American Idol season 20
The twentieth season of American Idol premiered on February 27, 2022, on the ABC television network. Ryan Seacrest returned as host and Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie returned as judges. Bobby Bones did not return this year as the in-house mentor.
Noah Thompson won the season on May 22, 2022. HunterGirl was the runner-up and Leah Marlene finished in third place.
Auditions
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Idol Across America virtual audition program that was launched last season was used again this season. Remote auditions took place from August 5 to October 28, 2021, as well as a number of open-call auditions, and from these, the producers selected the contestants who were then invited to audition in front of the judges.American Idol introduced the "platinum ticket" during the audition round in celebration of the show's twentieth season. A total of three platinum tickets were awarded, and they gave the recipients the opportunity to advance directly to the second round of Hollywood week as well as choose their partners for that week's duet challenge before the remaining contestants were paired. The platinum ticket recipients were HunterGirl, Kenedi Anderson, and Jay.
| City | Filming date | Filming venue |
| Austin, Texas | October 4–7, 2021 | Lakeway Resort & Spa |
| Los Angeles, California | October 17–20, 2021 | 1 Hotel West Hollywood |
| Nashville, Tennessee | November 11–15, 2021 | Kimpton Aertson Hotel |
Hollywood week
Hollywood week was filmed December 6–9, 2021, at the Orpheum 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. For the season, contestants were mentored by American Idol alumni: Lauren Alaina, David Cook, Lee DeWyze, Haley Reinhart, Jordin Sparks, and Ruben Studdard. Those who impressed the judges advanced to the next round. The contestants were paired up by the judges and performed duets, although the Platinum Ticket winners got to choose their partners before the other contestants were paired up. They were given twelve hours to rehearse, which included consultation with a vocal coach, a stage rehearsal, and 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 59 contestants performing for the judges and a live audience at the Orpheum Theatre. This round was aired on April 4, but only 33 contestants were aired. The following day, the judges narrowed the number of contestants down 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 |
| Leah Marlene | "She's a Self Made Man" |
| Jay | "Jar of Hearts" |
| Nicolina | "Rolling in the Deep" |
| Emyrson Flora | "Honey" |
| Katyrah Love | "Sweet Thing" |
| Fritz Hager | "Inconsequential Love" |
| Jacob Moran | "Is That Alright?" |
| Allegra Miles | "Reality" |
| Ava Maybee | "Falling" |
| Cameron Whitcomb | "It Ain't Me Babe" |
| Sir Blayke | "Honesty" |
| Elli Rowe | "Fields of Gold" |
| Mike Parker | "Second Guessing" |
| Tristen Gressett | "Come Together" |
| Christian Guardino | "Sex on Fire" |
| Noah Thompson | "Stay" |
| Cadence Baker | "The Story" |
| HunterGirl | "Girl Goin' Nowhere" |
| Danielle Finn | "Evergreen" |
| Sage | "I Hate This" |
| Kenedi Anderson | "Talking to the Moon" |
| Scarlet | "You Oughta Know" |
| Lady K | "I'd Rather Go Blind" |
| Dan Marshall | "Hard Workin' Man" |
Top 24 (April 10 & 11)
The top 24 contestants were split into two groups of twelve and performed one solo each at the Aulani resort in Kapolei, Hawaii. The first group aired on April 10, and the second group on April 11. Jimmie Allen served as a guest mentor for the first group, and Bebe Rexha for the second group. Two contestants from the first group and one from the second group were eliminated based on the public vote, and the rest advanced to the top 20. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.Color key:
Top 20 (April 17 & 18)The top 20 performances aired on Sunday, April 17, followed by the live results show on Monday, April 18.Color key: Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
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