band was led by Rickey Minor (fourth through ninth and thirteenth through fifteenth seasons) and Ray Chew (tenth through twelfth seasons). Assistance has also been given by vocal coaches and song arrangers, such as Michael Orland and Debra Byrd to contestants behind the scene. Starting with the seventh season, contestants may perform with a musical instrument from the Hollywood rounds onward. In later seasons,
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#17327906239342244-671: The Kodak Theatre and the regular Idol stage. The results show aired separately that Thursday. Vignettes showing celebrities visiting impoverished areas in the United States as well as Africa were again shown in between performances. Producers hoped to exceed last year's $ 76 million raised. Again, proceeds went to children's charities in Africa and the United States . The following celebrities appeared or performed on
2346-456: The Pop Idol format; however, only three judges had been found by the time of the audition round in the first season, namely Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell. A fourth judge, radio DJ Stryker , was originally chosen but he dropped out citing "image concerns." In the second season , New York radio personality Angie Martinez had been hired as a fourth judge but withdrew after only
2448-471: The fifteenth season would be its last on Fox, ending its run in April 2016. In May 2017, ABC acquired the rights to the series and the program returned for the 2017–18 television season. The first season of the revived series, or the sixteenth season overall, started airing in March 2018. Seven seasons have been aired on ABC as of May 2024. The show had originally planned on having four judges following
2550-408: The seventeenth season , when Bobby Bones subbed for Seacrest after the latter fell ill. Dunkleman did, however, return for the initial series finale on Fox in 2016 as a guest. Annotations In a series of steps, the show selected the eventual winner out of many tens of thousands of contestants. The eligible age-range for contestants is fifteen to twenty-eight years old. The initial age limit
2652-422: The twelfth season . However, both Carey and Minaj left after one season. Jackson also departed the judges table after twelve seasons, but would return as the in-house mentor for the thirteenth season in 2014, after which he left the show permanently. Urban was the only judge from the twelfth season to return as a judge for the thirteenth season. After a one-season hiatus, Lopez returned to American Idol for
2754-499: The twenty-first season . The first season was co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman , following the format of Pop Idol of using two presenters. Dunkleman quit thereafter, resulting in Seacrest becoming the sole emcee starting with the second season in 2003. Seacrest has remained as sole host of American Idol ever since, with the exception of the two-year hiatus between 2016 and 2018 as well as April 8, 2019, during
2856-425: The "Russian Idol" from Narodniy Artist ), The Rock , Roselyn Sanchez , Ryan Sheckler , Sarah Silverman , Selma Blair , Sheila E. , Snoop Dogg , So You Think You Can Dance Season 2 and 3 finalists, Teddy Reilly, Teri Hatcher , Toby Keith , The Game , The Clark Brothers , Cole and Dylan Sprouse , Triple H , Tyra Banks , Vanessa Hudgens , Victoria Beckham and Whoopi Goldberg . Ellen DeGeneres
2958-1323: The 2008 show, as well as the following results show: Adam Sandler , Alicia Keys , Annie Lennox , Ashley Tisdale , Barack Obama , Ben Stiller , Brad Pitt , Billy Crystal , Billy Ray Cyrus , Bono , Boyz II Men , Carrie Underwood , Cat Deeley , Celine Dion , Charlie Wilson , Cheryl Hines , Chris Brown , Chris Daughtry , Chris Jericho , Dane Cook , Daughtry , David Beckham , David Spade , Dr. Phil , Eddie Izzard , Eli Manning , Ellen DeGeneres , Elliott Yamin , Emma Bunton , Fantasia , Felicity Huffman , Fergie , Forest Whitaker , George Lopez , Geri Halliwell , Gloria Estefan , Gordon Brown , Heart , Hillary Clinton , Jack Nicholson , James Denton , Jennifer Connelly , Jim Carrey , Jimmie Johnson , Jimmy Kimmel (who roasted Simon Cowell), John Cena , John Legend , John McCain , Jonas Brothers , Jordin Sparks , Julianne Moore , Keith Urban , Kiefer Sutherland , Kobe Bryant , Kylie Minogue , Kyra Sedgwick , Mariah Carey , Maria Shriver , Maroon 5 , Mary Murphy , Michael Kors , Michael Chiklis , Miley Cyrus , Minnie Driver , Nigel Lythgoe , Peyton Manning , Reese Witherspoon , Ricki Lake , Rob Schneider , Robin Williams (as "Bob"
3060-419: The British show. Although Fox's executives wanted to change the format, Murdoch insisted that it should remain the same as the British one. One change was nevertheless made due to the presence of multiple time zones in the United States that made it impractical for the country to vote in the same time period, an additional half-hour results show was therefore added the day following the performance show. The show
3162-586: The Do Something TV Show Award from the VH1 Do Something Awards for its charitable work. Tim Urban was eliminated. Aaron Kelly and Casey James were in the bottom three. For the first time ever, the special ran overtime, running until 10:24 PM EDT (02:24 UTC, April 22). However, Ryan Seacrest did warn viewers at the end of the previous night's performance show that the show would run long, this time. The broadcast
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3264-492: The Three Divas. All three unexpectedly landed on the bottom three on the top seven result show, with Hudson controversially eliminated. Elton John, who was one of the mentors that season, called the results of the votes "incredibly racist". The prolonged stays of John Stevens and Jasmine Trias in the finals, despite negative comments from the judges, had aroused resentment, so much so that John Stevens reportedly received
3366-424: The Top 3 finalists. The season reaches its climax in a two-hour results finale show, where the winner of the season is revealed. With the exception of the first two seasons, the contestants in the semifinals onward perform in front of a studio audience. They perform with a full band in the finals. The current musical director is Kris Pooley , who has been with the show since the sixteenth season. In previous seasons,
3468-434: The Top 5. In the eighth to tenth and fourteenth seasons, a double elimination then took place in the week following the activation of the save, but in the eleventh and thirteenth seasons, a regular single elimination took place. The save was not activated in the twelfth season and consequently, a non-elimination took place in the week after its expiration with the votes then carrying over into the following week. The "Fan Save"
3570-570: The United States (including those affected by Hurricane Katrina ). For every vote cast for the April 24, 2007 broadcast, sponsors donated funds to the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund. Richard Curtis and Simon Fuller took the basic premise for the show from the UK-based annual charity event Comic Relief , and spent 12 months adapting the concept and re-shaping it for a mainstream American audience. The 2007 event
3672-624: The United States. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria , Malaria No More , Nothing But Nets , Save the Children , and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF will receive money to fund programs in Africa. Some however voiced concerns about not knowing what funds they would be receiving afterwards. Between contestant performances, video vignettes showcasing the judges and Seacrest visiting and observing stark conditions in Africa and United States were aired. Similar vignettes were aired during
3774-449: The audition rounds, 121 contestants were selected from around 10,000 who attended the auditions. These were cut to 30 for the semifinal, with ten going on to the finals. One semifinalist, Delano Cagnolatti, was disqualified for lying to evade the show's age limit. One of the early favorites, Tamyra Gray , was eliminated at the top four, the first of several such shock eliminations that were to be repeated in later seasons. Christina Christian
3876-451: The auditions by now had increased to over 100,000 from the 10,000 of the first season. The age limit was raised to 28 in this season, and among those who benefited from this new rule were Constantine Maroulis and Bo Bice , the two rockers of the show. The top 12 finalists originally included Mario Vazquez , but he dropped out citing 'personal reasons' and was replaced by Nikko Smith . Later, an employee of Fremantle Media, which produces
3978-431: The bottom two in each groups were eliminated each week until only six of each remained to form the top twelve. The wildcard round returned in the eighth season, wherein there were three groups of twelve, with three contestants moving forward – the highest male, the highest female, and the next highest-placed singer – for each night, and four wildcards were chosen by the judges to produce a final 13. Starting in tenth season,
4080-426: The contestants to audition in front of the judges, in one of the audition cities. Once in Hollywood, the contestants perform individually or in groups in a series of rounds. Until the tenth season, there were usually three rounds of eliminations in Hollywood. In the first round the contestants emerged in groups but performed individually. For the next round, the contestants put themselves in small groups and performed
4182-459: The contestants were allowed to perform with a musical instrument in the auditions. During the first nine seasons, performances were usually aired live on Tuesday nights, followed by the results shows on Wednesdays, but moved to Wednesdays and Thursdays from the tenth through thirteenth seasons, with the tenth, eleventh and thirteenth-season finales aired on Tuesday and Wednesday. From the fourteenth season onward, there were no separate results shows. On
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4284-502: The coronation song during the finale, and released the song immediately after the season ended. The single, " A Moment Like This ", went on to break a 38-year-old record held by The Beatles for the biggest leap to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 . Guarini did not release any song immediately after the show and remains the only runner-up not to do so. Both Clarkson and Guarini made a musical film, From Justin to Kelly , which
4386-604: The duet partners. In the seventeenth season, the same process was repeated again. However, instead of a top 24, it's a top 20, the contestants performed at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, and performed solos in one episode, and performed the duets in two episodes. In the eighteenth season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the top 20 performed at their homes, and based on the vote, half of the top 20 would advance to
4488-402: The eighth season, as a result of failing to agree to terms with the show producers. Emmy Award -winning talk show host Ellen DeGeneres replaced Abdul for the ninth season , but left in 2010 after just one season. DioGuardi was let go from American Idol in 2010 after two seasons, as producers favored a return to the three-person judges panel previously used prior to DioGuardi's appearance on
4590-413: The end of this stage of the competition, 24 to 36 contestants were selected to move on to the semi-final stage. In the twelfth season the Las Vegas round became a Sudden Death round, where the judges had to choose five guys and five girls each night (four nights) to make the top twenty. In the thirteenth season, the Las Vegas round was eliminated and a new round called "Hollywood or Home" was added, where if
4692-592: The fan voting from the wildcard week onward until the finale. Both finalists found success after the show, but Aiken out-performed Studdard's coronation song " Flying Without Wings " with his single release from the show " This Is the Night ", as well as in their subsequent album releases. The fourth-place finisher Josh Gracin also enjoyed some success as a country singer. The third season premiered on January 19, 2004. Ryan Seacrest returned as host, and Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell returned as judges. One of
4794-401: The fifteenth season, and six weeks in the sixteenth season. Each finalist performs songs based on a weekly theme which may be a musical genre such as Motown , disco , or big band , songs by artists such as Michael Jackson , Elvis Presley or The Beatles , or more general themes such as Billboard number-one hits or songs from the contestant's year of birth. Contestants usually worked with
4896-411: The first season, there were three groups of ten, with the top three contestants from each group making the finals. In the second and third seasons, there were four groups of eight, and the top two of each selected. These seasons also featured a wildcard round, where contestants who failed to qualify were given another chance. In the first season, only one wildcard contestant was chosen by the judges, giving
4998-513: The fourteenth season, the show aired on Wednesday nights, and on the fifteenth season, Thursday nights. Since the sixteenth season, the show has been airing on Sundays and Mondays. The first season of American Idol debuted as a summer replacement show in June 2002 on the Fox network. It was co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell served as judges. In
5100-446: The girls and boys perform on separate nights. In the tenth and eleventh seasons, five of each gender were chosen, and three wildcards were chosen by the judges to form a final 13. In the twelfth season, the top twenty semifinalists were split into gender groups, with five of each gender advancing to form the final 10. In the thirteenth season, there were thirty semifinalists, but only twenty semifinalists (ten for each gender) were chosen by
5202-423: The judges to perform on the live shows, with five in each gender based on the vote and three wildcards chosen by the judges composing the final 13. In the fourteenth season, the top 24 performed at The Fillmore Detroit , starting with the 12 males on one night and then the 12 females on the next night. The following week, the same order went for the top 16, with four males eliminated, followed by four females based on
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#17327906239345304-452: The judges were uncertain about some contestants, those contestants were required to perform soon after landing in Los Angeles, and those who failed to impress were sent back home before they reached Hollywood. In the fourteenth season, the "Hollywood or Home" round was dropped, and a Showcase round was added, where the contestants performed at the House of Blues or auditorium for the judges and
5406-427: The judges, and was successful with the viewing public. In 2001, Fuller, Cowell, and TV producer Simon Jones attempted to sell the Pop Idol format to the United States, but the idea was initially met with poor responses from all the television networks including UPN and Fox . However, Rupert Murdoch , head of Fox 's parent company , was later persuaded to buy the series by his daughter, Elisabeth , who had seen
5508-400: The judges, which is the only audition stage shown on television. Those selected by the judges are sent to Hollywood. Between 10 and 60 people in each city may make it to Hollywood (the average total is between 150 and 200) . From the nineteenth season onwards, contestants request a Zoom interview and audition remotely for the show's producers. If the audition goes well, they will then invite
5610-411: The lowest number of votes was called to the center of the stage. One of these three was usually sent to safety; however the two remaining were not necessarily the bottom two. The contestant with the fewest votes was then revealed and eliminated from the competition. A montage of the eliminated contestant's time on the show was played and they gave their final performance (from the fourteenth season onward,
5712-522: The mentors also joined as judges to critique the performances in the final rounds. Guest judges were sporadically used during the audition rounds: Gene Simmons , LL Cool J , Brandy , Mark McGrath , and Kenny Loggins in the fourth season ; Carole Bayer Sager , Jewel , and Olivia Newton-John in the sixth season ; Shania Twain , Neil Patrick Harris , Avril Lavigne , Mary J. Blige , Joe Jonas , Kristin Chenoweth , Victoria Beckham , and Perry in
5814-463: The montage and the final performance were dropped). However, in the sixth season , during the series' first ever Idol Gives Back episode, no contestant was eliminated, but on the following week, two were sent home. Moreover, from the eighth to the fourteenth seasons, and the seventeenth season onward, the judges may overturn viewers' decision with a "Judges' Save" if they unanimously agreed to. "The save" could only be used once, and only up through
5916-443: The most talked-about contestants during the audition process was William Hung whose off-key rendition of Ricky Martin 's " She Bangs " received widespread attention. His exposure on Idol landed him a record deal and surprisingly he became the third bestselling singer from that season. Much media attention on the season had been focused on the three black singers, Fantasia Barrino , LaToya London , and Jennifer Hudson , dubbed
6018-458: The next week's votes, and the bottom two contestants were eliminated. The performers included: Other musicians, such as Pink and Gwen Stefani , were advertised and scheduled to perform on the show, but neither of their performances were aired. Although their numbers were pre-taped along with the other guests', American Idol claimed they were not broadcast due to time constraints, but that their appearances will be featured in future episodes of
6120-443: The night before had also run long, causing viewers to miss this warning as well. American Idol American Idol is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller , produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment , and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to April 7, 2016, for 15 seasons. It was on hiatus for two years until March 11, 2018, when
6222-451: The ninth season (substituting in the vacant chair, before DeGeneres was hired); and Adam Lambert filled in for Urban at one audition location during the fourteenth season . In the ABC version, two instances occurred during the live shows: Abdul filled in for Bryan on one episode of the nineteenth season , while Alanis Morissette and Ed Sheeran filled in for Perry and Richie on an episode of
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#17327906239346324-408: The ninth season reportedly earned at least $ 1 million in their first year as winner. At first the contract came with a $ 250,000-plus advance, but dropped to about $ 62,500 over the Fox years. All the runners-up of the first ten seasons, as well as some of other finalists, had also received record deals with major labels. However, starting in the eleventh season, the runner-up may only be guaranteed
6426-579: The opportunity to donate still open. The final total of donations raised was $ 64 million. The same sponsors from 2008 returned for the 2010 Idol Gives Back . The special raised $ 45 million with the amount expecting to rise after proceeds from iTunes sales are added. The Charity Projects Entertainment Fund distributes the money raised to Save the Children , the Children's Defense Fund , America's Second Harvest , Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Children’s Health Fund to help disadvantaged children in
6528-820: The previous " Idol Gives Back " when no contestants were eliminated (and two were being sent home the following week), but then announced that Johns was eliminated. Idol Gives Back returned on April 21, 2010, during the Top 7 results show on season nine. President Barack Obama , Ben Affleck and Bill Gates all made appeals for donations. Elton John , Mary J. Blige , Alicia Keys , Carrie Underwood , Joss Stone , The Black Eyed Peas , Annie Lennox , Jim Carrey , Slash , David Cook , Victoria Beckham , Elliott Yamin , Josh Groban , Morgan Freeman , Chris Rock , Justin Bieber , Joe Jonas , Demi Lovato , Jonah Hill , Russell Brand , Jennifer Garner , David Arquette , Jane Lynch and Jeff Beck appeared. Queen Latifah hosted
6630-1321: The results show. For this special, the voting period was doubled to four hours following the show, rather than the usual two. In response to the anticipated call volume, each contestant was assigned two toll free numbers. Over 70 million votes were cast. The results show was broadcast from two locations—the regular American Idol stage and Disney Hall —and included celebrity actors and personalities: Kirstie Alley , Marc Anthony , Gillian Anderson , Kevin Bacon , Antonio Banderas , Jason Biggs , Blue Man Group , Jack Black , Emily Blunt , Bono , Michael Bublé , Helena Bonham Carter , Tom Cruise , Matt Damon , Chris Daughtry , Micky Dolenz , Kyle Gass , Sarah Michelle Gellar , Hugh Grant , Teri Hatcher , Goldie Hawn , LeBron James , Chris Kattan , Keira Knightley , Lisa Kudrow , Hugh Laurie , Rob Lowe , Joel Madden , Benji Madden , Madonna , Eric McCormack , Ewan McGregor , Kevin McNally , Helen Mirren , Parminder Nagra , Shaquille O'Neal , Gwyneth Paltrow , Bernadette Peters , Dr. Phil , Miss Piggy , Seal , Rob Schneider , David Schwimmer , Ben Stiller , Twiggy , Harvey Weinstein , Forest Whitaker . The show also included numerous performers; for
6732-407: The right to discard votes by power dialers. One or more of the least popular contestants may be eliminated in successive weeks until a winner emerges. Over 110 million votes were cast in the first season, and by the tenth season the seasonal total had increased to nearly 750 million. Voting via text messaging was made available in the second season when AT&T Wireless joined as a sponsor of
6834-553: The season that culminates in revealing the winner, both of which are broadcast live in the U.S. Eastern and Central time zones. For the first, third through sixth and fourteenth through fifteenth seasons it was broadcast from the Dolby Theatre , which has an audience capacity of approximately 3,400. The second-season finale took place at the Gibson Amphitheatre , which had an audience capacity of over 6,000. In
6936-441: The selected contestants' albums, such as Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo. All top 10 (11 in the tenth and twelfth seasons, 5 in the fourteenth season, and 7 in the sixteenth season) finalists earn the privilege of going on a tour, where the participants may each earn a six-figure sum. Each season premieres with the audition round, taking place in different cities. The audition episodes typically feature
7038-540: The semi-final stage (in previous years by the audition stage). For the first eighteen seasons, contestants went through at least three sets of cuts. The first was a brief audition with a few other contestants in front of selectors which may include one of the show's producers. Although auditions can exceed 10,000 in each city, only a few hundred of these made it past the preliminary round of auditions. Successful contestants then sing in front of producers, where more may be cut. Only then can they proceed to audition in front of
7140-411: The semifinals onward the contestants perform their songs live, with the judges making their critiques after each performance. The contestants are voted for by the viewing public, and the outcome of the public votes is then revealed during a results segment. The results segment feature group performances by the contestants as well as guest performers. The Top-three results also features homecoming events for
7242-477: The series was "the most impactful show in the history of television". It became a recognized springboard for launching the career of many artists as bona fide stars. According to Billboard magazine , in its first ten years, " Idol has spawned 345 Billboard chart-toppers and a platoon of pop idols, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry , Fantasia, Ruben Studdard, Jennifer Hudson , Clay Aiken , Adam Lambert , and Jordin Sparks while remaining
7344-418: The seventeenth season. The eighteenth-season finale was conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The winner usually receives a record deal with a major label, which may be for up to six albums, and secures a management contract with American Idol -affiliated 19 Management (which has the right of first refusal to sign all contestants), as well as various lucrative contracts. All winners prior to
7446-489: The seventh through thirteenth seasons, the venue was at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live , which holds an audience of over 7,000. Since the show's reboot on ABC, the venue remains the same throughout the entire show (excluding auditions), but was still two episodes in the sixteenth season, and then stretched to a single three-hour season finale that is annually aired live simultaneously in all U.S. territories , starting with
7548-499: The show and that this contributed to his expulsion. Clark also claimed that Abdul gave him preferential treatment on the show due to their affair. The allegations were dismissed by Fox after an independent investigation. Two semi-finalists were also disqualified that year – Jaered Andrews for an arrest on an assault charge, and Frenchie Davis for having previously modeled for an adult website. The season finale drew more than 38 million viewers, marking Idol' s biggest audience ever for
7650-663: The show from the Pasadena Civic Center in Los Angeles, where The Black Eyed Peas, Elton John, Carrie Underwood, Jeff Beck, and Joss Stone appeared at the Pasadena Civic Center, while Alicia Keys, Victoria Beckham, and David Cook appeared at the American Idol studio . Mary J. Blige also appeared at the American Idol studio, with an all-star band featuring Orianthi , Travis Barker , Randy Jackson , and multiple other celebrities. Annie Lennox
7752-519: The show in May 2024 after seven seasons. On July 31, 2024, published reports announced former Idol winner Carrie Underwood as Perry's replacement, joining Bryan and Richie for the twenty-third season . Guest judges may occasionally be introduced. In the second season, guest judges such as Richie and Gladys Knight were used, and in the third season , Donna Summer , Quentin Tarantino , and some of
7854-455: The show's budget and the charge for commercial spots. Dunkleman left the show, leaving Ryan Seacrest as the lone host. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell returned as judges. Kristin Adams was a correspondent for this season. Corey Clark was disqualified during the finals for having an undisclosed police record; however, he later alleged that he and Paula Abdul had an affair while on
7956-445: The show, and 7.5 million text messages were sent to American Idol that season. The number of text messages rapidly increased, reaching 178 million texts by the eighth season. Online voting was offered for the first time in the tenth season. The votes are counted and verified by Telescope Inc. In the first three seasons, the semi-finalists were split into different groups to perform individually in their respective night. In
8058-401: The show, sued the company for wrongful termination, claiming that he was dismissed after complaining about lewd behavior by Vazquez toward him during the show. During the top 11 week, due to a mix-up with the contestants' telephone number, voting was repeated on what was normally the result night, with the result reveal postponed until the following night. In May 2005, Underwood was announced
8160-570: The show. Cowell also left the show in 2010 to introduce the American version of his show The X Factor in 2011. Jackson was the only judge from the ninth season to return for the tenth. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler joined the judging panel in the tenth season , but both left in 2012 after two seasons. Jackson was the only judge from the eleventh season to return for the twelfth. They were replaced by three new judges, Mariah Carey , Nicki Minaj , and Keith Urban , who joined Jackson in
8262-409: The show. Gwen Stefani sang during the season finale, however it was a performance aired via satellite, and not the one she had pre-recorded for Idol Gives Back. Pink's performance was shown on one of the later episodes of the season. Ryan Seacrest made it seem that eventual winner Jordin Sparks was eliminated. She was then declared safe and no contestants were eliminated. Seacrest told everyone that
8364-426: The thirteenth season, and was joined by former mentor Harry Connick Jr. After this, Lopez, Urban, and Connick Jr. remained on the show until its cancellation after the fifteenth season in 2016. When the show was revived by ABC in 2018, Katy Perry , Luke Bryan , and Lionel Richie were selected as judges, marking the sixteenth season of Idol . Bryan and Richie have remained on the show since, while Perry left
8466-658: The time to be asking for money from the American public. However, the fundraiser returned on April 21, 2010, during the top 7 results show of season 9. It did not return in future seasons. Idol Gives Back was the result of a collaboration between American Idol creator Simon Fuller and the British writer and founder of the British Comic Relief telethons, Richard Curtis . On the March 8, 2007 American Idol results show, Ryan Seacrest announced an initiative to give back to people in poverty in both Africa and
8568-413: The top 10, and the other half would be eliminated. However, a wild card was given to one of the bottom 10 to save them from elimination. In the nineteenth season, the show used a combination of the process from the sixteenth and fourteenth seasons. In the twentieth season, the show repeated the process from the previous season, but they used a top 20 instead of a top 16, and there were no all star duets. In
8670-403: The twenty-first season, the same process was repeated, but they started with a top 26 instead of a top 24. In the twenty-second season, the show repeated the process from the twentieth season. The finals are broadcast in primetime from Los Angeles, in front of a live studio audience (except the eighteenth season , due to the COVID-19 pandemic ). From 2002 to 2019 and from 2021 to 2022, the venue
8772-409: The twenty-third season, Underwood will replace Perry, alongside returning judges Bryan and Richie. The show has been hosted by television presenter Ryan Seacrest throughout its run, apart from the show's inaugural season when comedian Brian Dunkleman joined Seacrest as co-host. The success of American Idol has been described as "unparalleled in broadcasting history". A rival TV executive said
8874-408: The vote. Then, on the first night of finals, a similar sequence from the thirteenth season was used to determine the final 12, with five of each gender based on the vote and two wildcards chosen by the judges. In the fifteenth season, the top 24 performed at Cathedral of Saint Vibiana in Los Angeles and were split into two groups of twelve and performed twice, one being a solo performance and one being
8976-422: The votes from that week and the next week would be added up and two people would go home. The initiative returned on April 9 for a second consecutive year. The format changed slightly from 2007; the episode aired as its own special on Idol 's regular Wednesday results night with an early start time of 7:30 p.m. EDT (when stations would've otherwise shown local programming), running for 152 minutes from
9078-560: The winner determined by American viewers using phones, Internet platforms, and SMS text voting. The winners of the first twenty-two seasons, as chosen by viewers, are Kelly Clarkson , Ruben Studdard , Fantasia Barrino , Carrie Underwood , Taylor Hicks , Jordin Sparks , David Cook , Kris Allen , Lee DeWyze , Scotty McCreery , Phillip Phillips , Candice Glover , Caleb Johnson , Nick Fradiani , Trent Harmon , Maddie Poppe , Laine Hardy , Just Sam , Chayce Beckham , Noah Thompson , Iam Tongi , and Abi Carter . American Idol employs
9180-505: The winner, with Bice the runner-up. Both Underwood and Bice released the coronation song " Inside Your Heaven ", with Underwood's version of the song making her the first country artist ever to debut at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. As of 2015, Underwood has become the most successful Idol contestant in the U.S., selling 16 million albums in the country, while selling a total of 65 million records worldwide. Disney Hall Too Many Requests If you report this error to
9282-399: Was CBS Television City . Starting in 2023, it changed to Red Studios. The finals lasted eight weeks in the first season. From the second to ninth and fourteenth seasons, the finals lasted eleven weeks. The tenth and eleventh seasons lasted for twelve weeks, while the twelfth season lasted for ten weeks. In the thirteenth season, the finals lasted thirteen weeks. The finals lasted seven weeks in
9384-484: Was between Justin Guarini , one of the early favorites, and Kelly Clarkson . Clarkson was not initially thought of as a contender, but impressed the judges with some good performances in the final rounds, such as her performance of Aretha Franklin 's " Natural Woman ", and Betty Hutton 's " Stuff Like That There ", and eventually won the crown on September 4, 2002. In what was to become a tradition, Clarkson performed
9486-407: Was co-hosted by comedian/talk show host Ellen DeGeneres . News Corporation pledged to donate 10 cents for every vote made to the show for the first 50 million calls, that is, up to $ 5 million. MySpace created a special profile page for the event in order to spread the word. Donations from viewers were accepted by phone and website during the April 25, 2007 results show, in a manner similar to
9588-412: Was displayed on the screen. For a two-hour period after the episode ends (up to four hours for the finale) in each US time zone, viewers may call or send a text message to their preferred contestant's telephone number, and each call or text message was registered as a vote for that contestant. Viewers were allowed to vote as many times as they can within the two-hour voting window. However, the show reserves
9690-485: Was dropped in favor of direct sponsor donations from Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, Ford, iTunes , etc. and individual viewer donations made by phone and on the American Idol website. Exclusive videos of the night's performances were available for purchase on iTunes, with proceeds going towards the donation total. On the April 10, 2008 results show, Ryan Seacrest announced the running total raised to be $ 60 million, with
9792-419: Was hospitalized before the top six result show due to chest pains and palpitations, and she was eliminated while she was in the hospital. Jim Verraros was the first openly gay contestant on the show; his sexual orientation was revealed on his blog, however it was removed during the competition after a request from the show producers over concerns that it might be unfairly influencing votes. The final showdown
9894-421: Was introduced in the fourteenth season . During the finals, viewers were given a five-minute window to vote for the contestants in danger of elimination by using their Twitter account to decide which contestant will move on to the next show, starting with the Top 8. During the original run of American Idol on Fox, the finale week consisted of a one-hour long final performance night and a two-hour last episode of
9996-511: Was originally going to reprise last year's co-hosting duties but had to pull out due to "a personal production pressure" according to producer Nigel Lythgoe . She still appeared during a short segment. The top 8 results show was held on Thursday, the day after the Idol Gives Back special. Michael Johns , Syesha Mercado , and Carly Smithson were in the bottom 3. Johns had the lowest number of votes that week; Ryan Seacrest mentioned
10098-524: Was released in 2003 but was widely panned. Clarkson has since become one of the most successful Idol contestants internationally, with worldwide album sales of more than 25 million. Starting September 30, 2006, this season was repackaged as " American Idol Rewind " and syndicated directly to stations in the U.S. Following the success of the first season, the second season was moved up to air in January 2003. The number of episodes increased, as did
10200-413: Was renamed American Idol: The Search for a Superstar and debuted in the summer of 2002. Cowell was initially offered the job of showrunner, but turned down the offer; Lythgoe then took over that position. Much to the surprise of Cowell and Fox, it became one of the biggest shows of the summer. With its successful launch in the summer, the show was then moved to January and expanded. The show grew into
10302-469: Was scheduled to make an appearance and perform live on the show, however, the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull which began on April 14, 2010, caused chaos across Europe with every flight being grounded. Due to this Lennox could not make it to perform but instead a video was played featuring her vocals of the song she was going to sing. In 2010, American Idol received a nomination for
10404-399: Was sixteen to twenty-four in the first three seasons, but the upper limit was raised to twenty-eight in the fourth season, and the lower limit was reduced to fifteen in the tenth season. The contestants have to be legal U.S. residents, can not have advanced to particular stages of the competition in previous seasons, and must not have held a current recording or talent representation contract by
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