American Idol‘s Top 20 Revealed After Exciting ‘Ohana Round
Season 24 of American Idol is finally letting viewers vote for their favorite contestants!
Last week, the Top 30 Idol hopefuls performed at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii. Each singer participated in the show’s brand-new ‘Ohana Round, which placed them in front of three focus groups. One focus group included contestants’ family members, another contained the contestants themselves, and another included a bunch of “industry tastemakers,” such as Grand Ole Opry announcer Kelly Sutton.
Each focus group could award one Platinum Ticket. The Platinum Ticket recipients automatically advanced into the Top 20. The judges, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie, selected the remaining 17 contestants.
Check the list below to see the contestants who advanced:
- Abayomi
- Braden Rumfelt
- Brooks Rosser
- Chris Tungseth
- Daniel Stallworth
- Genevieve Heyward
- Hannah Harper
- Jake Thistle
- Jesse Findling
- Jordan McCullough
- Julian Kalel
- Keyla Richardson
- Kutter Bradley
- Kyndal Inskeep
- Lucas Leon
- Madison Moon
- Makiyah Mustiful
- Philmon Lee
- Rae Boyd
- Ruby Rae
Voting For Season 24 Of American Idol Begins On March 16th
The ‘Ohana Round was one of several additions Idol made to the show this season. One of the biggest changes comes through the introduction of a new voting method.
Showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick started teasing the new voting method before the season even premiered. She told Deadline that for the first time ever, Idol is allowing viewers to vote on social media.
“We have to meet the audience where they are,” Wolflick said. “Back in 2002 when the show began, texting was the new hot thing. We also have to meet the technology where it is, as well. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to vote for their favorites, weigh in from their couch with their second screen, in real time.“
Additionally, Wolflick hopes the introduction of social voting will appeal more to younger viewers:
“If we can get Gen Alpha and Gen Z to weigh in a little bit more in the easiest way possible, that’s very exciting. It could tip the scale. Trends are always different.“
So, how will social voting work? The show’s host, Ryan Seacrest, explained the process ahead of the new voting method’s introduction.
First, head to the official American Idol page on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. Then, leave a comment with the first name of the contestant you’re voting for on the page’s pinned voting post.
It’s important to note that you can only include one name (and therefore one vote) per comment. Viewers can cast 10 votes per contestant per social platform and voting method.
If you aren’t enthused about the social voting method, you have other options. You can vote for your favorite contestants online at AmericanIdol.com/Vote or by texting your favorite performer’s designated contestant number to 21523. However, the American Idol app is no longer available to use for voting.
Hear Ryan Seacrest explain every method in the video below. Who’s getting your votes this week?