Movies Gallery American Idol winners: Where are they now? They were all in it to win it. See what the crowned "American Idol" contestants have been up to since their victories. By Madeline Boardman Madeline Boardman Madeline Boardman is a former digital features director at Entertainment Weekly. She left EW in 2017. EW's editorial guidelines Updated on May 1, 2024 03:30PM EDT The original subtitle for American Idol was The Search for a Superstar, and, in a few cases, their mission was accomplished. Artists like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Jordin Sparks all had chart-topping hits following their respective wins in addition to Grammy recognition. Other winners haven't been able to fully translate their Idol success into major record sales. Then, there are the many champs in between, who found solid careers after the show and continue to perform all around the world. Frank Micelotta/Getty Images; Kevin Winter/Getty Images (2) Ahead, check in with the many singers who have won American Idol as we break down where they are now. 01 of 20 Kelly Clarkson (Season 1) Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Rob Kim/Getty Images Kelly Clarkson edged out runner-up Justin Guarini on Sept. 4, 2002, to become the very first winner of American Idol. The Texas-born singer joined the show to pursue a career in music, taking the winning title at the age of 20. She wrapped the finale with a famed performance of her debut single, "A Moment Like This." One of the most successful American Idol alums, Clarkson quickly became a star when the cameras stopped rolling. She dropped her debut album Thankful in April 2003, led by the hit single "Miss Independent." Clarkson followed up soon after with the sophomore effort Breakaway, achieving multiplatinum status. The star won her first Grammy awards thanks to Breakaway, taking home Best Pop Vocal Album as well as Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Since U Been Gone." Clarkson went on to release seven more studio albums — including 2015's Piece by Piece and 2017's Meaning of Life — performed at President Barack Obama's second inauguration in 2013; and had two children (River Rose and Remy) with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. The superstar also is a judge on The Voice; cohosted singing reality show American Song Contest; and landed her own talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show. 02 of 20 Ruben Studdard (Season 2) Ray Mickshaw/Fox; Jerod Harris/Getty Images Following in the massive footsteps of Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard won American Idol's second season on May 21, 2003. Living in Alabama at the time, Studdard auditioned for the singing competition in Nashville. He famously beat out runner-up Clay Aiken in the season finale, performing his debut single "Flying Without Wings" after he accepted the crown. Studdard followed his win with the release of his debut album Soulful just six months later. Led by the singles "Superstar" and "Sorry 2004," the album hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200—his most successful effort to date. Studdard released six albums since, including 2014's Unconditional Love and 2018's Ruben Sings Luther; returned to TV in 2013 to compete on The Biggest Loser; and made his Broadway debut with his former Idol opponent Aiken — who he's set to tour with in 2023 — for Ruben & Clay's Christmas Show. 03 of 20 Fantasia Barrino (Season 3) Fox; Paul Morigi/FilmMagic On May 26, 2004, Fantasia Barrino became the third American Idol. The young mother from North Carolina took home the title at the age of 20. While Barrino beat runner-up Diana DeGarmo in the season finale, she is perhaps most famous for taking the title over future Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, who placed seventh. Barrino celebrated her win with a performance of "I Believe," the track that would become her debut single. Led by "I Believe," Barrino's debut studio album Free Yourself arrived in stores in November 2004, including collaborations with Missy Elliott and the single "Truth Is." She went on to release six additional studio albums, the most recent being 2019's Sketchbook, and expanded to an acting career. She played herself in the Lifetime movie The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life Is Not a Fairy Tale, and hit the Broadway stage for performances of After Midnight and The Color Purple. She will reprise her role of Celie from The Color Purple in the Oprah Winfrey-produced musical version of the film. 04 of 20 Carrie Underwood (Season 4) Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Sammy Smith/WireImage Carrie Underwood officially became a star on May 25, 2005, when she won the fourth season of American Idol. The Oklahoma singer auditioned for the show in St. Louis, finally beating Bo Bice in the last episode months later. Underwood performed "Inside Your Heaven" as a part of the final competition, releasing the track as her debut single. While "Inside Your Heaven" performed well for Underwood, she saw even greater success just a few months later with the release of "Jesus, Take the Wheel." The track introduced Underwood's debut November 2005 album Some Hearts, which was certified multiplatinum. The star's career continued to grow from there with the release of eight studio albums, most recently 2022's Denim & Rhinestones. She earned eight Grammys during this time, including Best New Artist in 2007 and Best Country Solo Performance for both "Blown Away" and "Something in the Water." Underwood, who married hockey player Mike Fisher in 2010, has also tried her hand at acting, playing Maria von Trapp in NBC's 2013 production of The Sound of Music Live! and appearing in the film Soul Surfer (2011) and in episodes of How I Met Your Mother, Blue Bloods, and Cobra Kai. 05 of 20 Taylor Hicks (Season 5) Fox; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Taylor Hicks became the fifth winner of American Idol on May 24, 2006. The then-29-year-old edged out Katharine McPhee for the title, after previously making it through past Chris Daughtry and Kellie Pickler. Hicks performed "Do I Make You Proud," in the season finale, releasing the track as his debut single. Hicks, who previously released his own music independently, dropped his first post-AI album, the self-titled Taylor Hicks, in December 2006. The record, which included "Just to Feel That Way" and "Heaven Knows," hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Hicks has released just one studio album since then, 2009's The Distance, and released "Six Strings and Diamond Rings" in 2017, his first single in eight years. Outside of his recording career, Hicks played Teen Angel in a late-2000s production of Grease and the leading role of Charlie Anderson in a 2019 production of Shenandoah, and did a Las Vegas residency from 2012 to 2013. 06 of 20 Jordin Sparks (Season 6) Michael Becker/Fox; Michael Tran/FilmMagic Jordin Sparks was named American Idol on May 23, 2007, during the show's sixth season. Just 17 years old at the time of her win, Sparks beat Blake Lewis in the season finale. Sparks was hardly a stranger to competition, having previously appeared on America's Most Talented Kid and vying for titles in local Arizona contests. She performed "This Is My Now," which would become her debut single, at the finale. Sparks dropped her first album, November 2007's Jordin Sparks, soon after. The record was a commercial success and included the singles "Tattoo" and "No Air." Sparks climbed the charts with her sophomore album Battlefield in 2009, also performing at President Barack Obama's Inaugural Ball the same year. She took a hiatus from releasing music soon after, appearing in the 2012 movie Sparkle and making TV cameos during that time, as well as making an appearance in In The Heights on Broadway (later performing in Waitress in 2019). She returned to the mic in 2015, dropping her third album Right Here, Right Now — and then released her collaborative album 1990 Forever (2019) with singer Elijah Blake, her Christmas album Cider & Hennessy (2020), and her 2020 single "Red Sangria." The musician found herself on reality TV again with her 2018 Lifetime special Jordin Sparks: A Baby Story and her competitive runs as an exotic bird on The Masked Dancer and as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars. 07 of 20 David Cook (Season 7) Frank Micelotta/Fox; Jeff Daly/Invision/AP American Idol's seventh season went to David Cook, who took home the title on May 21, 2008. The Texas-born singer, who auditioned in Omaha, Neb., beat competitor David Archuleta in the season finale. Cook took his victory lap to Regie Hamm's "The Time of My Life," the winner of Idol's songwriting competition. Cook, who had previously released an independent album Analog Heart, followed his American Idol win with the debut of the self-titled David Cook in November 2008. Led by the single "Light On," the album hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200. He went on to release two more albums, including 2015's Digital Vein, but fell short of the commercial success he saw with his first effort. Cook married his longtime girlfriend Rachael Stump in 2015, made his Broadway debut as Charlie Price in Kinky Boots in 2018, and released his two EPs Chromance (2018) and The Looking Glass (2021). 08 of 20 Kris Allen (Season 8) Ray Mickshaw/Fox; Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic Kris Allen was named American Idol as the show's eighth season came to a close on May 20, 2009. The Arkansan, who began playing music at a young age, auditioned for Idol in Louisville, Ky. He made it all the way to the final round, beating out Adam Lambert in the season's last episode. Allen and Lambert both performed the single "No Boundaries" during the finale, with each singer's version released as their debut single. Allen found greater success with his sophomore single "Live Like We're Dying," released in September 2009 off of his studio album Kris Allen. The self-titled project also included the Pat Monahan-assisted "The Truth" and was succeeded by four studio albums from Allen. He dropped two records, Letting You In and Something About Christmas, in 2016, and released 10 — a 2019 compilation album of his songs reimagined — to celebrate his decade-long anniversary of his AI win. In addition to his music career, Allen welcomed three children with his wife Katy. 09 of 20 Lee DeWyze (Season 9) Michael Becker/Fox; John Lamparski/WireImage Lee DeWyze became the ninth American Idol on May 26, 2010. The Illinois-born singer, who previously eyed a music career with an independent label, found his way onto the singing show through an audition in Chicago. He beat out competitor Crystal Bowersox in the season finale. DeWyze closed his Idol run with a performance of his debut single, which was a cover of U2's "Beautiful Day." The singer released his post-Idol debut album Live It Up with RCA in November 2010. The project included the singles "Sweet Serendipity" and "Beautiful Like You," but failed to crack the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart. DeWyze continued to record and married actress Jonna Walsh during this time. He released five subsequent albums, including Paranoia (2018) and Ghost Stories (2021), and had his song "Victims of the Night" featured in Paramount+'s Teen Wolf: The Movie (2023). 10 of 20 Scotty McCreery (Season 10) Michael Becker/Fox; Al Bello/Getty Images American Idol's 10th season went to then-17-year-old Scotty McCreery on May 25, 2011. The country crooner from North Carolina beat out Lauren Alaina in the season finale, having previously lasted longer in the competition than such performers as Pia Toscano, Haley Reinhart, and Casey Abrams. McCreery performed "I Love You This Big" for his final bow, releasing the track as his debut single. The singer dropped his debut studio album Clear as Day soon after. The platinum-selling project, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 after its October 2011 release, included "I Love You This Big," as well as the sophomore single "The Trouble With Girls." The following year, McCreery dropped a holiday album, going on to debut a third record, See You Tonight, in 2013. The reality star published his first book, Go Big or Go Home, and was brought under new management in 2016. McCreery went on to release two more albums, Seasons Change (2018) and Same Truck (2021). 11 of 20 Phillip Phillips (Season 11) Mark Davis/Getty Images; Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic Phillip Phillips edged out Jessica Sanchez in American Idol's 11th season to win the title on May 23, 2012. Phillips auditioned for the show in Savannah, Ga., making it through the rounds without finding himself in the bottom three. He debuted his single "Home" in the season finale, watching the track go multiplatinum. His biggest chart success to date, "Home" led Phillips' debut studio album, The World From the Side of the Moon. Released in November 2012, the project hit No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and also including the track "Gone, Gone, Gone." The singer dropped his two succeeding albums, Behind the Light (2014) and Collateral (2018), and went on to open for the Goo Goo Dolls in 2017 and co-headline a 2018 tour with Gavin DeGraw. Outside of his music career, Phillips married Hannah Blackwell in 2015 and had their first child Patch in 2019, and appeared in an episode of Hawaii Five-0. The former AI contestant returned to the competition show in 2022 for its season finale and 20th anniversary, performing his single "Love Like That." 12 of 20 Candice Glover (Season 12) Ray Mickshaw/Fox; Mike Windle/Getty Images On May 16, 2013, Candice Glover became the 12th winner of American Idol. The singer from South Carolina went out for the show in Charlotte, N.C., finally making it on after two previous auditions. She beat out Kree Harrison in the season finale, performing the track "I Am Beautiful." The song would go on to become Glover's debut promotional single. Glover dropped her debut studio album Music Speaks in February 2014, nearly a year after her Idol win. The project peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard 200, and included the follow-up single "Cried." Glover hyped new music in 2015, but has yet to make an official announcement. She continues to perform, largely playing private events and trying her hand at acting on the stage. 13 of 20 Caleb Johnson (Season 13) Michael Becker/Fox; Gregg DeGuire/WireImage The title of American Idol went to Caleb Johnson in the show's 13th season. The North Carolina-born performer took the crown on May 21, 2014, edging out Jena Irene in the finale. Johnson performed "As Long as You Love Me" during the last episode, releasing the track as his debut single. Just two months after his win, Johnson dropped his debut studio album Testify. The 10-track record included "As Long as You Love Me" (which we now know he disliked), in addition to the singles "Only One" and "Fighting Gravity." The album could not reach the same level of success as previous Idol debuts, peaking at No. 24 on the Billboard 200. He went on to release the 2019 album Born From Southern Ground with his band Caleb Johnson & the Ramblin' Saints, as well as his 2021 EP Mountain Mojo, Vol. 1. 14 of 20 Nick Fradiani (Season 14) Michael Becker/Fox; Angela Weiss/Getty Images On May 13, 2015, Nick Fradiani became the winner of American Idol's 14th season. Edging out Clark Beckham in the finale, Fradiani performed the single "Beautiful Life," which would become his first official release after Idol. "Beautiful Life" hit No. 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 and teased what was to come from his first album post-Idol. Fradiani previously released records as a part of the band Beach Avenue, and launched his debut solo album Hurricane in 2016, following it with his 2017 EP Where We Left Off. The singer went on a national tour of A Bronx Tale, playing Lorenzo from 2019 to 2020; released a second studio album, Past My Past, in 2022; and made his Broadway debut in 2022, as the alternate for the role of Neil Diamond in A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical. 15 of 20 Trent Harmon (Season 15) Ray Mickshaw/FOX Image Collection via Getty Images; Paul Archuleta/Getty Images After being rejected by all four judges on his unaired audition for The Voice, Trent Harmon didn't let that turndown (or even mono) stop him from winning American Idol's "Farewell Season," defeating La'Porsha Renae for the title. The Mississippi singer impressed viewers with his country-soul voice — singing "Falling" by AI judge Keith Urban — and won a 2017 Ford Fusion and a record deal with Big Machine Records. A year after his victory, Harmon released his self-titled EP — which showcased his range as a country-pop singer — and featured his top 30 debut single, "There's a Girl." The singer then released his debut album You Got 'Em All in 2018, before parting ways with Big Machine Records in 2019. Harmon got married to first-grade teacher Kathleen Couch in 2020. —James Mercadante 16 of 20 Maddie Poppe (Season 16) Eric Liebowitz/Getty; Christopher Willard/ABC Praised for having a Joni Mitchell-esque voice, Maddie Poppe sang her way to being a top three finalist and was eventually crowned the winner on May 21, 2018. The folk singer beat runner-up Caleb Lee Hutchinson — who was revealed as her new boyfriend, prior to the finale — and Gabby Barrett in third place. Her winner's single was "Going, Going, Gone," which was penned by Julia Michaels, Mitch Allen, and Lindy Robbins. Prior to her AI victory, Poppe released her 2016 independent album Songs From the Basement, and went on to finish her first studio album Whirlwind with Hollywood Records in 2019. The musician later joined Ingrid Michaelson on her 2019 tour as an opener. Poppe is regularly creating music, including her 2020 Christmas EP and her 2022 single "One That Got Away," and she and former opponent Hutchinson stay in tune with their romance—which is music to our ears! —J.M. 17 of 20 Laine Hardy (Season 17) Eric McCandless/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty; Tim Mosenfelder/Getty The Livingston, La. resident first auditioned for American Idol in 2016, but didn't get far in the competition. When Hardy assisted his friend Ashton Gill by playing guitar at her season 17 audition, judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie convinced him to make another attempt, which ignited his journey all the way to the finale, winning the competition on May 19, 2019, with his winner's single "Flame." Following his win, Hardy immediately released "Flame" and announced his headlining U.S. tour a few months later. The country-rock singer cooked up a few singles, such as 2020's "Tiny Town" and 2021's "Memorize You," until the release of his debut album Here's to Anyone in 2021. However, his music career was briefly put on mute after his 2022 arrest for hiding a recording device in his ex-girlfriend's dorm room. Hardy announced later on Instagram that new music is in the works. —J.M. 18 of 20 Just Sam (Season 18) Eric Liebowitz/ABC/Getty; Noam Galai/Getty Forced to compete under the restrictions of a global pandemic, Samantha Diaz — more known by stage name Just Sam — edged out runner-up Arthur Song by reprising their audition song "Rise Up," and was remotely crowned winner (the first Black American Idol since season 12's Candice Glover) in the comfort of their home. Just Sam released "Rise Up" as a single after their win, which included a record deal with Hollywood Records, however, Just Sam left the label to make music on their own terms, which came with an unfortunate price. "I'm not even going to tell you guys the amount of money that I had to pay after leaving the label to claim songs that I already recorded," Just Sam told the Chicago Defender in 2022. Diaz admitted they "ended up broke," but, thankfully, the R&B singer has been able to release a few independent singles, including 2021's "Africando" and 2022's "Pain Is Power." —J.M. 19 of 20 Chayce Beckham (Season 19) Christopher Willard/Getty; Michael Hickey/Getty The singer from Apple Valley, Calif. auditioned in L.A. two weeks before he was affected by a deadly car crash. Chayce Beckham was ostensibly America's favorite when he performed his original song "23" for Top 4 — which ran No. 1 on the iTunes chart shortly after — and the country singer overthrew finalists Willie Spence and Grace Kinstler on May 23, 2021. Directly after his win, Beckham launched "23" as his first single, being the first AI contestant to use an original song for their first release. The season 19 winner went on to release his first studio EP Doin' It Right, which included its lead single "Tell Me Twice," and continues to work on new music. —J.M. 20 of 20 Noah Thompson (Season 20) Eric McCandless/ABC/Getty; Danielle Del Valle/Getty American Idol saw a back-to-back winning streak by male country artists with Noah Thompson winning the show's 20th season, performing his finale song "One Day Tonight" and beating his opponent — another country singer — HunterGirl on May 22, 2022. The Kentucky singer went on to release "One Day Tonight" as his debut single, and has released more since. —J.M.