“American Idol” Season 24: Find Out Which Judges Are Returning And How To Audition

Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood are returning as judges for American Idol season 24

Cue the sounds of vocal warmups and strumming guitars because American Idol is returning to make more dreams come true.

Back in the spring, in May 2025, Jamal Roberts was crowned the winner of American Idol season 23, with what host Ryan Seacrest said was the ⁘biggest finale vote in show history.⁘ Roberts won over John Foster and Breanna Nix, who placed second and third, respectively.

More recently, in August 2025, ABC announced details about the upcoming season of the long-running singing competition series, including which judges are returning and how to audition. The new installment will be season 24 in the show's overall history, and season 9 since being revived on ABC.

Now that fall is around the corner, American Idol is actively looking for talent and Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood are helping spread the word in a back-to-school themed video.

American Idol season 24 will be released sometime in 2026, but an exact premiere date has not been revealed.

Since moving to ABC, the new installments have debuted in February or March. American Idol season 23 premiered in March 2025 and concluded two months later, in May. According to ABC , the finale was ⁘the show's most-watched telecast in two years.⁘

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