Only one person will be named the season 24 champion at the end of the three-hour “American Idol” finale on May 11, 2026. That means two talented singers won’t win the prize, with one getting eliminated from the competition midway through the finale.
During the show, the Top 3 — Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, and Keyla Richardson –are performing and receiving final feedback from judges Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie, with live voting happening throughout the episode. Host Ryan Seacrest will announce the results right after the last commercial break. Before we get to who got cut and who was declared the winner, let’s take a look at the amazing Top 3…
Jordan McCullough, Worship Leader From Tennessee
DisneyJORDAN MCCULLOUGH, 27, is a church worship leader in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, but told Billboard that he grew up listening to country music artists like George Strait and Randy Travis with his dad and R&B groups like Xscape and Boyz II Men with his mom. He has astounded the judges every week with his powerful voice and unique arrangements.
“Monday nights are my favorite nights of the week because I’ve waited for this,” he told TVLine. “This is what my dream has been, performing on the ‘Idol’ stage, so I’m not necessarily nervous to perform. There are a lot of other things at stake, but once I step on that stage, it’s game over in my mind. All bets are off. I’m just up there performing my heart out.”
Hannah Harper, Mom of 3 From Missouri
DisneyHANNAH HARPER, 25, is a stay-at-home mom from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where she lives with her husband and three boys, as well as a big extended family. She grew up touring the country with her family, playing and singing bluegrass. Hannah’s original song “String Cheese,” inspired by her own struggle with postpartum depression, went viral after she sang it for her “American Idol” audition, with more than 100 million views.
Hannah told Billboard that juggling being a mom and a contestant on “American Idol,” with her family in Los Angeles as she competes, hasn’t been easy, revealing, “Each morning when I leave for call time, I can hear them hollering all the way to the elevator because they want me.”
“It wouldn’t be doable if I didn’t have a village of people making it happen,” she conceded. “I have family members coming out each week to help my husband, who is here. My husband is a full-time dad now. He quit his job so that I could pursue this and so if you have a team of people backing you and the Lord behind you, then it’s going to happen, but it’s definitely a challenge.”
Keyla Richardson, Single Mom From Florida
DisneyKEYLA RICHARDSON, 29, is the oldest of the remaining contestants and knew this was her last shot at trying out for “American Idol.” The single mom from Pensacola, Florida, works as a music teacher at a school run by her parents, and is mom to nine-year-old Drew, who can often be seen singing along in the audience when she performs.
Keyla told Billboard that she’s growing with every week on “Idol,” explaining, “I’m learning how to be a different kind of artist. That’s not easy, because you come in one way and now you have to learn a way to be versatile, to reach whoever you’re trying to reach. I’ve learned to be patient and I just learned control, like controlling my emotions. I’m still working on that, but I feel like every performance is going to get better and better because I’m taking it in. I’m watching the performances like I’m watching film of football.”
So, Who Got Eliminated From the ‘American Idol’ Top 3?
DisneyAfter the first two rounds of performances, Seacrest said the votes submitted during the first hour or so of the night would be tabulated to determine who’d been cut from the competition, taking third place.
An hour or so into the finale, Seacrest revealed who made the Top 2 — announcing that Jordan and Hannah would continue on in the competition, with Keyla taking third place.
Keep checking back to see who America crowns as the winner and runner-up. Stay tuned!
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