‘American Idol’ finale 2026: Did Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough or Keyla Richardson win season 24 of ‘American Idol’?

LOS ANGELES — After an thrilling season stuffed with hope and heartache, season 24 of “American Idol” got here down to 2 singers.

The highest three had been narrowed all the way down to solely two when Keyla Richardson was eradicated from the present in Monday evening’s finale. That meant the ultimate two contestants had been Jordan McCullough — a 27-year-old worship director from Tennessee, and Hannah Harper — a 26-year-old stay-at-home mother from Missouri.

The judges — Carrie Underwood, Lionel Ritchie, and Luke Bryan — watched this season’s singers up their video games week after week and had been proud to see the three within the finale.

So, who gained “American Idol” 2026?

Spoiler alert

Hannah Harper was topped the brand new “American Idol” on Monday evening.

Harper, the Missouri spouse and mom of three, is the primary feminine nation singer since Carrie Underwood in season 4 to win “American Idol.”

With tears streaming down her face and confetti in her hair, Harper carried out one closing time after she gained, joined on stage by her fellow contestants and judges.

“I simply can’t even fathom or wrap my head round the whole lot that simply occurred. It’s going to hit me, quickly, most likely,” Harper mentioned.

Harper mentioned that she’s headed on tour after her large win.

“I did not care the place I used to be going to position. I knew I used to be going to hit the bottom operating as quickly as I left right here,” she mentioned. “So we’ll take two weeks to simply chill for just a little bit, after which virtually each weekend till, like, September, October, is wham, wham.”

Church worship director Jordan McCullough is that this yr’s runner-up.

“I left my coronary heart out on that stage tonight,” McCullough mentioned. “I simply need to dwell within the second proper now and be current in what’s occurring. I do not need to transfer to this point forward that I neglect to be pleased about what’s occurring now.”

Keyla Richardson, a music trainer from Florida, skipped the post-show press, however she did make it to 3rd place from a discipline of 1000’s.

In any case the thrill, On The Crimson Carpet caught up with host Ryan Seacrest and the judges.

“They should rev up as a result of they’ve created a lot momentum,” Seacrest mentioned of the ultimate three contestants. “That is what is difficult on this enterprise — to make that connection emotionally with folks, have them concentrate. They have that. Now, they should step on it and make one thing occur, and they’ll.”

“Simply go seize the second. Seize the day. Go work laborious,” choose Luke Bryan suggested the finalists. “There is no manner round not working laborious on this enterprise if you are going to achieve success.”

“They’re all in their very own house. All of them have completely different voices. All of them have completely different instruments of their device luggage, and there was no fallacious reply,” choose Carrie Underwood mentioned.

“Constructing a profession is the toughest factor you may ever do in your life, and so they’re solely going to ask one query: ‘What do you bought subsequent? What are you going to do subsequent?'” mentioned choose Lionel Ritchie.

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