The program seeks to discover the best singer in the country through a series of nationwide auditions. The American public decides the outcomes of the later stages through phone voting. The judges give critiques of the contestants' performances: Grammy award-winning record producer and music manager Randy Jackson; Grammy award-winning pop singer and Emmy award-winning choreographer Paula Abdul; music executive and music manager Simon Cowell; and Grammy award-nominated singer-songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi. The format originally featured three judges, with Kara DioGuardi added in the eighth season.

The show is hosted by television personality Ryan Seacrest. Comedian Brian Dunkleman co-hosted with Seacrest during season 1. The American Idol band is led by Rickey Minor.

bo bice daughtry jennifer hudson jordin sparks kellie pickler ruben studdard ryan seacrest simon cowell american idle american idols live tour americanidol idols americanidol com bucky covington constantine maroulis melinda doolittle america idols americanidols corey clark mandisa ryan starr www americanidol com american audition american finalists americanidol audition carmen rasmusen jordin www americanidol american contestants american voted off americanidol 2008 americanidol co americanidol comm americanidol comn americanidol con americanidol concert americanidol david americanidol game americanidol games americanidol in americanidol ocm americanidol om americanidol season americanidol tickets americanidol tour americanidol tryouts americanidol winner americanidol winners for americanidol from americanidol of americanidol on americanidol search americanidol songwriter americanidol to americanidol ww americanidol wwww americanidol youtube americanidol american finalist american contestant americanidol contestants americanidol results americanidol vote american carrie underwood americanidol 2007 americanidol 2009 americanidol blogs americanidol contestant americanidol finale americanidol finalist americanidol finalists americanidol judges americanidol live americanidol music americanidol net americanidol news americanidol org americanidol performances americanidol poll americanidol recap americanidol result americanidol show americanidol songs americanidol tonight americanidol tv americanidol video americanidol videos americanidol votes americanidol voting americanidol website idols gift watch americanidol americanidol adam americanidol allison americanidol blog americanidol board americanidol c americanidol c0m americanidol ccom americanidol cim americanidol ciom americanidol clom americanidol cm americanidol cmo americanidol coim americanidol cojm americanidol cokm americanidol col americanidol colm americanidol comj americanidol comk americanidol coml americanidol como americanidol conm americanidol coom americanidol copm americanidol cp americanidol cpm americanidol danny americanidol final americanidol forum americanidol forums americanidol info americanidol kris americanidol megan americanidol online americanidol polls americanidol schedule americanidol site americanidol song americanidol susan americanidol vom americanidol worst americanidol xom foxtv americanidol jordin songs new americanidol americanidol 11 americanidol 10 americanidol 09 americanidol 2 americanidol 3 americanidol 4 americanidol 5 americanidol 8 americanidol adamlambert americanidol anoop americanidol bikini americanidol chat americanidol chris americanidol com2008 americanidol com2009 americanidol dom americanidol elimination americanidol england americanidol episodes americanidol finals americanidol html americanidol is americanidol judge americanidol kara americanidol matt americanidol mobile americanidol performance americanidol season8 americanidol som americanidol spoiler americanidol spoilers americanidol theme americanidol twitter americanidol wiki americanidol wildcard british americanidol jordin song tatiana americanidol utube americanidol americanidol predictions jordin album jordin battlefield

The show usually airs on Tuesday and Wednesday nights in the United States and Canada, Wednesday and Thursday nights in Australia & Asia, and Thursday and Friday nights in the United Kingdom.

Contestants
Season 1 (2002)
Kelly Clarkson Winner
Justin Guarini September 4
Nikki McKibbin August 28
Tamyra Gray August 21
R. J. Helton August 14
Christina Christian August 7
Ryan Starr July 31
A.J. Gil July 24
Jim Verraros July 17
EJay Day
Season 2 (2003)
Ruben Studdard Winner
Clay Aiken May 21
Kimberley Locke May 14
Josh Gracin May 7
Trenyce April 30
Carmen Rasmusen April 23
Kimberly Caldwell April 16
Rickey Smith April 9
Corey Clark Disqualified
April 2
Julia DeMato March 26
Charles Grigsby March 19
Vanessa Olivarez March 12
Season 3 (2004)
Fantasia Barrino Winner
Diana DeGarmo May 26
Jasmine Trias May 19
LaToya London May 12
George Huff May 5
John Stevens April 28
Jennifer Hudson April 21
Jon Peter Lewis April 15
Camile Velasco April 7
Amy Adams March 31
Matthew Rogers March 24
Leah LaBelle March 17
Season 4 (2005)
Carrie Underwood Winner
Bo Bice May 25
Vonzell Solomon May 18
Anthony Fedorov May 11
Scott Savol May 4
Constantine Maroulis April 27
Anwar Robinson April 20
Nadia Turner April 13
Nikko Smith April 6
Jessica Sierra March 30
Mikalah Gordon March 24
Lindsey Cardinale March 16
Season 5 (2006)
Taylor Hicks Winner
Katharine McPhee May 24
Elliott Yamin May 17
Chris Daughtry May 10
Paris Bennett May 3
Kellie Pickler April 26
Ace Young April 19
Bucky Covington April 12
Mandisa April 5
Lisa Tucker March 29
Kevin Covais March 22
Melissa McGhee March 15
Season 6 (2007)
Jordin Sparks Winner
Blake Lewis May 23
Melinda Doolittle May 16
LaKisha Jones May 9
Chris Richardson May 2
Phil Stacey
Sanjaya Malakar April 18
Haley Scarnato April 11
Gina Glocksen April 4
Chris Sligh March 28
Stephanie Edwards March 21
Brandon Rogers March 14
Season 7 (2008)
David Cook Winner
David Archuleta May 21
Syesha Mercado May 14
Jason Castro May 7
Brooke White April 30
Carly Smithson April 23
Kristy Lee Cook April 16
Michael Johns April 10
Ramiele Malubay April 2
Chikezie March 26
Amanda Overmyer March 19
David Hernandez March 12
Season 8 (2009)
Kris Allen TBA
Anoop Desai TBA
Matt Giraud TBA
Danny Gokey TBA
Alexis Grace TBA
Allison Iraheta TBA
Megan Joy TBA
Adam Lambert TBA
Scott MacIntyre TBA
Lil Rounds TBA
Michael Sarver TBA
Jorge Nuñez March 11
Jasmine Murray
American Idol
Idol Contestant & Season American Music Awards Billboard Music Awards Grammy Awards Academy Awards
Kelly Clarkson
(Season 1, Winner) 4 12 2
2006 Best Female Pop Vocal
2006 Best Pop Vocal Album 0
Clay Aiken
(Season 2, Runner-Up) 1 3 0 0
Fantasia Barrino
(Season 3, Winner) 0 3 0 0
Jennifer Hudson
(Season 3, 7th Place) 0 0 1
2009 Best R&B Album 1
2006 Best Supporting Actress
Carrie Underwood
(Season 4, Winner) 5 14 4
2009 Best Female Country Vocal
2008 Best Female Country Vocal
2007 Best New Artist
2007 Best Female Country Vocal 0
Chris Daughtry
(Season 5, 4th Place) 4 6 0 0
Jordin Sparks
(Season 6, Winner) 1 0 0 0

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American Idol Reality Show