Following the two-part Top 20 performance show set against the backdrop of Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaiʻi, American Idol finally went live on March 30 as the Idol hopefuls took to the stage in hopes of winning over America through inspiring songs of faith. While the last two episodes brought about some amazing performances and turned the power over to fans, the episodes failed to feature any eliminations, which led to a brutal round of cuts in episode 10.
While the night started with 20 artists still vying for the title of American Idol, by the night’s end only 12 artists remained, giving us our 2026 Top 12! So which artists made it into the Top 14 based on their performances from the previous weeks and which two artists failed to make it through to the Top 12?
Let’s recap American Idol season 24, episode 9!
Who made the American Idol 2026 Top 14?
Heading into episode 10, there was a lot of speculation over how the show would handle the revealing of the Top 14 and those questions were answered right away. Rather than revealing the Top 14 results through the night, American Idol revealed the identities of the Top 14 right at the top of the episode, leading to our first wave of eliminations.
Opening the night, Ryan Seacrest took to the stage to reveal the 14 singers who would be performing across the night for America's vote in hopes of making it through to the Top 12. One by one, Ryan revealed the 14 artists who would be taking to the stage to perform during Songs of Faith night with the following artists all making it through to the Top 14:
- Jordan McCullough
- Chris Tungseth
- Rae
- Daniel Stallworth
- Brooks Rosser
- Philmon Lee
- Braden Rumfelt
- Keyla Richardson
- Lucas Leon
- Jake Thistle
- Hannah Harper
- Kyndal Inskeep
- Julian Kalel
- Jesse Findling
This brought the eliminations of Abayomi, Kutter Bradley, Genevieve Heyward, Madison Moon, Makiyah, and Ruby Rae. These cuts were definitely brutal, but perhaps the most shocking aspect of the eliminations was that only four women made it into the Top 14. It's definitely a jarring imbalance, and it's going to be interesting to see how this shapes the season ahead.
After the Top 14 were revealed, the night's performances finally began as the contestants took to the stage to perform songs of faith in hopes of winning over America and making it into the Top 12.
The first performance of the night came from Keyla Richardson, who opened the night performing "Jireh” by Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music featuring Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine. Lionel loved how Keyla commanded the stage and showed off her star quality, while Carrie called it an amazing performance. Luke praised her for commanding the stage and taking the moment and making it hers, noting how touched he was from her first audition and getting to see how far she's come since the moment.
Next to perform was Jesse Findling with a rendition of "Bless The Broken Road," by Rascal Flatts. Carrie loved how he made the performance his own and the arrangement he chose for the song, which she felt was a perfect fit for his voice. Luke praised him for the control he had over his voice but encouraged him to keep pushing and dig a little deeper, a sentiment that Lionel echoed, telling him that he needs to give them all he has.
Following Jesse was Lucas Leon who tackled "Gratitude" by Brandon Lake. Luke called it his favorite performance from Lucas this season and loved seeing how far he's come. Carrie and Lionel were a bit more critical, with Lionel noting that this was a big step but he needs to take things to the next level and Carrie noting that she could hear his nerves in the performance.
As the night continued, Daniel Stallworth took to the stage for a performance of "Brighter Days" by Blessings Offor. Lionel loved how Daniel moved the crowd with his performance, while Carrie loved seeing him growing into more of a comfortable place and showing his "fun Daniel side" through the performance. Luke, however, encouraged him to keep working on growing and expanding and trying new things.
Taking to the stage fifth was Philmon Lee, whose performance of "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd won over the judges. Carrie called the performance his moment and loved his song selection. Luke seconded Carrie's comments as he asked where the guy who performed tonight had been all season. Lionel echoed his fellow judges by commending the way Philmon has stepped up and encouraged him to give more of the style he brought to the performance.
Next up to perform was Rae, who delivered one of the standout performances from the entire night, which earned rave reviews from the judges. Rae's rendition of "Up To The Mountain" by Patty Griffin wowed the judges. Luke loved how Rae worked the room, and Lionel called the performance a "shut everything down, take the prize home" performance, while Carrie loved the dynamics and perfect song selection.
As we approached the halfway point in the season, Jake Thistle took to the stage to perform "Have A Little Faith In Me," by John Hiatt. Lionel reminded him that the competition is in his face and he needs to make sure to knock them out. Carrie praised Jake for what felt like a pro performance, and Luke agreed, pointing out how he looked like a seasoned performer on the stage.
Following Jake was Braden Rumfelt, whose rendition of "Hard Fought Hallelujah" by Brandon Lake left the judges wanting more. Carrie made it clear that Braden is in the Top 14 because he has an incredible voice, which he showed off in the performance; however, Luke and Lionel both pointed out that it felt as though he were overwhelmed and let his nerves get the best of him.
Julian Kalel was next to take to the stage, with a rendition of "Fix You" by Coldplay. Luke loved the song selection and the star potential he can see in Julian. Lionel appreciated the step he took in carving out his lane in the competition and encouraged him to keep building from here. Carrie told Julian he's on his way to establishing his own sound and praised him for his ability to take a song and put himself into it.
As the night began to wind down, we began to get some of our best performances of the night, starting with Kyndal Inskeep's cover of "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus." Lionel loved how contained the performance was, and Luke loved how the song flowed through her. Carrie offered up the most praise for the performance, which left her in awe and asking how Kyndal is not already famous.
Delivering what was perhaps the stronger performance of the night was Jordan McCullough, whose performance of "I Can Only Imagine," by MercyMe left the judges speechless. There wasn't much from the judges, with Luke offering up the most feedback in pointing out that he always wonders how Jordan will find a way to take his performances up another notch only for Jordan to keep upping things with each performance.
As the night began to come to an end, Brooks Rosser took on "Imagine" by John Lennon. Luke and Lionel were wowed by the uniqueness of his voice, while Carrie praise him on his ability to always put his stamp on every song through his notes and phrasing of the lyrics.
For the penultimate performance of the night, Hannah Harper tackled "At The Cross (Love Ran Red)" by Chris Tomlin. Lionel loved the purity of the performance but wanted a bit more as he encouraged her to make sure to give it everything moving forward. Carrie loved the performance, which Luke described as perfection.
Closing out the night was Chris Tungseth with a performance of "By Your Grace," by Cody Johnson. Carrie called the performance a big old reminder of why they love him and reminded them of why he's so special. Luke recalled how they heard so much promise in his audition and appreciated how he delivered with the performance.
We'll be recapping the episode live, so be sure to refresh for the latest updates throughout the night!