Who is the next 'American Idol'? See who was crowned the winner in the season 24 finale

OTRC logo
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 3:03AM
ABC7 Eyewitness News

LOS ANGELES -- After an exciting season full of hope and heartache, season 24 of "American Idol" came down to two singers.

The top three were narrowed down to only two when Keyla Richardson was eliminated from the show in Monday night's finale. That meant the final two contestants were Jordan McCullough -- a 27-year-old worship director from Tennessee, and Hannah Harper -- a 26-year-old stay-at-home mom from Missouri.

The judges -- Carrie Underwood, Lionel Ritchie, and Luke Bryan -- watched this season's singers up their games week after week and were proud to see the three in the finale.

So, who won "American Idol" 2026?

Spoiler alert

Missouri's Hannah Harper was crowned the new "American Idol" on Monday.

With tears streaming down her face and confetti in her hair, Harper performed one final time after she won, joined on stage by her fellow contestants and judges.

Last week, before the finale, Harper reflected on the opportunities the show has provided, regardless of the outcome.

"We've all had the opportunity to build our audience while we're here, and no matter what, we all will have careers once we leave," she said. "So that's the biggest blessing that I can carry away from this platform."

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of Disney+, Hulu and this ABC station.

Copyright © 2026 OnTheRedCarpet.com. All Rights Reserved.