List of American Idol finalists explained

American Idol is an American talent reality television series that first aired in 2002. As of May 2024, there have been twenty-two seasons. Each season, the final round of competition features ten to thirteen singers. A total of 178 contestants have reached the finals of their season.

The show's age requirements have varied year-to-year. Of the finalists, 55 of them were under the age of 20, including three winners and five runners-up. First season-winner Kelly Clarkson currently holds the record for the highest-selling album sales worldwide, with more than 25 million copies, while fourth season-winner Carrie Underwood currently holds the record for the highest-selling album sales in the United States, with more than 13 million copies.

As of 2024, seven finalists have died: Michael Johns (d. 2014), Rickey Smith (d. 2016), Leah LaBelle (d. 2018), Nikki McKibbin (d. 2020), Willie Spence (d. 2022), C. J. Harris (d. 2023), and Mandisa (d. 2024).^[1] In addition, two semifinalists have also died: season 7's Joanne Borgella (d. 2014) and season 3's Marque Lynche (d. 2015; brother of Michael Lynche).

Table key

†	Indicates an alumni who is now deceased

Contestants

Name	Age	Hometown	Season	Place finish
	20	Lawrenceville, Georgia	1
	19	Chicago, Illinois	1
	17	San Diego, California	1
	19	Sunland, California	1
	21	Brooklyn, New York	1
	21	Cumming, Georgia	1
	23	Takoma Park, Maryland	1
†	23	Grand Prairie, Texas	1
	23	Doylestown, Pennsylvania	1
	20	Burleson, Texas	1
	22	Atlanta, Georgia	2
	24	Oberlin, Ohio	2
	24	Brookfield, Connecticut	2
	22	Nashville, Tennessee	2
†	23	Keene, Texas	2
	21	Katy, Texas	2
	18	Bountiful, Utah	2
	23	Memphis, Tennessee	2
	22	Oceanside, California	2
	25	Nashville, Tennessee	2
	24	Raleigh, North Carolina	2
	25	Birmingham, Alabama	2
†	17	Seattle, Washington	3
	25	Rancho Cucamonga, California	3
	24	Bakersfield, California	3
	18	Haiku, Hawaii	3
	24	Rexburg, Idaho	3
	22	Chicago, Illinois	3
	16	East Amherst, New York	3
	22	New Orleans, Louisiana	3
	25	Oakland, California	3
	17	Mililani, Hawaii	3
	16	Snellville, Georgia	3
	19	High Point, North Carolina	3
	20	Ponchatoula, Louisiana	4
	17	Las Vegas, Nevada	4
	19	Tampa Bay, Florida	4
	22	Town & Country, Missouri	4
	28	Miami, Florida	4
	25	East Orange, New Jersey	4
	29	New York, New York	4
	28	Shaker Heights, Ohio	4
	19	Trevose, Pennsylvania	4
	21	Fort Myers, Florida	4
	29	Helena, Alabama	4
	21	Checotah, Oklahoma	4
	21	Tampa, Florida	5
	16	Levittown, New York	5
	16	Anaheim, California	5
†	29	Antioch, Tennessee	5
	28	Rockingham, North Carolina	5
	25	Denver, Colorado	5
	19	Albemarle, North Carolina	5
	17	Fayetteville, Georgia	5
	26	McLeansville, North Carolina	5
	27	Richmond, Virginia	5
	21	Los Angeles, California	5
	29	Birmingham, Alabama	5
	28	North Hollywood, California	6
	19	Savannah, Georgia	6
	28	Greenville, South Carolina	6
	22	Naperville, Illinois	6
	24	San Antonio, Texas	6
	17	Federal Way, Washington	6
	22	Chesapeake, Virginia	6
	29	Jacksonville, Florida	6
	27	Fort Meade, Maryland	6
	29	Brentwood, Tennessee	6
	25	Bothell, Washington	6
	17	Glendale, Arizona	6
	24	Glendale, Arizona	7
	23	Mulberry, Indiana	7
	22	Inglewood, California	7
	20	Miramar, Florida	7
†	29	Buckhead, Georgia	7
	24	Selma, Oregon	7
	24	San Diego, California	7
	24	Mesa, Arizona	7
	20	Rockwall, Texas	7
	21	Sarasota, Florida	7
	17	Murray, Utah	7
	25	Blue Springs, Missouri	7
	16	Starkville, Mississippi	8
	21	Carolina, Puerto Rico	8
	21	Memphis, Tennessee	8
	27	Jasper, Texas	8
	22	Sandy, Utah	8
	23	Scottsdale, Arizona	8
	21	Chapel Hill, North Carolina	8
	23	Memphis, Tennessee	8
	23	Kalamazoo, Michigan	8
	16	Los Angeles, California	8
	28	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	8
	27	San Diego, California	8
	23	Conway, Arkansas	8
	24	Amarillo, Texas	9
	24	Naples, Florida	9
	23	Hollywood, California	9
	24	Moreno Valley, California	9
	17	Middlebury, Connecticut	9
	20	Duncanville, Texas	9
	19	Cape Cod, Massachusetts	9
	16	Sonestown, Pennsylvania	9
	26	St. Petersburg, Florida	9
	27	Fort Worth, Texas	9
	23	Elliston, Ohio	9
	23	Mount Prospect, Illinois	9
	24	Goodlettsville, Tennessee	10
	21	New York, New York	10
	26	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	10
	16	Mountain House, Alameda County, California	10
	22	Howard Beach, New York	10
	26	Nashville, Tennessee	10
	21	Kent, Washington	10
	20	Idyllwild, California	10
	23	Compton, California	10
	22	Santa Cruz, California	10
	20	Wheeling, Illinois	10
	16	Rossville, Georgia	10
	17	Garner, North Carolina	10
	19	Valrico, Florida	11
	25	Pine Hill, New Jersey	11
	16	Tampa, Florida	11
	26	South Kingstown, Rhode Island	11
	22	Flushing, New York	11
	17	San Jose, California	11
	20	Murfreesboro, Tennessee	11
	28	Mount Pleasant, South Carolina	11
	18	Brandon, Mississippi	11
	18	McKinney, Texas	11
	19	Westlake, Louisiana	11
	16	San Diego, California	11
	21	Leesburg, Georgia	11
	24	St. Louis, Missouri	12
	23	Palmersville, Tennessee	12
	18	Chicago, Illinois	12
	19	New Orleans, Louisiana	12
	22	Naples, Florida	12
	23	Oliver Springs, Tennessee	12
	19	Houston, Texas	12
	19	Beverly, Massachusetts	12
	22	Woodville, Texas	12
	23	St. Helena Island, South Carolina	12
	24	Sebastian, Florida	13
	18	Orlando, Florida	13
	24	Gallatin, Tennessee	13
	20	San Francisco, California	13
	21	Goldsboro, North Carolina	13
	16	Southfield, Michigan	13
	22	Fayette, Alabama	13
†	23	Jasper, Alabama	13
	17	Bradenton, Florida	13
	23	Slapout, Alabama	13
	20	Mont Vernon, New Hampshire	13
	17	Farmington Hills, Michigan	13
	23	Asheville, North Carolina	13
	19	Columbia, Tennessee	14
	18	Diamond Bar, California	14
	17	Ankeny, Iowa	14
	15	Portland, Oregon	14
	19	Brooklyn, New York	14
	23	Woodbridge, Virginia	14
	20	New Orleans, Louisiana	14
	16	Jacksonville, Florida	14
	23	Richmond, Virginia	14
	19	East Brunswick, New Jersey	14
	22	White House, Tennessee	14
	29	Guilford, Connecticut	14
	15	Jackson, New Jersey	15
	17	Agoura Hills, California	15
	21	San Diego, California	15
	16	Bluffton, South Carolina	15
	16	Nashville, Tennessee	15
	20	Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts	15
	23	Lafayette, Louisiana	15
	20	Dallas, Texas	15
	22	McComb, Mississippi	15
	26	Amory, Mississippi	15
	18	Bossier City, Louisiana	16
	18	St. Augustine, Florida	16
	15	Galloway Township, New Jersey	16
	28	Compton, California	16
	24	San Antonio, Texas	16
	26	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	16
	22	Miami, Florida	16
	17	Langhorne, Pennsylvania	16
	18	Denver, Colorado	16
	20	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	16
	21	Shelbyville, Texas	16
	17	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	16
	19	Dallas, Georgia	16
	20	Clarksville, Iowa	16
	27	Fremont, California	17
	25	Nashville, Tennessee	17
	20	Claremont, New Hampshire	17
	16	Mabank, Texas	17
	27	Baltimore, Maryland	17
	24	Sugarland, Texas	17
	17	Orlando, Florida	17
	20	Birmingham, Alabama	17
	26	Catonsville, Maryland	17
	23	Livingston, Texas	17
	27	Phoenix, Arizona	17
	17	Cohoes, New York	17
	25	Pomona, California	17
	18	Livingston, Louisiana	17
	28	Danville, California	18
	29	Gonzales, Louisiana	18
	17	Temecula, California	18
	20	Long Beach, California	18
	22	Staten Island, New York	18
	19	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	18
	27	Bakersfield, California	18
	19	San Francisco, California	18
	23	Murrieta, California	18
	22	Wichita, Kansas	18
	21	Harlem, New York	18
	15	Laguna Niguel, California	19
	23	Brighton, Massachusetts	19
	25	Fayetteville, Arkansas	19
	19	Perryville, Kentucky	19
	24	Columbia, Tennessee	19
	20	Cleveland, Ohio	19
	23	Wichita, Kansas	19
	22	Franklin, Tennessee	19
	16	Roebuck, South Carolina	19
	16	Estero, Florida	19
	20	Lakewood, Illinois	19
†	21	Douglas, Georgia	19
	24	Apple Valley, California	19
	18	Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands	20
	20	Los Angeles, California	20
	24	Chesapeake, Virginia	20
	17	Pell City, Alabama	20
	16	Cleveland, Ohio	20
	25	Tuskegee, Alabama	20
	27	Warrenton, Virginia	20
	21	Patchogue, New York	20
	23	Salisbury, Maryland	20
	22	Tyler, Texas	20
	18	Toronto, Ontario, Canada	20
	20	Normal, Illinois	20
	23	Winchester, Tennessee	20
	21	Louisa, Kentucky	20
	28	Holly Grove, Arkansas	21
	25	Tbilisi, Europe	21
	21	Armorel, Arkansas	21
	17	Vancouver, Canada	21
	16	Clarksville, Tennessee	21
	25	Mount Juliet, Tennessee	21
	24	Bamberg, South Carolina	21
	23	Harlem, New York	21
	19	Amory, Mississippi	21
	18	Amory, Mississippi	21
	20	Douglasville, Georgia	21
	18	Kahuku, Hawaii	21
	19	Perth, Australia	22
Nya	28	Manhattan, New York	22
	24	Long Beach, California	22
	22	Washington, District of Columbia	22
Kayko	23	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	22
	19	Centre, Alabama	22
Kaibrienne	20	Henefer, Utah	22
	21	Cumberland, Maine	22
McKenna Faith Breinholt	25	Gilbert, Arizona	22
	25	Nashville, Tennessee	22
	15	McIntosh, Alabama	22
	25	Dallas, Texas	22
	23	Hazlehurst, Georgia	22
Abi Carter	21	Indio, California	22

Notes

• Contestant's age at the time the season's final round began.

References

General

• Web site: Season 1 Top 5 Contestants . . 2008-10-01.
• Web site: Season 2 Top 5 Contestants . . 2008-10-01.
• Web site: Season 3 Top 5 Contestants . . 2008-10-01.
• Web site: Season 4 Top 5 Contestants . . 2008-10-01.
• Web site: Season 5 Top 5 Contestants . . 2008-10-01.
• Web site: Season 6 Top 5 Contestants . . 2008-10-01.
• Web site: Season 7 Top 5 Contestants . . 2008-10-01.
• Web site: Season 8 Top 5 Contestants . . 2009-03-08.
• Web site: Season 9 Top 5 Contestants . .
• Web site: Season 10 Top 5 Contestants . .
• Web site: Season 11 Top 5 Contestants . .

Specific

Notes and References

1. American Idol Contestants Who Have Died . 2023-01-19 . . Schonfeld . Alexandra . 2024-02-23 . Naugle . Wendy . 0093-7673 . 794712888 . American Idol finalist Rickey Smith died in Oklahoma on May 6, 2016, in a wrong-way wreck caused by an allegedly drunk driver, KOCO reported at the time. He was 36..