Noah Thompson won the season on May 22, 2022, while HunterGirl was the runner-up, and Leah Marlene finished in third place.
Auditions
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Idol Across America virtual audition program that was launched last season was used again this season. Remote auditions took place from August 5 to October 28, 2021, as well as a number of open-call auditions, and from these, the producers selected the contestants who were then invited to audition in front of the judges.[5]
American Idol introduced the "platinum ticket" during the audition round in celebration of the show's twentieth season. A total of three platinum tickets were awarded, and they gave the recipients the opportunity to advance directly to the second round of Hollywood week as well as choose their partners for that week's duet challenge before the remaining contestants were paired. The platinum ticket recipients were HunterGirl, Kenedi Anderson, and Jay.[6][7]
Hollywood week was filmed December 6–9, 2021, at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. The format remained similar to last season. In the first round, each contestant chose and performed a song from a selection of musical genres (indie folk, pop, rock, R&B, soul, or country). This season, contestants were mentored by American Idol alumni: Lauren Alaina (country), David Cook (rock), Lee DeWyze (indie folk), Haley Reinhart (soul), Jordin Sparks (pop), and Ruben Studdard (R&B). Those who impressed the judges and the producers were advanced to the next round. The contestants were paired up by the judges and performed duets.[8] They were given twelve hours to rehearse, which included consultation with a vocal coach, a stage rehearsal, and advice from one of the judges. Judges could advance either, neither, or both of the contestants to the Showstopper round.
Showstopper round
The Showstopper round featured the top 59 contestants performing for the judges and a live audience at the Orpheum Theatre. This round was aired on April 4, but only 33 contestants were aired. The following day, the judges narrowed the number of contestants down 24. The following is a list of the contestants who reached the top 24 and the song they performed. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
The top 24 contestants were split into two groups of twelve and performed one solo each at the Aulani resort in Kapolei, Hawaii. The first group aired on April 10, and the second group on April 11. Jimmie Allen served as a guest mentor for the first group, and Bebe Rexha for the second group. Two contestants from the first group and one from the second group were eliminated based on the public vote, and the rest advanced to the top 20. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Gabby Barrett served as a guest mentor this week. On Sunday, April 24, each contestant performed one breakout hit. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
On Monday, April 25, the judges chose songs for each of the contestants to perform. Luke Bryan and Katy Perry tied with the most song choices selected by the contestants, and were able to save one contestant from elimination. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
will.i.am served as a guest mentor this week. Each contestant performed two songs this week: one that they have posted on TikTok or has gone viral on TikTok, and one in honor of Mother's Day. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
^Fritz Hager tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the May 8 show, so rehearsal footage was used instead of a live performance.[12]
^Noah Thompson tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the May 8 show, so he performed from his hotel room instead of on stage.[12]
Top 5 – Carrie Underwood (May 15)
Carrie Underwood served as a guest mentor this week. Each contestant performed two songs this week: one song from her discography and one song of their choice. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Each contestant performed two songs this week – one song from the Bruce Springsteen discography and their winner's single – before the contestant who had the fewest votes up to that point was eliminated, thereby finishing in third place. The remaining two contestants performed one last song as voting continued. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
