American Idol | |
---|---|
Season 18 | |
Hosted by | Ryan Seacrest |
Judges | |
Winner | Just Sam |
Runner-up | Arthur Gunn |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of episodes | 16 |
Release | |
Original network | ABC |
Original release | February 16 – May 17, 2020 |
Season chronology | |
The eighteenth season of American Idol premiered on February 16, 2020, on the ABC television network.[1][2][3] Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie returned as judges,[4] while Ryan Seacrest continued as host.[5] Bobby Bones returned as the in-house mentor.
Taping was suspended after the top 19 were revealed and the contestants were sent home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] The show resumed production in late April, with the on-air talent and contestants filming from their homes.[7] The stay-at-home and social-distancing mandates, according to Billboard, compelled producers "to get very, very creative this time around to keep season 18 afloat amid the most challenging conditions in show history."[7] Up to forty-five remote sites were used and each contestant was treated equally, with access to similar equipment and resources.[7] Segments were usually taped a day in advance, except for the judges' critiques and voting results, which aired live.[7]
On May 17, 2020, Just Sam was crowned as the winner, with Arthur Gunn finishing as the runner-up.[8]
Regional auditions
City | Filming date(s) | Filming venue | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Savannah, Georgia | September 30 – October 1, 2019 | Perry Lane Hotel | [9][10] |
Milwaukee, Wisconsin | October 8–9, 2019 | Milwaukee Art Museum | [11][12] |
Washington, D.C. | October 14–15, 2019 | The Wharf | [13][14] |
Los Angeles, California | November 1–2, 2019 | South Park Center | [15] |
Portland, Oregon | November 7–8, 2019 | Great Hall (Sunriver Resort) | [16] |
Hollywood week
Hollywood week was filmed December 2–5, 2019, at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles.[17] There were several changes in format this season. In the first round, each contestant chose and performed a song from a selection of musical genres (pop, rock, R&B, soul, country, or singer-songwriter). Those who impressed the judges and the producers were advanced to the next round. Instead of group performances as had been done in previous seasons, contestants paired up and performed duets. They were given twelve hours to rehearse, which included a session with a vocal coach and a stage rehearsal. Judges could advance either, neither, or both of the contestants to the next round, where they performed their final solos before advancing to the Showcase round.
Showcase round
The Showcase round aired on March 29 and April 5, and featured the top 40 performing for the judges and a live audience at Disney's Aulani resort in Kapolei, Hawaii. The following day, the judges narrowed the number of contestants down from 40 to 20. The following is a list of the first nineteen contestants who reached the top 20 and the song they performed at the Showcase. For the twentieth and final spot, Grace Leer and Lauren Mascetti's result was determined by a vote from the public, which was revealed on April 19. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Contestant[18] | Song[19] |
---|---|
Nick Merico | "When I Was Your Man" |
Dewayne Crocker Jr. | "Old Town Road" |
Louis Knight | "Castle on the Hill" |
Francisco Martin | "Falling" |
Jovin Webb | "You Are the Best Thing" |
Faith Becnel | "Ain't Nobody" |
Just Sam | "Como la Flor" |
Jonny West | "You Found Me" |
Dillon James | "The Times They Are a-Changin'" |
Franklin Boone | "Daughters" |
Julia Gargano | "Glitter in the Air" |
Aliana Jester | "This is Me" |
Sophia James | "Levels" |
Kimmy Gabriela | "You Don't Do It for Me Anymore" |
Cyniah Elise | "Lady Marmalade" |
Makayla Phillips | "Sorry Not Sorry" |
Lauren Spencer-Smith | "Respect" |
Olivia Ximines | "Proud Mary" |
Arthur Gunn | "Is This Love" |
Contestant | Song | Result |
---|---|---|
Grace Leer | "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" | Advanced |
Lauren Mascetti | "Two More Bottles of Wine" | Eliminated |
Finals
After a short hiatus, production resumed and all contestants performed remotely due to safety measures in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Ryan Seacrest and the judges were also broadcast from their homes.
Color key:
This contestant was saved by America's vote. |
This contestant was not chosen by the public, but was chosen by the judges as a Wild Card pick. |
This contestant was eliminated. |
This contestant won American Idol. |
This contestant was the runner-up. |
This contestant finished as a finalist in the finale. |
Top 20 (April 26)
The ten contestants who received the most votes continued on, while the judges were granted a one-time judges' save, which they used to save Makayla Phillips from elimination.[20] Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Contestant | Song[21] | Result |
---|---|---|
Kimmy Gabriela | "Leave Me Lonely" | Eliminated |
Jovin Webb | "With a Little Help from My Friends" | Safe |
Franklin Boone | "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" | Eliminated |
Olivia Ximines | "Bad Guy" | Eliminated |
Louis Knight | "If the World Was Ending" | Safe |
Makayla Phillips | "Greedy" | Saved |
Aliana Jester | "Run to You" | Eliminated |
Faith Becnel | "River" | Eliminated |
Nick Merico | "Hey There Delilah" | Eliminated |
Lauren Spencer-Smith | "Mamma Knows Best" | Eliminated |
Cyniah Elise | "Warrior" | Eliminated |
Francisco Martin | "Teenage Dream" | Safe |
Sophia James | "Burning" | Safe |
DeWayne Crocker Jr. | "I Got You (I Feel Good)" | Eliminated |
Dillon James | "Let It Be Me" | Safe |
Arthur Gunn | "Lovin' Machine" | Safe |
Julia Gargano | "Human" | Safe |
Grace Leer | "Cry" | Safe |
Just Sam | "I Believe" | Safe |
Jonny West | "What a Wonderful World" | Safe |
Top 11 (May 3)
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Contestant | Song[22] | Result |
---|---|---|
Louis Knight | "In My Place" | Safe |
Julia Gargano | "New York State of Mind" | Safe |
Jovin Webb | "Voodoo" | Eliminated |
Grace Leer | "Over the Rainbow" | Eliminated |
Jonny West | "Faithfully" | Safe |
Sophia James | "In My Room" | Eliminated |
Arthur Gunn | "Take Me Home, Country Roads" | Safe |
Just Sam | "Grandma's Hands" | Safe |
Dillon James | "Yesterday" | Safe |
Francisco Martin | "Falling Like the Stars" | Safe |
Makayla Phillips | "The House That Built Me" | Eliminated |
Top 7 – Disney & Mother's Day (May 10)
Each contestant performed two songs: one song from a Disney movie, and one song in honor of Mother's Day. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Contestant | Order | Song[23] | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Arthur Gunn | 1 | "Kiss the Girl" (from The Little Mermaid) |
Safe |
8 | "Hey, Ma" | ||
Just Sam | 2 | "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" (from Cinderella) |
Safe |
9 | "I Turn to You" | ||
Jonny West | 3 | "Almost There" (from The Princess and the Frog) |
Safe |
10 | "Amazing Grace" | ||
Louis Knight | 4 | "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (from The Lion King) |
Eliminated |
11 | "You've Got a Friend" | ||
Julia Gargano | 5 | "Beauty and the Beast" (from Beauty and the Beast) |
Eliminated |
12 | "Sweetest Devotion" | ||
Francisco Martin | 6 | "You'll Be in My Heart" (from Tarzan) |
Safe |
13 | "River" | ||
Dillon James | 7 | "Our Town" (from Cars) |
Safe |
14 | "Hang On, Hang On" |
Performers | Song |
---|---|
Laine Hardy | "Life Is a Highway" |
Top 5 – Finale (May 17)
Each contestant performed two songs, and are listed in the order they performed.
Contestant | Order | Song[25] | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Dillon James | 1 | "Change the World" | Finalist |
6 | "The Times They Are a-Changin'" | ||
Francisco Martin | 2 | "Adore You" | Finalist |
7 | "Alaska" | ||
Just Sam | 3 | "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" | Winner |
8 | "Rise Up" | ||
Arthur Gunn | 4 | "I Don't Want to Be" | Runner-up |
9 | "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" | ||
Jonny West | 5 | "Can't Keep a Good Man Down" | Finalist |
10 | "Makin' Love" |
Performers | Song |
---|---|
Luke Bryan | "One Margarita" |
Doug Kiker with Rascal Flatts |
"Bless the Broken Road" |
Just Sam with Lauren Daigle |
"You Say" |
Katy Perry | "Daisies" |
Top 11 with Cynthia Erivo |
Aretha Franklin medley |
Top 11 with Lionel Richie |
"We Are the World" |
Elimination chart
Color key:
Contestant | Pl. | Top 20 | Top 11 | Top 7 | Finale |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
4/26 | 5/3 | 5/10 | 5/17 | ||
Just Sam | 1 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Winner |
Arthur Gunn | 2 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Runner-up |
Dillon James | 3 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Finalist |
Francisco Martin | Safe | Safe | Safe | ||
Jonny West | Safe | Safe | Safe | ||
Julia Gargano | 6 | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | |
Louis Knight | Safe | Safe | |||
Sophia James | 8 | Safe | Eliminated | ||
Grace Leer | Safe | ||||
Makayla Phillips | Saved | ||||
Jovin Webb | Safe | ||||
Faith Becnel | Eliminated | ||||
Franklin Boone | |||||
Dewayne Crocker Jr. | |||||
Cyniah Elise | |||||
Kimmy Gabriela | |||||
Aliana Jester | |||||
Nick Merico | |||||
Lauren Spencer-Smith | |||||
Olivia Ximines |
Ratings
No. | Title | Air date | Timeslot (ET) | Rating/share (18–49) | Viewers (millions) | DVR (18–49) | DVR viewers (millions) | Total (18–49) | Total viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Auditions, Part 1" | February 16, 2020 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 1.5/7 | 8.08 | 0.4 | 1.86 | 1.9 | 9.94[27] |
2 | "Auditions, Part 2" | February 23, 2020 | 1.4/7 | 7.50 | 0.4 | 1.65 | 1.8 | 9.15[28] | |
3 | "Auditions, Part 3" | March 1, 2020 | 1.3/6 | 7.00 | 0.4 | 1.66 | 1.7 | 8.66[29] | |
4 | "Auditions, Part 4" | March 8, 2020 | 1.3/6 | 7.26 | 0.4 | 1.56 | 1.7 | 8.82[30] | |
5 | "Auditions, Part 5" | March 15, 2020 | 1.3/6 | 7.47 | 0.4 | 1.59 | 1.7 | 9.07[31] | |
6 | "Hollywood Week – Genre Challenge" | March 16, 2020 | Monday 8:00 p.m. | 1.2/6 | 6.30 | 0.4 | 1.95 | 1.6 | 8.25[32] |
7 | "Hollywood Week – Duets" | March 22, 2020 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 1.4/7 | 7.70 | 0.4 | 1.69 | 1.8 | 9.39[33] |
8 | "Hollywood Week – Solos" | March 23, 2020 | Monday 8:00 p.m. | 1.4/7 | 7.02 | 0.4 | 1.80 | 1.8 | 8.82[34] |
9 | "Hawaii Showcase and Final Judgment, Part 1" | March 29, 2020 | Sunday 8:00 p.m. | 1.3/6 | 7.33 | 0.4 | 1.68 | 1.7 | 9.00[35] |
10 | "Hawaii Showcase and Final Judgment, Part 2" | April 5, 2020 | 1.2/6 | 6.93 | 0.4 | 1.63 | 1.6 | 8.56[36] | |
11 | "This Is Me, Part 1" | April 12, 2020 | 1.0/4 | 5.63 | 0.2 | 1.12 | 1.2 | 6.75[37] | |
12 | "This Is Me, Part 2" | April 19, 2020 | 0.8/4 | 5.48 | 0.2 | 0.95 | 1.0 | 5.48[38] | |
13 | "Top 20 Sing For America" | April 26, 2020 | 1.0/5 | 6.09 | 0.3 | 1.49 | 1.3 | 7.58[39] | |
14 | "Top 10 Homeward Bound" | May 3, 2020 | 0.9/5 | 6.41 | 0.2 | 1.19 | 1.1 | 7.60[40] | |
15 | "Disney Night/Mother's Day" | May 10, 2020 | 1.0/6 | 6.16 | 0.3 | 1.28 | 1.3 | 7.44[41] | |
16 | "Grand Finale" | May 17, 2020 | 1.0/5 | 7.28[42] | 0.2 | 1.06 | 1.2 | 8.34[43] |
References
- ↑ Blanton, Kayla (May 19, 2019). "When Does 'American Idol' Season 18 Premiere? The Judges Panel May Look A Little Different When It Returns". Bustle. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
- ↑ "American Idol 2020 Will Premiere in February - Find out WHY So Early!". October 2019.
- ↑ Bell, Amanda (November 21, 2019). "ABC Sets Midseason Premiere Dates for Grey's Anatomy, The Bachelor, and More". TV Guide. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
- ↑ Iannucci, Rebecca (August 5, 2019). "American Idol Judges Returning for Season 18 Despite Cost-Cutting Buzz — But What About Ryan Seacrest?". TV Line. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
- ↑ "Ryan Seacrest Returns as Host of Iconic Singing Competition Series "American Idol"". The Futon Critic. September 20, 2019.
- ↑ "'American Idol' Contestants Sent Home Amid Coronavirus Outbreak". Billboard. March 19, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 "How Is 'American Idol' Going to Go Live During the Pandemic? The Producers Say They Have a Plan for That". Billboard. April 20, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ↑ Respers France, Lisa (May 18, 2020). "'American Idol' crowns Season 3 winner virtually". CNN. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ↑ "Savannah, Georgia". WSAV. September 30, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- ↑ "Savannah, Georgia". Twitter. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- ↑ "Milwaukee, Wisconsin". JSOnline. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
- ↑ "Milwaukee, Wisconsin". Twitter. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- ↑ "Washington, D.C." Instagram. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
- ↑ "Washington, D.C." Twitter. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
- ↑ "Los Angeles, California". Twitter. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- ↑ "Portland, Oregon". Twitter. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ↑ "American Idol 2020 Judges Auditions Begin in Savannah (Schedule)". September 30, 2019. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
- ↑ Swift, Andy (March 29, 2020). "American Idol Recap: Did Your Favorite Singers Survive the 'Final Judgment'?". TVLine. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
- ↑ Fremont, Maggie (March 29, 2020). "American Idol recap: We head to Hawaii to fill out the Top 21". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ↑ Penacchio, George (May 4, 2020). ""American Idol" judges use one-time-only save to keep Makayla Phillips in competition". ABC7. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ↑ Upadhyaya, Kayla Kumari (April 26, 2020). "'American Idol': Top 20 Perform From Home in Social Distancing Episode". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ↑ Daw, Robbie (May 4, 2020). "'American Idol' Recap: The Judges Use Their One Save to Round Out the Top 11". Billboard. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ↑ Daw, Robbie (May 11, 2020). "'American Idol' Recap: The Top 7 Pay Tribute to Disney and Their Moms". Billboard. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ↑ Jo Black, Lauren (May 10, 2020). "Laine Hardy Returns To 'American Idol' To Sing 'Life Is A Highway'". Country Now. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- 1 2 Fremont, Maggie (May 17, 2020). "American Idol season finale recap: Your Season 18 winner is crowned". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ↑ Savage, Mark (May 18, 2020). "Just Sam: American Idol crowns first ever 'at home' winner". BBC News. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (February 19, 2020). "Sunday Final Ratings: ABC Dominates in All Key Demos Among Broadcast Nets with American Idol Season Premiere Despite its Adults 18-49 13-Percent Dip". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (February 25, 2020). "Sunday Final Ratings: The Walking Dead Midseason Premiere on AMC Draws Most Total Viewers Since Season Premiere Telecast from October 2019". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (March 3, 2020). "Sunday Final Ratings: NBA Matchup of LeBron James vs. Zion Williamson on ESPN Tops All Cable Telecasts in Prime Time Among Young Adults". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (March 13, 2020). "Sunday Final Ratings: The Outsiders on HBO Rises to Season-High in Season Finale". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (March 17, 2020). "Sunday Final Ratings: Biden-Sanders Democratic Debate Draws 10.7 Million Viewers Across CNN and Univision". Programming Insider. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (March 19, 2020). "Monday Final Ratings: CBS Sitcoms The Neighborhood and Bob Hearts Abishola Each Hit Season-to-Date Highs in Total Viewers". Programming Insider. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (March 25, 2020). "Sunday Final Ratings: Face the Nation on CBS Hits 29-Year High in Total Viewers". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (March 25, 2020). "Monday Final Ratings: The Good Doctor on ABC Reaches Season-Highs in Total Viewers and Demos". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (April 3, 2020). "Sunday Final Ratings: iHeart Living Room Concert for America on Fox Tops Prime Time Telecasts in All Key Demos". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (April 9, 2020). "Sunday Final Ratings: Decent Results for CBS Music Special ACM Presents: Our Country". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (April 15, 2020). "Sunday Final Ratings: Killing Eve Season Three Premiere on AMC and BBC America Gains One Percent Among Adults 18-49 from its Season Two Premiere Telecast". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (April 21, 2020). "Sunday Final Ratings: The Last Dance Sets All-Time Viewership Record for an ESPN Documentary". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on April 29, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (May 1, 2020). "Sunday Final Ratings: Homeland on Showtime Hits Season-Highs in Total Viewers and Demos with Series Finale". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on May 10, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (May 8, 2020). "Sunday Final Ratings: CBS Tops Prime Time in Total Viewers with 60 Minutes and Return of the Sunday Night Movie". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on May 13, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (May 12, 2020). "Sunday Final Ratings: Disney Family Singalong: Volume II on ABC is Top Telecast Among All Key Adult Demos". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (May 19, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.17.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (May 19, 2020). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Snowpiercer' Delivers Largest TNT Series Debut in Two Years". Programming Insider. Retrieved March 11, 2021.