Thirty talented singers hoping to be the next “American Idol” just survived the biggest cut in the history of the show’s annual Hollywood Week round. At the end of the two-hour episode that aired on March 2, 2026, judges Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie had to whittle down the season 24 competition from 127 hopefuls to just 30.
The judges struggled to make their final decisions, eventually holding two sing-offs to help determine the final two contestants joining the top 30.
How Hollywood Week Worked in 2026
All 127 “American Idol” contestants who made it to Hollywood Week, held for the first time in Nashville, had to perform with the live band in front of an auditorium packed with 1,500 fans. That was different than Hollywood Weeks of the past, when singers would have to team up for duets or group performances with no audience beyond their families.
The judges made cuts as they went, sending the best singers into the new “Golden Room” to wait for their final decision. After they heard everyone perform, there were still 60 singers remaining. So Underwood, Bryan, and Richie had to sort through the talent and cut the group in half.
Underwood told producers, “It’s hard, there are people that are really good that we are having to send home.”
Here’s Who Made the ‘American Idol’ Top 30 of Season 24
DisneyAfter hearing the final performances on the March 2 episode, Underwood, Bryan, and Richie gathered the final 60 contestants and listed off their names in groups, letting each group know whether they made it through or not.
Here are the Top 30, in the order they were announced:
Makiyah Mustiful, 24, of Pine Bluff, North Carolina
Jordan McCullough, 27, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Lucas Leon, 17, of Gallatin, Tennessee
Bella Emry, 22, of Bend, Oregon
Madison Moon, 21, of Orlando, Florida
Keyla Richardson, 29, of Pensacola, Florida
Braden Rumfelt, 22, of Murphy, North Carolina
Chris Tungseth, 27, of Fergus Falls, Minnesota
Tianna Roberts, 27, of Sumter, South Carolina
Jake Thistle, 21, of Paramus, New Jersey
Philmon Lee, 25, of LaGrange, Georgia
Brooks Rosser, 22, of Bel Air, Maryland
Daniel Stallworth, 27, of Moss Point, Mississippi
Kutter Bradley, 22, of Florence, Alabama
Bryant Thomas, 26, of Mobile, Alabama
Sheldon Riley, 26, of Melbourne, Australia
Jesse Findling, 19, of Long Island, New York
Julián Kalel, 19, of El Paso, Texas
Brianna Yancey, of Alpharetta, Georgia
Kiera Howell, 16, of Geneva, Alabama
Kyndal Inskeep, 29, of Fishers, Indiana
Hannah Harper, 25, of Willow Springs, Missouri
Ruby Rae, 16, of Pacific Palisades, California
Jacquie Lee, 28, of Colts Neck, New Jersey
Brenna Brigman, 18, of Arlington, Texas
Rae Boyd, 24, of Frederick, Maryland
Genevieve Heyward, 26, of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Abayomi Lewis, 15, of San Francisco, California
Michael Garner, 16, of Forrest City, Arkansas
Chloe Lauren, 25, of Warrenville, South Carolina
Next up, all 30 singers head to Hawaii for a brand new “Ohana” round during which three groups — the contestants, their families, and a circle of industry experts — will vote on who they think should make the top 20 (they can’t vote for themselves or their loved ones). That two-hour episode airs on March 9 starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Can’t believe some that went through