‘American Idol’ Winners and Runners-Up List: Who Won Each Season?
American Idol is still going strong after 20 years. In 2002, millions of people tuned into the singing competition’s very first finale, which produced one of the biggest pop-country stars today: Kelly Clarkson. A few seasons later, Carrie Underwood took home the recording contract in her first step to becoming a huge country name. Since then, American Idol has paved the way for dozens of other finalists in the music world. Here are the complete lists of American Idol winners and runners-up, plus details on the upcoming season.
‘American Idol’ winners list
As of February 2023, there are 20 American Idol winners. It’s been reported that early winners’ prizes included a $1 million recording contract, access to a private jet, and a car. Over the years, the prize has reportedly been reduced to a $250,000 record deal with Hollywood Records (per Newsweek). Here are all the winners so far:
- Season 1: Kelly Clarkson
- Season 2: Ruben Studdard
- Season 3: Fantasia Barrino
- Season 4: Carrie Underwood
- Season 5: Taylor Hicks
- Season 6: Jordin Sparks
- Season 7: David Cook
- Season 8: Kris Allen
- Season 9: Lee DeWyze
- Season 10: Scotty McCreery
- Season 11: Phillip Phillips
- Season 12: Candice Glover
- Season 13: Caleb Johnson
- Season 14: Nick Fradiani
- Season 15: Trent Harmon
- Season 16: Maddie Poppe
- Season 17: Laine Hardy
- Season 18: Just Sam
- Season 19: Chayce Beckham
- Season 20: Noah Thompson
Of all the American Idol winners on this list, Carrie Underwood is widely regarded as the most successful. She is one of the most popular country singers today with eight Grammy wins and 70 million records sold worldwide. Interestingly, American Idol judge Simon Cowell predicted in 2004 that Underwood would become the show’s biggest star.
‘American Idol’ runners-up list
Many second-place winners on American Idol have also become stars. Here are all the runners-up from seasons 1 through 20:
- Season 1: Justin Guarini
- Season 2: Clay Aiken
- Season 3: Diana DeGarmo
- Season 4: Bo Bice
- Season 5: Katharine McPhee
- Season 6: Blake Lewis
- Season 7: David Archuleta
- Season 8: Adam Lambert
- Season 9: Crystal Bowersox
- Season 10: Lauren Alaina
- Season 11: Jessica Sanchez
- Season 12: Kree Harrison
- Season 13: Jena Irene
- Season 14: Clark Beckham
- Season 15: La’Porsha Renae
- Season 16: Caleb Lee Hutchinson
- Season 17: Alejandro Aranda
- Season 18: Arthur Gunn
- Season 19: Willie Spence
- Season 20: HunterGirl
Out of all the runners-up, Adam Lambert is arguably the most successful today. After the competition, Lambert’s debut album, For Your Entertainment, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S. and is now certified gold. Lambert has also served as the modern frontman for Queen since 2014. Lambert’s second-place American Idol win even helped him land a small role on Glee after he was previously rejected from the show.
What to know about ‘American Idol’ Season 21
Another season of American Idol arrives in just a few days. This time, judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan, as well as longtime host Ryan Seacrest, are headed to New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Nashville in search of the country’s best voices. Fans can watch new episodes of American Idol Season 21 on Sundays on ABC and Mondays on Hulu.
American Idol Season 21 premieres on Sunday, Feb. 19, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Who will be the next name to join the list of American Idol winners? Tune in to find out.
