American Idol

American Idol is a televised talent show in which amateur singers compete for a recording contract and the title of American Idol. The show premiered in 2002.

## Contents

* 1 Auditions
* 2 Voting
* 3 Judges
* 4 Host
* 5 Notable Winners
* 6 Miscellany
* 7 List of Winners
* 8 Cancellation
* 9 See also
* 10 External links
* 11 References

## Auditions[edit]

The singers are chosen by auditions in several cities throughout the United States. After over one hundred thousand contestants [1][2] audition in several locations throughout the U.S., a group is chosen by the panel of judges to continue in the competition. These singers will appear on the television show.

## Voting[edit]

The televised portion of the show runs for approximately 14 weeks. Each week viewers are given the opportunity to phone in their vote for their favorite singer during a (typically) 2-hour period following the conclusion of each show. The results are announced the following night, and each week the singer with the least number of votes leaves the show. The group of singers decreases each week, until finally the one singer who remains wins the title of American Idol.

## Judges[edit]

The original panel of three judges consisted of music producer Randy Jackson, singer Paula Abdul, and music publisher Simon Cowell.[3] This panel of judges remained unchanged through the first seven seasons of the show. Afterward, the judging team underwent numerous changes.

Season(s)  |  Judges

|

1-7  |  Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson
8  |  Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi
9  |  Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, Ellen DeGeneres
10-11  |  Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler
12  |  Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban
13-15  |  Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, Harry Connick, Jr.

## Host[edit]

Ryan Seacrest has been the host of the show since its inception. He was joined in the first season by co-host Brian Dunkleman, but has remained as the solo host from season 2 onward.

## Notable Winners[edit]

The first winner of American Idol was Kelly Clarkson. One of the most successful winners is Carrie Underwood, the winner of season 4, who has sung popular faith-based songs including "Jesus take the Wheel" and won awards including the Dove Award, Academy of Country Music Award, and Grammy Awards.

## Miscellany[edit]

The show is produced in the United States and shown on Fox Broadcasting. The producers of American Idol adapted the format and style of the show from similar successful shows in the U.K. called Pop Idol and X-Factor.

"The charity initiative Idol Gives Back raised $64 million in 2008 for groups including Children's Health Fund and Malaria No More." [4]

## List of Winners[edit]

The winners to date:

Season  |  Winner

|

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  |  Scott McCreery
Season 11  |  Phillip Phillips
Season 12  |  Candice Glover
Season 13  |  Caleb Johnson
Season 14  |  TBD

## Cancellation[edit]

On May 11, 2015, Fox Broadcasting announced that American Idol's fifteenth season, beginning in January 2016, would be its last. [5]

## See also[edit]

* Gallery of American Heroes

## External links[edit]

* http://www.americanidol.com/
* http://www.xfactor.tv/
* http://www.out-law.com/page-6403

## References[edit]

1. ↑ http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/05/simon-cowell-de.html
2. ↑ http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/show/CTVShows/20061220/American_Idol_season6_20061220/20061220/
3. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/53/P3QW.html
4. ↑ Pop culture sings an `American Idol' tune, Lynn Elber, Associated Press, March 8, 2009
5. ↑ https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2015/05/11/american-idol-finishing-after-15-seasons/