Everything to know about ‘American Idol’ Season 21: Finalists, judges and celebrity mentors

Denton Davidson
·3 min read
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“American Idol” will be back for season 21 in the winter of 2023. This is the sixth season of the reality competition series on ABC. It ran for 15 seasons on FOX from 2002 to 2016. After a two-year break, ABC revived the show that is the granddaddy of TV talent shows. Keep reading for everything to know about “American Idol 21.” View our gallery of the Top 26 finalists above.

“American Idol” season 21 premiere is set
Season 21 is set to debut on Sunday, February 19 in the series’ usual day and time slot. There will be 20 episodes with the live finale scheduled for Sunday, May 21. Each episode will be available for streaming on Hulu the next day.

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Ryan Seacrest will be back as host of “American Idol”
Emmy winner Ryan Seacrest is set to return as host. He was the only talent associated with the show on FOX who returned for the reboot on ABC.

There will be three “American Idol” judges again
Also returning are the same trio of judges who have been with “American Idol” since it re-launched on ABC in 2018: country superstar Luke Bryan, pop princess Katy Perry and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Lionel Richie. This will be their sixth year together. That puts them second on the list of panels behind the original trio of Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson who were together eight years.

Will there be mentors on “American Idol”?
Numerous “Idol” alums will return to help the contestants navigate various stages of the competition. Hollywood Week mentors included Clay Aiken, David Archuleta, Justin Guarini, Phillip Phillips, Jordin Sparks and Catie Turner. Soul and R&B singer-songwriter Allen Stone and Grammy nominee Noah Cyrus mentored the Top 26 from Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii. Idol alum Adam Lambert returned to help the Top 12 through “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Night.”

SEE ‘American Idol’ judges rankings: All 14 judges ranked from worst to best

The “American Idol” auditions were both in-person and online
Auditions kicked off on August 3 when “Idol Across America” returned with its live virtual nationwide search for talent. Try-outs took place in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The judges audition rounds took place in Las Vegas, Nashville and New Orleans.

Is there a platinum ticket to Hollywood?
Yes, at each of the three in-person audition sites, the panel handed out a platinum ticket that allowed the holders to skip the first day of Hollywood Week. This year, a special “America’s Platinum Ticket” was voted on by fans. The winning hopeful was Elijah McCormick. The other platinum ticket recipients were Cam Amen, Kaylin Hedges and Tyson Venegas.

Will the format be the same?
Yes, each contestant will sing for their golden (or platinum) ticket to Hollywood. Once there, hopefuls will go through various audition phases before the judges select 26 to sharpen their live performance skills with the help of celebrity mentors at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii. Following their performances in Hawaii, contestants will return to Los Angeles and find out who America voted into the Top 20. Next, they will sing live for a spot in the Top 12. Ten of those spots will be voted through by America and two contestants will be saved by the judges.

“American Idol” is produced by Fremantle and 19 Entertainment, a part of Sony Pictures Television. Executive producers include Megan Michaels Wolflick, also serving as showrunner, and Fremantle’s Jennifer Mullin, with Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman serving as executive producers for 19 Entertainment. Fremantle distributes the series worldwide.

SEE 15 most successful ‘American Idol’ losers ever: Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert …

Launch Gallery: 'American Idol' Season 21: Finalists

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