American Idol season 19
The nineteenth season of American Idol premiered on February 14, 2021, on the ABC television network. Ryan Seacrest returned as host, while Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie returned as judges, and Bobby Bones came back as the in-house mentor.
Chayce Beckham won the season on May 23, 2021, while Willie Spence was the runner-up, and Grace Kinstler finished in third place.
Auditions
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, American Idol offered live virtual auditions to aspiring contestants through its Idol Across America program using custom-built Zoom technology to mirror the way the audition was done in previous season but in a home environment. The remote auditions took place from August 10 to October 28, 2020, in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., as well as a number of open-call auditions, and from these the producers selected the contestants who would then be invited to audition in front of the judges.Due to the pandemic that limited travel for the judges, the judges' auditions were held in only three locations across California: Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ojai. The judges' auditions began on October 5, 2020, with a number of health and safety protocols in place, such as separate tables for the judges and regular COVID-19 testing for cast and crew.
| City | Filming date | Filming venue |
| Los Angeles, California | October 5–6, 2020 | The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel |
| San Diego, California | October 16–17, 2020 | InterContinental San Diego |
| Ojai, California | November 16–17, 2020 | Ojai Valley Inn |
Hollywood week
Hollywood week was filmed December 7–10, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The format remained similar to last season. In the first round, each contestant chose and performed a song from a selection of musical genres. Those who impressed the judges and the producers were advanced to the next round. Instead of group performances as had been done in earlier seasons, the contestants were paired up by the judges and performed duets. They were given twenty-four hours to rehearse, which included advice from one of the judges. Judges could advance either, neither, or both of the contestants to the Showstopper round.Showstopper round
The Showstopper round featured the top 64 contestants performing for the judges at the Dolby Theatre. The round was aired on March 28 and March 29, but only 37 contestants were aired. The next day, the judges narrowed the number of contestants to 24. Here is a list of the contestants who reached the top 24 and the song they performed. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.| Contestant | Song |
| Alyssa Wray | "I'm Here" |
| Jason Warrior | "Believer" |
| Andrea Valles | "Blinding Lights" |
| Chayce Beckham | "You Should Probably Leave" |
| Caleb Kennedy | "When You Leave Tonight" |
| Wyatt Pike | "Blame It on Me" |
| Cassandra Coleman | "Running with the Wolves" |
| Beane | "What's Going On" |
| Hannah Everhart | "Wrecking Ball" |
| Graham DeFranco | "Beautiful War" |
| Alanis Sophia | "Uninvited" |
| Casey Bishop | "She Talks to Angels" |
| Willie Spence | "I Was Here" |
| Mary Jo Young | "Us" |
| Hunter Metts | "July" |
| Grace Kinstler | "Father" |
| Deshawn Goncalves | "Over the Rainbow" |
| Colin Jamieson | "Sugar, We're Goin Down" |
| Ava August | "Ghost of You" |
| Liahona Olayan | "Me Too" |
| Madison Watkins | "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" |
| Alana Sherman | "Bust Your Windows" |
| Anilee List | "Ain't Nobody" |
| Cecil Ray | "Beyond" |
Top 24 (April 4 & 5)
The top 24 contestants were split into two groups of twelve. The first group aired on April 4, and the second group on April 5. Each contestant performed one solo and then one duet with a celebrity singer. Four contestants from each group were eliminated based on the public vote, and the rest advanced to the top 16. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.The artists who performed duets with the top 24 were Jason Aldean, Jimmie Allen, Brandon Boyd, Jewel, Josh Groban, Tori Kelly, Brian McKnight, Katharine McPhee, PJ Morton, Ben Rector, Joss Stone, and Ryan Tedder.
Color key:
Top 16 (April 11 & 12)The Top 16 performances aired on Sunday, April 11 and were followed by the live results show on Monday, April 12. Paula Abdul served as a guest judge on April 12 after Luke Bryan tested positive for COVID-19.Color key: Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
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