After months of competition, American Idol season 24 finally came to an end on May 11 with a super-sized, three-hour finale in which our Final 3 took to the stage to perform one last time for America's votes. Thousands of hopefuls auditioned for the judges and only 127 made it to Hollywood, a number that dwindled fast as the season progressed.
Following weeks of amazing performances and shocking eliminations, only three hopefuls remained in the hunt for the title of American Idol: Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, or Keyla Richardson. Heading into the finale, there was truly no telling who would emerge victorious, but the one thing that was certain was we'd in for an unforgettable finale -- and that was certainly the case!
The finale opened with a performance from the Top 3 with Hannah, Jordan, and Keyla performing Carrie Underwood’s “The Champion.”
The Top 3 take to the stage to perform songs by Alicia Keys
After a showstopping opening number, the Top 3 took to the stage to perform songs from guest mentor Alicia Keys, beginning with a performance of "No One" from Hannah Harper. Lionel loved how Hannah made the song her own in a performance during which Carrie couldn’t stop smiling. Meanwhile, Luke praised her for being a true artist and staying true to herself.
Keyla was next to perform with a rendition of "Unthinkable" that had Lionel feeling like a proud papa bird. Carrie called it a wonderful choice of song and a performance that proved she's ready for whatever is next after the show, while Luke called the performance inspiring.
Closing out the first round of performances was Jordan with "If I Ain't Got You." Luke loved how much swagger and moxie he brought to the performance, which Lionel called money. Carrie praised Jordan for the superpower he has of knowing how to do just enough to captivate the audience.
American Idol 2026 hometown journeys give the contestants the final chance to win over America before the Top 2 are revealed
After performances of some of Alicia Keys' most iconic hits, the second stage of the finale night competition welcomed the hometown visits. Following the performances it was made clear that one finalist would be heading home, making these performances major for the artists.
Up first, we headed to Willow Springs, Missouri, for Hannah's hometown journey. For her performance, Hannah performed an original, "Married Into This Town," which Lionel called fantastic. Carrie loved that Hannah started her journey with an original and chose to do another original for the finale, a commentary she delivered through tear-filled eyes. Luke loved that Hannah trusted American Idol to get her career going as he thanked her for pouring her heart out.
Next up, we traveled to Pensacola, Florida, with Keyla, who then took to the stage to perform "I Love The Lord" by Whitney Houston, featuring the Georgia Mass Choir. The performance left Carrie emotional as she loved seeing Keyla take the opportunity to sing to the Lord. Luke admitted that Keyla's journey is one of his favorite journeys to have been a part of during his time on the show, while Lionel called it an amazing performance that inspired us all.
Finally, we headed to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, for Jordan's hometown visit, which inspired him to perform a rendition of "Dear God" by Smokie Norful. "I take so much pride in saying you are a teacher, you are a preacher, and you’re a hell of a singer," Lionel remarked following the performance. Luke shared his love for how Jordan has made American Idol his church all season long, as Carrie admitted she doesn't know how America will choose between the three finalists who are all so deserving of the title.
Keyla Richardson eliminated making Hannah Harper and Jordan McCullough the American Idol 2026 Top 2
After an amazing performance of “Lovin U” from Alicia Keys featuring Hannah, Keyla, and Jordan, the moment we'd been dreading arrived as it was time to say goodbye to one contestant based on America's votes throughout the first hour of the episode.
The first artist to make it into the Top 2 was Jordan McCullough, who was stunned to become the first finalist of the night. This meant either Hannah Harper or Keyla Richardson would be going home. After the nationwide vote, it was Keyla who was sent home making Hannah the second finalist for the season.
The American Idol finale brings back the Top 12 for some amazing duets
Following the elimination of Keyla, the competition moved into a celebration of this year’s Top 12 contestants who took to the stage to perform with Hollywood greats.
Opening the performances was Rae joining En Vogue for a duet of “My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)” and “Free Your Mind.” After a fun bit in which Carrie Underwood faces off against Keyla Richardson's scene-stealing son Drew in a battle royale, Jake Thistle and Jesse Findling took to the stage to perform “Hey Jealousy” with Gin Blossoms and "Hook" with Blues Traveler.
After the commercial break, Lucas Leon took to the stage to perform "I'm Gonna Miss Her," alongside Brad Paisley, followed by a performance of "Cruise" by Chris Tungseth and Nelly.
The Top 12 weren’t the only ones to get in on the finale night performances as judge Carrie Underwood took to the stage to perform “Kickstart My Heart” and “Home Sweet Home” with Mötley Crüe. Their performance was followed by Brooks accompanying Cameron Whitcomb for a performance of “Kingdom of Fear.”
Philmon Lee took to the stage next to perform "Searchlight" alongside Shinedown before a special rendition of "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys and RAYE. Not wanting Carrie to be the only judge to have some fun on finale night, Luke Bryan took to the stage to perform "Fish Hunt Golf Drink" before joining Top 12 finalist Julian Kalel for a performance of "A Thousand Miles from Nowhere" by Dwight Yoakam.
The Top 12 performances continued with Clay Aiken performing "Rewind" before joining finalist Braden Rumfelt to perform "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" by Elton John.
As the night continued, Hannah Harper and Lee Ann Womack performed a rendition of “I Hope You Dance” before Tori Kelly took to the stage to perform “Control” followed by “Confetti” with Jordan McCullough and Daniel Stallworth accompanying her on the latter song.
Rounding out the performances by the Top 12, we had Kyndal Inskeep take to the stage to perform her original song “Honest” alongside season 24 contestant Lainey Grace, who auditioned earlier in the season with the song. This brought us to a duet of “I Won’t Give Up” with Jason Mraz and third-place finisher Keyla Richardson.
Ahead of the results, the judges took to the stage together for a rendition of Lionel Richie's "Deep River Water."
With the finale drawing to a close, the time came for Hannah and Jordan to perform one last time in hopes of swaying the fans watching at home and securing their vote. For time purposes, the judges did not provide commentary of these final performances which saw Hannah performing an original titled "String Cheese," and Jordan performing “Goodness of God” by Bethel Music and Jenn Johnson.
Who won American Idol 2026?
After a night of amazing performances, it was time for the final results of the night. Hannah Harper and Jordan McCullough took to the stage as Ryan Seacrest prepared to reveal the results of America's live voting through the night. In the end, it was Hannah Harper who was announced as the new American Idol, winning season 24 in a tight race.
As the finale drew to a close, Hannah took to the stage to perform one final time, this time as the newest American Idol, with an emotional rendition of "At The Cross (Love Ran Red)" by Chris Tomlin.
And with that, another season has come to an end! American Idol will return in 2027 for its 25th season.
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