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Noah Thompson, HunterGirl, and Leah Marlene make up the Top 3 finalists in American Idol 2022. On Sunday, they’ll perform in the grand finale as America’s votes determine who will be crowned the next Idol. While fans wait for the episode, here’s a look back at the American Idol auditions that started it all for Leah, Noah, and HunterGirl.

American Idol 2022 finalists Leah Marlene, Noah Thompson, and HunterGirl pose together.
‘American Idol 2022’ finalists Leah Marlene, Noah Thompson, and HunterGirl | Eric McCandless/ABC

Noah Thompson’s best friend made him audition for ‘American Idol’

Noah Thompson, a shy 19-year-old construction worker from Louisa, Kentucky, didn’t plan on auditioning for American Idol. He had performed in public before and dreamed of becoming a musician as a kid, but he never quite had the confidence to make it happen. However, his best friend and co-worker, Arthur, believed in Noah enough to sign him up for Idol Across America’s virtual audition.

“He’s not born to be working with us,” Arthur said. “He’s gifted.”

Much to Noah’s surprise, his voice earned him a spot in front of judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan. He sang Kameron Marlowe’s “Giving You Up” with his guitar, showing off his raspy tone and heavy accent. Lionel told Noah he had a “bada** storyteller voice.” Meanwhile, Katy called Noah “the American Dream.”

Noah has shown major growth in his confidence since his first time in front of the judges. He recently delivered his best performance of the season while sick with COVID-19, leaving Katy, Luke, and Lionel thoroughly impressed.

HunterGirl earned a platinum ticket for her audition

Winchester, Tennessee native Hunter Wolkonowski, 23, a.k.a. HunterGirl, has a big country voice and a big heart to match. When she’s not releasing her own music, she works with veterans in music therapy, turning their stories into songs as a way to help them heal from PTSD.

HunterGirl appeared in front of the American Idol judges with her guitar, ready to audition with Rascal Flatts’ “Riot.” She immediately caught Luke’s attention; he had a huge smile on his face and showed off goosebumps on his arms. All three judges gave a standing ovation. Luke ran a victory lap around HunterGirl, happy to hear an authentic country sound. He already knew HunterGirl could make it to the American Idol Top 10.

HunterGirl left her audition with a golden ticket. However, Luke later invited her to perform at his bar in Nashville, where the judges surprised her with a platinum ticket. This allowed HunterGirl to sit out of the first Hollywood Week round alongside Jay Copeland and Kenedi Anderson.

Leah Marlene’s only goal was to ‘not trip’ during her audition

Leah Marlene, 20, grew up watching American Idol in Normal, Illinois, before her audition. And though she hails from Normal, Leah takes pride in being anything but normal, often sporting a quirky personality and a unique fashion sense. Her energy immediately caught the judges’ attention.

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First, Leah sang “Steal My Girl” by One Direction, which caught Katy off guard. Still, the folky acoustic cover came as a pleasant surprise. Then, Leah performed an original called “Wisher to the Well,” showing how big her voice could get. Katy told Leah she had a “tremendous voice.” Meanwhile, Lionel said she had a lot of character that would benefit her on stage.

“There’s nothing about you that we’ll be able to predict,” Luke said.

Fans can watch Noah, HunterGirl, and Leah compete for the crown in the American Idol 2022 finale on May 22 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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