‘American Idol’ Finale Live Blog: Winner Reveal, Mötley Crüe Joins Carrie Underwood, and Clay Aiken Returns (May 11, 2026)

In celebration of her big win, Harper took the stage one final time to perform Chris Tomlin’s “At the Cross (Love Ran Red).” She did so through tears, as her family and her fellow Idol contestants of the season joined her on stage.

After some delays for the dramatic, Seacrest finally named Harper as the winner of season 24 of American Idol. 

McCullough’s audition song was “Goodness of God,” and that’s the track he revisited for his final time on the Idol stage.

For the final performances of the evening, the contestants performed the songs they auditioned with. For Harper, that was an original called “String Cheese,” which she wrote about her struggle with postpartum depression.

Bryan, Richie, and Underwood teamed up to perform Richie’s song, “Deep River Woman.”

After finishing her Idol journey in third place, Richardson returned to the stage to perform “I Won’t Give Up” with Jason Mraz.

After Lainey Grace performed a song by Kyndal for her American Idol audition, the show reunited the pair to sing the latter’s track “Honest” during the finale.

Tori Kelly was the next to take the stage, first performing “Control” solo, before she was joined by McCullough and fellow Idol finalist Daniel Stallworth to sing “Confetti.”

Seacrest surprised Harper with a sweet video of her three sons wishing her good luck in the finale.

Harper continued her Idol journey by performing “I Hope You Dance” alongside Lee Ann Womack.

Braden Rumfelt, who competed on this season of American Idol, then made his way out to the stage to perform Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” with Aiken.

More than two decades after he competed on American Idol, Clay Aiken returned to the show to debut his new single, “Rewind.”

While fans don’t yet know who the next American Idol winner will be, Seacrest told Harper and McCullough that they’d both won something big. They’ll soon be setting sail on a Disney Cruise to Alaska.

Bryan stayed on stage to perform Dwight Yoakam’s “A Thousand Miles from Nowhere” alongside former Idol contestant Luke Bryan.

Bryan took his place on stage next, debuting his new single, “Fish Hunt Golf Drink.”

Keys returned to the Idol stage to perform “Fallin’,” a hit track she released in 2001. Special guest Raye came out to sing the track with Keys.

In a retrospective of the season, fans got to get a behind-the-scenes peek at what went down throughout the season.

Idol‘s own Philmon Lee returned to the show to perform “Searchlight” and “Second Chance” with Shinedown.

Cameron Whitcomb returned to American Idol to perform his new single “Kingdom of Fear” alongside Brooks, who was a standout contestant this season.

Underwood came to the stage to join one of her favorite bands, Mötley Crüe, to perform their songs “Home Sweet Home” and “Kickstart My Heart.”

Nelly was the next performance of the night, performing a fun rendition of “Cruise” with Chris Tungseth, a former Idol competitor.

On June 5, Idol hopefuls in Nashville can audition for the show during CMA Fest.

After their performance, Paisley invited the teen to perform with him at the Grand Ole Opry, an offer that Leon readily accepted.

After mentoring Idol contestants in Hawaii, Keke Palmer returned to introduce Brad Paisley performance with eliminated contestant Lucas Leon.

Eliminated Idol singer Jesse Findling joined Gin Blossoms to perform “Hey Jealousy,” and Jake Thistle made his way back to the Idol stage to perform “Hook” with Blues Traveler.

In a sweet battle, Richardson’s young son beat Underwood in a sing-a-long battle.

The girl group En Vogue was the first of the outside performances. They began by singing “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It),” with eliminated Idol contestant Rae joining them for the latter portion of the song. Rae stayed on stage to perform “Free Your Mind” with the group too.

In a break from the performances, Bryan announced that his new album, Signs, will be released this September.

The votes were tabulated, and Richardson was revealed to be in the third position. As such, she was eliminated from the competition, leaving Harper and McCullough to battle it out for the win.

In celebration of the 25 year anniversary of her debut album, Songs in A Minor, Keys performed “Lovin U” alongside the final three contestants.

For his next performance, McCullough delighted the audience with a powerful rendition of Smokie Norful’s “Dear God,” that left him, his family, and viewers in tears. The audience was so impressed, in fact, that they chanted his name after his performance. “You are a teacher, you are a preacher, and you are a hell of a singer,” Richie told him.

McCullough, who auditioned for Idol in Nashville, is from nearby Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He visited his church, spent time at local schools, enjoyed family time at his parents’ house, and got celebrated at a parade.

For her next song, Richardson performed a stirring rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Love the Lord.” Underwood tearfully praised her performance afterwards, and Bryan expressed his awe in her growth.

Richardson was the next person to go home, traveling back to Pensacola, Florida, where she spent time with her son. During her visit, she got to see her students, received notes of encouragement from her community, and was a guest of honor at a parade.

While performing “Heads Carolina, Tails California” at her hometown parade, Harper got a big surprise when the original singer, Jo Dee Messina joined her on stage.

Harper’s next performance of the night was “Married Into This Town,” a song she penned about the city she calls home. Underwood was left in tears after Harper’s incredible performance.

Ahead of the finale, Harper went home to Missouri in a segment that was shown during the episode. She enjoyed being back home with her boys after weeks away in Los Angeles, visited the church where she got married, and was welcomed back with a parade that left her in tears. 

The judges were so impressed by McCullough that they gave him a standing ovation after his performance, and it took a while for the crowd to quiet after his time on stage.

When Keys saw McCullough perform “If I Ain’t Got You,” she was immediately impressed. After helping him with his staging, Keys gave him advice on his staging and got him to choke up over the possibility of winning the show.

Underwood complimented Keys’ mentorship and Richardson’s song choice, while Bryan praised the contestant’s drive and Richie called her “a shining star.”

When she met with Keys, Richardson revealed that she’d be singing “Unthinkable,” a choice that delighted the mentor. Keys advised the hopeful to sing the song to herself during her time on stage.

The judges praised Harper for how she transformed Keys’ song, as her family watched on with tears in their eyes.

Mentor Alicia Keys was on hand as Harper prepared to deliver her take on “No One.” Harper chose the song in honor of her husband, who’s been supporting her throughout her Idol journey.

Host Ryan Seacrest revealed that, midway through the finale episode, the show will calculate the votes as they stand. The person in third place will be sent home, and voting will continue between the final two contestants.

After judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood made their entrance, the three finalists came out on stage. The trio teamed up to perform Underwood’s song, “The Champion.”

Viewers at home can now vote to determine if Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, or Keyla Richardson will become the next American Idol!