Twenty years ago, a new competition show premiered and basically changed the landscape of both pop music and reality TV forever. Since the first season of American Idol in 2002, the show has been hosted by a variety of celebrity judges, including Paula Abdul, Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr., and Katy Perry, and dominated the ratings for eight years straight (2003 to 2011, during the peak of the show's popularity). The success of the show also inspired countless imitators, including The Voice and The X Factor.
While the show is responsible for so many memorable pop culture moments (including some super cringeworthy auditions along the way) and for introducing all of us to some majorly talented singers, the truth is that winning American Idol hasn't always been a one-way ticket to lasting fame and success in the music industry. For all of the fame and success that Kelly Clarkson has enjoyed, for example, there are other winners whose stars faded pretty quickly after their win.
Of the 19 Idol winners, we'd guess that most of them didn't turn out to be household names, though some have continued to pursue careers in the recording industry or in musical theater. Read on for updates on both the biggest stars and the where-are-they-nows of American Idol winners.
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson was the winner of season one of American Idol and is arguably the show's most successful singer. She has had a ton of hit songs, has hosted her own talk show, and is currently one of the judges on The Voice. She was recently in the headlines for finalizing her messy split from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, so we are looking forward to some epic divorce music soon.
Ruben Studdard
Season two of American Idol introduced us all to the soulful Ruben Studdard. After winning in 2003, he had some initial success, including a Grammy nomination and an NAACP Outstanding New Artist award in 2004. Unfortunately, his career stalled out in the years following, and his last album (released in 2014) sold only 6,000 copies. He is now teaching music at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Fantasia
Few American Idol contestants have had as many highs and lows following their win as season three's Fantasia. While her personal life has had challenges, including infidelity, divorce, mental health struggles, and the revelation that she was functionally illiterate when she was on Idol, she also has been nominated for 11 Grammys and starred on Broadway. She's now preparing for a movie role in the upcoming film adaptation of The Color Purple.
Carrie Underwood
If there is any debate about whether or not Kelly Clarkson is the most successful Idol alum, it probably comes from the recognition that Carrie Underwood has also had a major career. In 2022, Carrie is planning to release new music, doing a major Las Vegas residency, and still seeing success with her activewear apparel line, Calia.
Taylor Hicks
Season five winner Taylor Hicks hasn't released an album since 2009, but he's continued to enjoy music through musical theater since then. He appeared on Broadway in 2008 and did a national touring production of Grease in 2009. Since then, he's opened a restaurant in Alabama, performed at the 2012 Republican National Convention, and stars in some regional theater, mostly in the South.
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks was only 17 when she won season six of Idol, making her the youngest winner in the show's history. She's all grown up now with a husband, a son, and a career that has included performing on Broadway and recently appearing on Fox's The Masked Singer, where she placed fifth.
David Cook
Season seven winner David Cook is one of the Idol alumni who falls into the category of "not exactly a household name." While he has released several albums and briefly performed on Broadway in the musical Kinky Boots, he's never really enjoyed a big hit. He's still making music and doing some touring, including a few upcoming shows with LFO and O-Town, for anyone dying for a little dose of nostalgia this summer.
Kris Allen
In season eight of American Idol, Kris Allen beat out Adam Lambert for the win, though there are those who would argue that Adam has since had the bigger career. Kris is a married father of three now and is still trying to make it in music. He released a few singles in 2021, though none have made it onto the charts yet.
Lee DeWyze
OK, full confession: If someone had paid us a million dollars to tell them who won season nine of American Idol without turning to Google, well … we wouldn't have a million dollars. Sorry, Lee DeWyze! Lee is still making art, both music and visual (as a painter), even if he isn't exactly on our radar. He released his eighth album, Ghost Stories, in 2021.
Scotty McCreery
The youngest male winner of American Idol was season 10's country crooner Scotty McCreery, who was 17 years old at the time. Since then, he's had a bit of a glow-up and has continued to have modest success as a country artist. He released his most recent album in 2021 and he is currently touring some smaller venues in support of it.
Phillip Phillips
Even people who never watched American Idol are very likely to have heard season 11 winner Phillip Phillips sing. His song "Home" is the best-selling winning song in American Idol history, moving more than 5 million copies and hitting No. 1 on many music charts. More recently, Phillip has been active in raising money to support frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Candice Glover
The third time was a charm for season 12 winner Candice Glover. It took her auditioning for Idol three times before making it to the televised rounds of the show. She's still singing, including releasing some music on SoundCloud, but she hasn't achieved a lot of commercial success since her big TV win.
Caleb Johnson
Season 13 winner Caleb Johnson was another contestant who auditioned for the show multiple times before finally making it on the stage. Since his win, he's continued to make rock music, currently as the frontman in a band called Caleb Johnson & The Ramblin Saints. The group will be touring in the spring and summer of 2022.
Nick Fradiani
Like other Idol alumni, season 14 winner Nick Fradiani did a little acting on Broadway and released some music that didn't make a big splash after his win. Interestingly, he even wrote a song with his father, who also sings. He currently lives in Connecticut.
Trent Harmon
In the six years since he won the 15th season of American Idol, Trent Harmon has largely moved off stage and into more of a behind-the-scenes role in the music industry. After some personal struggles and his record label going out of business, he moved to Nashville and works as a songwriter.
Maddie Poppe
Singer Maddie Poppe found both a little fame and some love on the way to winning season 16 of American Idol. She is still dating season 16 runner-up Caleb Lee Hutchinson and, in another Idol universe connection, she appeared on Kelly Clarkson's talk show to sing some Christmas music in December 2021.
Laine Hardy
In 2018, Laine Hardy won season 17 of American Idol and released a three-song EP soon after. He didn't attempt to release a full album until 2021, after he had recovered from COVID-19. The album included the song "Memorize You," which was featured on The Bachelor.
Samantha Diaz/Just Sam
Samantha Diaz (who also performs under the name Just Sam) had the misfortune to be a contestant on what had to be the weirdest season ever of American Idol. Season 18 ran from 2019 to 2020, with the pandemic hitting right in the middle of it. Sam was awarded the win at home and has yet to release a single or album, so it's hard to say what the future may hold for her.
Chayce Beckham
The most recent winner of American Idol is Chayce Beckham, who clinched season 19 in 2021. He's about to hit the road for a spring and summer tour with Jimmie Allen and Luke Combs, so hopefully he's able to keep the momentum of his recent win going.
