Top 2 'American Idol' contestants and winner named. See who won.

Kiara Fleming, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
Updated ·2 min read
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Iam Tongi  is the new "American Idol" edging out the Season 21 competition that included two contestants from Mississippi, Zachariah Smith who made it to the Top 5 and Colin Stough who made it to the Top 3.

Sunday night’s three-hour season 21 finale featured the Top 3 contestants — Stough, Tongi and Megan Danielle —who took the stage for the final time with hopes of becoming America’s next "American Idol."

The show opened with a wild performance by Lil Jon and Pitbull as all the past American Idol contestants and finalists joined them on stage to sing while judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie cheered from the crowd.

The finalists Stough, Tongi and Danielle all performed classic hits of Keith Urban, who was the week’s mentor for the show.

Stough, 18, of Monroe County, performed “Stupid Boy” by Keith Urban.

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“It’s been a pleasure just seeing how you’ve grown and developed a look and a style of your own,” Bryan said.

The episode featured segments of each of the finalists who made trips back to their hometowns where they got a chance to see their families and reminisce on experiences of coming from small towns and perorming on the "American Idol" stage.

Judi Sandefer Boyd, who with her husband Nick Boyd, owns The Pub on Main in Amory, Miss., shows off her vote for Colin Stough during a Season 21 "American Idol" finale watch party at The Pub Sunday, May 21, 2023. Two contestants, Zachariah Smith and Colin Stough, from the city of roughly 6,500 residents were voted into the Top 5 of the singing competition. Stough made it to the Top 3.

"It feels good to be home. I didn’t know I had this many fans,” said Stough, who is from Amory. He rode motorcycles with his grandpa, visited his old high school and received the keys to the city.

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Stough performed his second song of the night “Either Way” by Chris Stapleton.

“I just love watching you grow,” Perry said.

After the performances, all three judges took to the stage before announcing Tongi as the winner of "American Idol."

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Top 2 and winner of American Idol revealed. See how MS contestant did