Who are the finalists on American Idol 2022?

Noah Thompson never imagined himself on the cusp of stardom. But now, the American Idol finalist has the support of many to go after the ultimate title on the ABC singing competition show. Whether or not Noah is declared the next American Idol winner, his fanbase will definitely continue to follow his music journey.

When American Idol season 5 (overall 20th season) premiered, judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan were instantly impressed with the 19-year-old singer. Hailing from Louisa, Kentucky, Noah revealed that he was a construction worker who ended up in front of them because of his best friend, Arthur. After noticing his singing talent while working side by side as construction workers, Arthur signed Noah up for the “Idol Across America” virtual audition and recorded his song.

“We [were] actually hanging up sheetrock at work and he told me he was going to sign me up for it,” Noah recalled at his in-person Texas audition. "I say, ‘No, you’re not.’ But he did it anyway.” When Arthur was asked why he took the leap of faith on behalf of his friend, he shared that it was the push Noah needed — and Noah agreed.

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Just three days before the finalists on the current season of American Idol competed in a live broadcast to narrow the top 14 down to a top 11, they sat down with Billboard for their first in-depth interviews of their Idol run. One by one, over almost eight hours, they filed into dressing room 36G at CBS Television City in Los Angeles to be grilled about their lives, their hopes and dreams and their Idol journeys to date.

Although each contestant was interviewed privately, they named many of the same series alums as their favorite Idols. Alejandro Aranda received the most mentions, with Kelly Clarkson right behind him. Last year, it was a three-way tie for first place among Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson and Katharine McPhee.

With the revelation of who made the current top 10 now announced on the air, here are the interviews with the top 10 finalists of season 20.

AMERICAN Idol returned on Sunday night for another episode of the hit singing competition show, and two contestants were eliminated.

The top five singers left are Leah Marlene, Noah Thompson, HunterGirl, Fritz Hager, and Nicolina.

Host Ryan Seacrest revealed that the two contestants who got the least votes and were sent home are Jay Copeland and Christian Guardino.

Meanwhile, the singing competition show celebrated 20 years with The Great Idol Reunion last week, and alumni like Jordin Sparks, David Cook, and Kris Allen returned to perform jaw-dropping duets for judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie.

Former judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson also made special appearances on the anniversary episode, causing some fans to question Jackson's health as he looked shockingly different.

Sunday night's episode determined the competition's top five as the show draws to a close with the season 20 finale reportedly set for later this month.

Fans of Idol can tune in to the show every Sunday on ABC at 8pm ET.

Read our American Idol live blog for the latest news and updates...

• Jennifer Korn

  Did a new episode of American Idol air last night?

  A new episode of American Idol season 20 did not air last night.

  ABC did not air a new episode on Monday, May 9, 2022, as the program is back to once-a-week episodes for the final shows.

• Jennifer Korn

  Finneas to perform next week

  During next Sunday's episode of American Idol, Grammy Award winner Finneas will take the stage.

  Next Sunday, the 𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝟱 perform 𝙇𝙄𝙑𝙀 for your votes!
  
  Grammy Award winner ✨ @finneas ✨ will be here to perform! pic.twitter.com/den2Un1yA8

  — American Idol (@AmericanIdol) May 9, 2022

• Jennifer Korn

  Top Five pictured

  Leah, Nicolina, and HunterGirl posed for a photo with Noah and Fritz joining them through phone screens.

  The photo was shared by American Idol's Twitter account.

  📸 Your 𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝟱! 📸@FritzHagerMusic@_LeahMarlene@NicolinaBozzo@HuntergirlMusic@NoahThompsonMu1#AmericanIdol pic.twitter.com/F9gM6Xcfxq

  — American Idol (@AmericanIdol) May 9, 2022

• Jennifer Korn

  What happened to Kenedi Anderson, continued

  The rising star then took to social media, where she confirmed the news. She wrote in an Instagram post: “For personal reasons, I’m unable to continue on American Idol.

  "This has been one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, but I know it’s necessary.

  "I’m so grateful to American Idol, the judges, the producers, the amazing contestants, and all the fans who have supported me.

  "Thank you for giving me such an amazing opportunity to share my voice, chase my dreams, feel so much joy and happiness doing what I love, and making lifelong friends along the way.”

  While Kenedi confirmed the news herself, she did not specify why she decided to leave.

• Jennifer Korn

  What happened to Kenedi Anderson?

  At the beginning of the season, Kenedi Anderson made history by earning the show's first platinum ticket, which allows contestants to bypass the first round of Hollywood Week.

  Despite being one of the season's frontrunners, on April 11, 2022, episode she shocked fans when she withdrew from the competition.

  Following Kenedi's performance of Christina Perri’s Human at the Aulani Disney Resort in Hawaii, host Ryan Seacrest revealed during the program: “You will notice there was no voting information during Kenedi’s performance just now.

  "Since we taped these shows in Hawaii earlier, Kenedi (or Kennedy Anderson) has chosen to withdraw from our show for personal reasons. We send her well wishes.”

• Jennifer Korn

  Where was American Idol 2022 filmed? continued 

  The new showrunner, Megan Michaels Wolflick, told Deadline in an interview: “now we’re going to the biggest music cities in America, we’re able to go out again. We’re able to go to the places that make this show sing.” 

  However, due to the ongoing pandemic, the first round of auditions for the 2022 season took place virtually through Zoom.

  They resumed in-person from October 2021 with health and safety protocols in mind.

• Jennifer Korn

  Where was American Idol 2022 filmed? 

  Unlike season 18, which was virtual and season 19, which was filmed in California, American Idol’s season 20 took its time to visit some of the trending capitals in America:

  • Los Angeles, California
  • Nashville, Tennessee
  • Austin, Texas
  • Disney Aulani, Hawaii

• Jennifer Korn

  How can I watch American Idol?

  Season 20 of American Idol airs every Sunday and Monday at 8pm on ABC.

  The show can be watched live on ABC at 8pm EST or streamed through Hulu.

• Jennifer Korn

  Who is Paula Abdul?

  After her successful singing and cheerleading careers, Paula Abdul became one of the three feature judges on Fox’s American Idol in 2002.

  Abdul served as the soft and compassionate voice opposite to the grueling Simon Cowell.

  Abdul stayed on the massively popular show for 9 seasons, where it was reported she made over five million dollars a season.

  The former judge will return to the show on tonight’s episode.

• Jennifer Korn

  What is Randy Jackson’s net worth?

  According to Wealthy Persons, Jackson is worth $60million.

  The same site reports that his salary with American Idol was about $5million per season.

  Fans can assume that a large portion of his wealth was accumulated due to his time on American Idol, as well as his work with MTV and other musical artists.

  He shares his wealth among his children, Taylor, Zoe, and Jordan Jackson.

• Jennifer Korn

  Who is Randy Jackson, continued

  Randy Jackson attended the Southern University, where he studied music.

  He’s also worked as an executive producer for the competitive dance reality TV show America’s Best Dance Crew.

  Before joining the television industry, Jackson was a music industry veteran.

  Performing as a bassist with numerous music legends such as Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, the band Journey, and Aretha Franklin.

• Jennifer Korn

  Who is Randy Jackson?

  Randy Jackson made his mark on American Idol where he judged contestants on their singing ability for 12 years.

  Fans will recognize his name if they were avid watchers of American Idol from 2002 to 2014.

  Randy Jackson, 65, is an American bassist, television personality, record producer, and music manager.

  Born on June 23, 1956, Jackson is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

• Jennifer Korn

  Who is the most famous winner?

  With numerous talented winners from American Idol, the two most successful are Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson.

  Underwood won season 4, and Clarkson won the first season, making the two today’s most iconic American Idol musicians.

• Jennifer Korn

  Who won American Idol 2021? 

  The winner of American Idol 2021 was Chayce Beckham, 26, a singer-songwriter from Apple Valley, California.

• Jennifer Korn

  Who won American Idol 2020? 

  The winner of American Idol 2020 was Just Sam, née Samantha Diaz, who is a 23-year-old singer-songwriter from Harlem, New York.

  “Literally, I could have walked away with nothing and been OK, but I walked away with everything,” Just Sam told Parade after her win.

  “Wow! This is more than a dream come true. I am so grateful to have given this gift to my grandmother.”

• Jennifer Korn

  Famous American Idol alumni

  Many American Idol participants used their 15 minutes of fame to create successful careers.

  It was extremely controversial when Jennifer Hudson was kicked off of season seven of the singing competition.

  Although, she made the most of her talent and has received many awards for her singing and acting.

  Another noteworthy alumnus is Kelly Clarkson who became famous for winning the first season of American Idol and is now a renowned TV personality, co-hosting the first season of American Song Contest.

• Jennifer Korn

  Protocols for this season

  This season, American Idol is airing live again, but with necessary safety protocols in place.

  To ensure the protection of the cast, crew, and participants, the number of cities where the auditions were held was reduced, and the judges are socially distanced.

• Jennifer Korn

  How Covid-19 affected recent seasons 

  Season 18 of American Idol shut down due to Covid-19 protocols, but it was the first reality competition series to return to screens and air remotely.

  Using custom-built Zoom technology, contestants that sang for producers got a green light to move on to a judged audition.

• Jennifer Korn

  Celebrating 20 years

  The famed singing competition returned for its 20th season this year, with a few changes.

  American Idol first premiered in 2002, and host Ryan Seacrest was celebrated during this season’s premiere for being involved with the show for its 20 years.

• Jennifer Korn

  When do contestants rehearse?

  Unfortunately, contestants on American Idol do not get to relax on the weekends.

  Saturdays and Sundays tend to be even busier than the weekdays, as contestants are required to do intense rehearsals.

  In addition to the weekend rehearsals and sessions with vocal coaches, contestants still do three rehearsals on the day they are slated to perform.

• Jennifer Korn

  The audition process, continued

  There are both open auditions and, according to that performer, invite-only auditions.

  According to Cinema Blend, open audition contestants are asked to prepare a few songs, and when they arrive, they sing either alone or with one to two other possible contestants for a few “rounds.”

  Potential contestants perform for all sorts of people involved with the show during this process.

  Barnum said his first audition was with a casting team member.

• Jennifer Korn

  The audition process

  According to a singer/songwriter who auditioned for the show in 2017, Michael Barnum, there is a long process to the American Idol auditions before the taped “first” audition that viewers are familiar with.

  “They didn’t just show up that day and immediately sang for the judges,” the performer wrote in a Medium blog post.

  “It’s a process and there are many hoops you have to go through before any of that happens, including a 500 questionnaire psych evaluation.”

• Jennifer Korn

  Are the auditions scripted?

  Over the years, people have shared their experiences auditioning for the American Idol judges, who currently include Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.

  Even past judges have said parts of the show aren’t “real.”

  Former judge Mariah Carey once told Australia’s Kyle and Jackie O radio show that her “non-existent feud” with fellow judge Nicki Minaj was manipulated for ratings.

  She went as far as calling the show “so boring and so fake.”

  “You have to make up things to say about people,” she said. “Half the time the performances are good.”

• Jennifer Korn

  How much does it cost to audition?

  It costs nothing to audition for American Idol, provided hopefuls meet the show’s eligibility requirements, and cover their own costs of travel and accommodation.

  You must be between 15 and 28 years old at your audition time and you must also be a legal US resident and not have competed in the Top 10 of a previous season.

• Jennifer Korn

  Does Ryan Seacrest have kids?

  Ryan Seacrest does not have any children.

  The media host touched on the ideas of fatherhood a number of times.

  The famed mogul told WSJ Magazine: “I do want to have kids.”

  Seacrest continued: “But I haven‘t even gone down that path, which is nuts at my age.”

  He added: “I think in the last year, it’s become clear to me that yes, I do want to do that.… I want to be available and present.”

  Who made the top 3 on American Idol 2022?

  Sunday, May 22's American Idol 2022 grand finale gave the season's Top 3 — Leah Marlene, Noah Thompson, and HunterGirl — one last chance to win over the audience and get their votes. By the end of the three-hour extravaganza, only two singers remained — but only one could become the next American Idol winner.

  Who was 2nd place on 2022 American Idol?

  On the finale, Aranda placed second behind country crooner Laine Hardy. Since "Idol," he's released two studio albums under the stage name Scarypoolparty. His latest, "The Act of Forgiveness," dropped in 2021. He's also released a few EPs, including "Los Angeles" in 2021.

  Who is the winner on American Idol 2022?

  One month after Noah Thompson was crowned the American Idol 2022 winner in the emotional season 5 (overall 20th season) finale, he's still taking it all in.