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Carrie Underwood, fourth season winner. Taylor Hicks, fifth season winner. Jordin Sparks, sixth season winner. David Cook, seventh season winner. Kris Allen, eighth season winner. Lee DeWyze, ninth season winner. Scotty McCreery, tenth season winner. Phillip Phillips, eleventh season winner.
- Season 1: Kelly Clarkson. Reigning from Fort Worth, Texas, Kelly Clarkson is the first and arguably the most successful singer to take home the title of American Idol champion.
- Season 2: Ruben Studdard. Ruben Studdard snagged Idol glory in 2003, defeating Clay Aiken by a small margin to take home the prestigious title. The Birmingham, Alabama, native went on to receive a GRAMMY Award nomination later that year for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Superstar."
- Season 3: Fantasia Barrino. R&B singer Fantasia Barrino took home the coveted title in 2004 at the tender age of 19, beating out Diana DeGarmo, Jasmine Trias and Jennifer Hudson.
- Season 4: Carrie Underwood. At 21, country cutie Carrie Underwood beat out runner-up Bo Bice to become season 4's winner in 2005. Now 37, Underwood is a multi-platinum-selling recording artist who has sold 70 million records worldwide.
- Kelly Clarkson, Season 1. In 2002, Clarkson became the very first winner of American Idol. Since her victory, she’s released 10 studio albums and won three Grammys from 17 nominations.
- Ruben Studdard, Season 2. Ruben Studdard, originally from Alabama, claimed the American Idol winner title over runner-up Clay Aiken in 2003. Following the competition, he released a platinum-selling album, Soulful, and earned a Grammy nomination for best male R&B vocal performance for his recording of “Superstar.”
- Fantasia Barrino, Season 3. Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino has seven studio albums, 12 Grammy nominations and one Grammy Award for best female R&B vocal performance.
- Carrie Underwood, Season 4. American Idol was just the beginning for country superstar Carrie Underwood. In 2005, she won the competition and released her debut album, Some Hearts, which featured her hits “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and “Before He Cheats.”
- Greta Heggeness
- (2002): Kelly Clarkson. Now: hosts The Kelly Clarkson Show (with season 5 airing in 2023); released her 10th studio album Chemistry (2023); added additional dates to her residency at the Bakkt Theater in Vegas for December 2023 and February 2024.
- (2003): Ruben Studdard. Now: made his Broadway theater debut in December 2018 with Ruben & Clay’s First Annual Christmas Carol Family Fun Pageant Spectacular Reunion Show (aka Ruben & Clay’s Christmas Show); released the album Ruben Sings Luther in 2018.
- (2004): Fantasia Taylor. Now: reprising her role as Celie for the 2023 movie musical adaptation of The Color Purple (her feature film debut); headlined The Sketchbook Tour in 2019; currently working on two albums (one of which she says will be a gospel album)
- (2005): Carrie Underwood. Now: released her ninth studio album, Denim & Rhinestones in 2022; launched her Sirius XM channel Carrie's Country in June 2023; extended her Vegas residency, Reflection, through August 2024.
May 21, 2024 · Full list of former winners and runners-up. Take a trip down "American Idol" memory lane! "American Idol" has officially wrapped its 22nd season, crowning Abi Carter as the latest winner. Carter ...
- 3 min
- Carson Blackwelder
May 22, 2024 · Season 7 was known for its David vs. David finale, as David Cook and David Archuleta faced off for the title. Both contestants went on to release albums and kick off a career in music. Judges ...
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May 21, 2024 · And while winning the series did not guarantee stardom, a number of its champions have become hugely successful, including Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Below is a list of all American Idol winners. Season 1 (2002): Kelly Clarkson. Season 2 (2003): Ruben Studdard.
