Three singers are left in American Idol Season 24. Here’s who they are, when the finale airs, and what performances to expect.
The finale is finally here: after weeks of auditions, sing-offs, and eliminations, American Idol is down to just three voices chasing the Season 24 crown tonight.
Now in its 24th season. the show returned to screens in January with a new batch of hopefuls aiming to follow past winners Kelly Clarkson. Carrie Underwood. and Jordin Sparks.. The road has been intense. and it narrowed even further after a semifinal that brought back original judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
That semifinal proved decisive. Two contestants, Chris Tungseth and Braden Rumfelt, were voted out, leaving only three finalists to compete for the top spot. With the stage set for the grand finale, viewers will be watching not just for vocal range, but for poise under pressure in the last round.
The American Idol final is scheduled as a three-hour broadcast on ABC and Disney+ at 8 p.m. ET on May 11. For viewers who prefer to watch later, it will also be available to stream on Hulu on May 12.
Voting plays a major role in the final outcome. Fans can vote for their winner through the American Idol website, app, or social media. The stakes are clear: last year’s finale drew a record-breaking 26 million votes, and the winner was Jamal Roberts, a physical education teacher.
Alongside the competition, the finale’s performance slate is loaded with familiar voices and big-name music. The show’s judges—Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan—are set to take the stage together for a rendition of Richie’s 1986 hit “Deep River Woman,” according to People.
Luke Bryan will also perform solo, promoting his new single “Fish Hunt Golf Drink.” He will then add to the entertainment with a cover of Dwight Yoakam’s “A Thousand Miles from Nowhere,” performed alongside former contestant Julián Kalel.
Meanwhile, Carrie Underwood—who won Season 4 in 2005—is scheduled to team up with heavy metal veterans Mötley Crüe for a song. The crossover reflects the finale’s wide musical reach, mixing pop-country credibility with rock power.
The lineup extends beyond the judges and includes a star-studded mix of returning favorites and celebrated artists. Other performers include Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken, country star Brad Paisley, singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, and rapper Nelly.
Additional acts rounding out the night include Tori Kelly, En Vogue, Blues Traveler, Cameron Whitcomb, Lee Ann Womack, Shinedown, and Gin Blossoms. With that many recognizable names on the bill, the finale is shaping up to be as much a music event as it is a competition.
Keyla Richardson is one of the three finalists. She is a 29-year-old music teacher from Pensacola, Florida, and she previously appeared on the reality series Sunday Best in 2019.
Her gospel sound has been a standout through Season 24.. From the start. her audition made an impression—bringing Luke Bryan to tears with her cover of Pink’s “Glitter in the Air.” Later. during Idol’s Top 20 stage. Lionel Richie praised her rendition of the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends. ” calling it “the greatest performance I have ever seen on this stage.”
Richardson’s public TV experience is not new. After Sunday Best, she topped Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart with her single “So Good,” and she also made her acting debut in the 2022 film Due Season, showing her career has been moving beyond singing alone.
Jordan McCullough is the second finalist. He is a worship leader from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who reached the American Idol final through a performance that resonated deeply with both judges and audience.
During his audition. McCullough won over the panel with a soulful rendition of “Goodness of God” by Bethel Music and Jenn Johnson.. His musical identity remains tied to his faith. which he described as the foundation of his career. while also saying he is open to exploring multiple styles and releasing songs that inspire.
His path has included setbacks as well. McCullough previously auditioned for Season 17 of The Voice in 2019, but none of the coaches turned their chairs—making this deep run on Idol all the more notable as he pushes toward the season’s final prize.
Hannah Harper completes the trio of finalists. She is a stay-at-home mother of three from Willow Springs, Missouri, and her time on Idol stands out not only for her voice, but for the personal subject matter she brought to the competition.
Before the show, Harper balanced music with family life, working as a worship leader for seven years while raising her children. She had initially pursued a career in physical therapy, but chose to stay home and never expected her journey to go beyond performing with her family band.
Her shift toward a larger stage came after she began posting videos on TikTok, where fans encouraged her to focus more on singing. That encouragement helped shape her Idol audition, where she performed “String Cheese,” an original bluegrass gospel song about postpartum depression.
The song’s emotional directness drew particular attention, with Underwood calling it “the most relatable song I think I’ve heard.” For Harper, the finale is not just a contest milestone—it’s the culmination of a creative pivot that started with online support and grew into a final-stage opportunity.
As the show heads into its closing moments, the three finalists represent different musical paths—gospel roots, faith-led worship, and bluegrass gospel shaped by lived experience—yet they all meet on the same stage tonight, with public voting and a high-profile lineup waiting in the wings.
For many viewers, the finale will be the moment the season’s story crystallizes: auditions become performances, performances become momentum, and momentum becomes the final question of who can connect most strongly in the last round of voting.
American Idol Season 24 finalists Keyla Richardson Jordan McCullough Hannah Harper American Idol finale May 11 Lionel Richie Carrie Underwood Luke Bryan