The 25th season of “American Idol” doesn’t premiere on ABC and Disney+ until February 8, 2027, but judges Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie have already decided who’s going through to what used to be known as Hollywood Week.
It’s not clear yet what they’ll call that iconic round now that the show has moved from Los Angeles to Georgia, but after thousands of online auditions and hundreds of in-person try-outs, around 120 singers who made it through to the class of 2027 have begun posting on social media.
Meet Some of the 2027 ‘American Idol’ Contestants
ABC must have given those who made it through their auditions clearance to share that they’ll be on the next season, because many singers have posted their good news in recent days. On October 30, one of those posts came from 23-year-old Colin Calvert, who played college football in South Carolina and is an aspiring sports broadcaster in addition to pursuing music.
He captioned a series of photos from his audition by writing, “american idol? what a blessing it is to be surrounded by so many talented, likeminded artists. be sure to tune in when the show airs in 2027!”
Several contestants have marveled that 50,000 aspiring musicians tried out for season 25, and that they made it through. Chris Scanlon, an award-winning singer who’s been turning heads with his vocals since he was in elementary school, wrote in an Instagram post on November 7, “Forever grateful for this experience to be in the top 120 out of 50,000 contestants 🫶🏻✨”
He continued, “Thankful for all the beautiful and kind people I met along the way and for the lessons learned throughout this process that led me to singing in front of the celebrity judges – Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan & Lionel Richie. Tune into Season 25 of American Idol airing on Hulu , Disney+ and ABC February 8th 2027!! 💫✨”
Brooklyn-based Erin Gerasimovich wrote something similar, gushing, “Imagine going to an open call, then being named top 125 out of 50,000 singers in the country. I cannot believe I have the opportunity to say I auditioned for American Idol season 25!!!!”
She included video from her rehearsals before she stepped in front of the judges, and thanked her vocal coach and accompanist for getting her through.
Also part of the new class will be 15-year-old country singer Sawyer McCarthy, who is blind. He’s made headlines and built an impressive online following for his stellar voice.
Meanwhile, songwriter and music producer Elijah Neeley has also told his followers to be on the lookout for him on the new season. He has released multiple singles that can be found here.
New ‘American Idol’ to Premiere in February 2027
When season 25 kicks off on February 8, Bryan and Richie will return for their 10th season on the show, while season four winner Underwood joins them for her third season as a judge. Host Ryan Seacrest is the only member of the cast who’s been with the show from the very beginning.
The show has relocated to Georgia in a cost-cutting move for the milestone season. Auditions have been filmed in recent weeks in Savannah, and a soundstage is being built for the live shows near Atlanta.
A week before the season 25 premiere, ABC will air a two-hour primetime anniversary special on February 1 with the working title “American Idol at 25.” According to a press release from the network, the special will tell “the definitive story of one of the most successful and influential shows in TV history.”
See Who’s Already Made the Class of 2027 on ‘American Idol’