American Idol Winners: Where Are They Now?

Just Sam got their start busking in the New York City subway, where they sang to earn money. Before finding their way into the 18th season of “American Idol,” Just Sam tried their hand at “America’s Got Talent” and “The Voice,” but neither panned out. The same cannot be said of “American Idol” because Just Sam won its 18th season covering a Kelly Clarkson hit.

After their win, Just Sam signed with Hollywood Records but didn’t release an album and left after purchasing the music they recorded. This left Just Sam broke, but they still wanted to record a debut album. In March 2021, they released their first single, “Africando,” and followed this with another single, “Change,” later that year.

Unfortunately, Just Sam’s financial situation forced them back to busking on the subway. They explained their return in an interview with The Washington Post: “If I ever went back to the trains, I didn’t expect it to be something that I had to do … But I literally could not afford to pay my rent. I couldn’t afford to eat.” Their situation may turn around, as Just Sam signed with CrowdMGMT in 2023 and performed on “American Idol” in 2024.

Laine Hardy first attempted to win “American Idol” in the show’s 16th season, landing in the top 50 performers. He returned the following year but didn’t plan on auditioning, having accompanied a friend. He played the guitar during his friend’s performance and was encouraged by the judges to audition once more, so he did and made it to the next step.

Hardy continued performing throughout the season and won “American Idol’s 17th season. After winning “American Idol,” Hardy released several tracks and launched a headline tour for 2019. Hardy continued releasing tracks before finally releasing his debut album, “Here’s to Anyone,” in 2021. Things were looking good for Hardy, but a bad decision in 2022 sidelined his career, marring his otherwise stellar reputation.

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In April 2022, Hardy was arrested on charges that he planted a recording device in his ex-girlfriend’s dorm room (inside a futon). The arrest warrant contained numerous allegations, including one that Hardy confessed to his ex about bugging the room, though he claimed he threw the device into a pond. Hardy faced up to ten years in prison for violating wiretapping laws but entered a pretrial diversion program to have the charges expunged.

Maddie Poppe didn’t enter “American Idol” without any experience, having independently released her debut album, “Songs from the Basement,” in 2016. From there, she auditioned for the tenth season of “The Voice,” but she was eliminated during the first round. Resolved to continue her career, Poppe auditioned for the 16th season of “American Idol,” where she had significantly better luck.

Poppe went on to win with two original songs and a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.” After winning, Poppe released her first studio album, “Whirlwind,” which she plugged during a season 17 appearance on “American Idol.” She continued releasing tracks and albums in the years since, but Poppe wasn’t asked back to the “American Idol” finale like previous winners, and fans took notice.

It turned out to be a problem with timing, but Poppe’s exclusion from the season 17 finale broke the show’s longstanding tradition. Later, the COVID-19 pandemic caused some issues for Poppe’s career, as she was dropped by Hollywood Records. That left her in the position of having to independently rebuild her career, which she’d already done once. She continues to write and record, but Poppe’s career took a significant hit she’s yet to fully overcome as of early 2025.

Trent Harmon is another performer who came to “American Idol” after failing to move forward on “The Voice.” He got a ways through the audition process but was ultimately cut, and his segments didn’t air. Despite this setback, Harmon felt that his failure to win “The Voice” only prepared him for his eventual victory in “American Idol.”

He found his way to the stage in the 15th season, which he won by performing “Falling” and an original song he performed upon winning. After winning “American Idol,” Harmon somewhat faded into the background of the music industry. He signed with Big Machine Records and eventually released his self-titled EP in 2016. Two years later, Harmon dropped another album, “You Got ‘Em All,” and he released a few successful singles.

While he continues to write and record music, you don’t hear much about Harmon in the news in the years since his “American Idol” win. One of the reasons for this is Harmon’s writing, as he’s written several songs for other artists. These include Jojo Mason’s “Better on You” and Shawn Austin’s “What Do I Know?” Since winning, Harmon got married and spends a great deal of time with his wife, Kathleen.

Nick Fradiani’s music career began long before “American Idol,” having led the band Beach Avenue. He went on to compete in the ninth season of “America’s Got Talent,” but was eliminated before the live rounds. Fradiani tried his luck on “American Idol,” and in May 2015, he won the show’s 14th season. Since winning “American Idol,” Fradiani has remained active in the music industry, having dropped his debut studio album, “Hurricane,” in 2016, but it wasn’t successful.

In fact,” Hurricane” was the lowest-selling debut album of an “American Idol” winner up to that point, which isn’t an auspicious way to start a career. Fradiani followed up his debut album with “Past My Past” in 2022, and he continues writing and recording tracks. One of the reasons the wider music-listening public hasn’t seen much of Fradiani of late is due to a career diversion into musical theater.

Musical theater isn’t new to “American Idol” contestants — Jennifer Hudson is a prime example. Fradiani cut his teeth in the theater via a tour of “A Bronx Tale,” and he also appeared in “A Beautiful Noise.” These ventures take up a good chunk of Fradiani’s time, and while he still records, his name isn’t appearing in many headlines these days.

Caleb Johnson’s career arose out of high school when he performed with several bands. Initially, he was the lead singer of Rock Bottom, which he followed with Elijah Hooker as its lead vocalist and guitarist. In 2013, the band released its debut album, paving Johnson’s way to “American Idol.” He auditioned for the series three times in four years and finally got a spot in the 13th season, which he won.

Johnson had many fans on “American Idol” who may have wondered what happened to him after his win. In 2022, Johnson complained to Business Insider that he didn’t love having to sing his new single as the winner, explaining, “The song was just utter crap. Like, it was just the worst song ever.” Johnson’s attempt to convince the management company to let him sing something else fell on deaf ears.

Johnson didn’t have many great experiences with his record label, and he was pleased when “American Idol” was rebooted, as that released him from his contract. That let him record the music he wanted to do, and he went on to release several albums. Despite his constant work, you don’t hear much about Johnson these days, as he’s somewhat faded into obscurity.

Candice Glover tried multiple times to earn a spot on “American Idol,” but even after getting into the ninth season, she was cut after forgetting the words to a song, among other factors. She returned in season 11 but was eliminated during the group round. Undeterred, Glover returned once more for the 12th season, which went considerably better for her.

She won the 12th season of “American Idol” with Adele’s “Chasing Pavements,” and Glover’s post-“Idol” career has seen her record and venture into other realms. A series of delays marred Glover’s debut album, “Music Speaks,” which created problems with her label. This experience, as well as the creative differences she had with the producers of “American Idol,” affected her, so she took a break from music and social media for a while before parting ways with Interscope Records.

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She then launched her independent music career, shifting to a more jazz and R&B style. Glover also spread out into acting, appearing in a Christmas Musical in 2017. “Home for the Holidays” also marked Glover’s Broadway debut, and she continued working as an actor in “G.R.I.T.S.” and “Northpole.” Additionally, since 2019, Glover has worked as a music coordinator at her alma mater, the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Scotty McCreery was only 17 when he auditioned for Season 10 of “American Idol” and was a clear choice to move on to the next round. McCreery’s age wasn’t a problem for the young performer, who put a great deal of charisma into every song he sang on the show. It worked well for him, and McCreery won the tenth season of “American Idol.”

After winning, McCreery released the single “I Love You This Big,” which was his coronation song from the finale. The song did well, and he signed with a label to record his debut album, receiving an advance of $250,000. Before long, McCreery toured some of the hottest country music locales in the country, including presenting at the CMT Music Awards in 2011 and performing at the Grand Ole Opry.

In 2011, McCreery released his debut album, “Clear as Day,” which did incredibly well. McCreery made history as the first country singer to debut at number one on Billboard’s 200. He continues recording and doing well in the music industry, but McCreery diversified his entertainment portfolio outside of music. In 2016, he published a book, “Go Big or Go Home: The Journey Toward the Dream,” and he went on a tour to promote it.

Lee DeWyze came to “American Idol” from a successful career via his eponymous Lee DeWyze Band. Before showing up to audition for “American Idol,” he’d already independently released two albums, so he had plenty of experience before standing before the judges in the ninth season. Fortunately, that experience came in handy because DeWyze won Season 9.

After winning “American Idol,” DeWyze signed with 19 Entertainment and RCA Records, and he toured and recorded for several months while working on his debut studio album. In 2010, DeWyze released “Live It Up,” but he was no longer signed with RCA Records the following year, having been dropped by the label. He signed with another label and continued to release music, dropping his sixth studio album, “Gone For Days,” in August 2024, so he’s still recording.

DeWyze’s “Gone For Days” was a tough task to complete, as he lost his best friend and manager, Brett Radin, in February 2023. His friend’s death impacted DeWyze, so he poured all of his loss and pain into the album. These days, DeWyze continues to record and perform, though his releases haven’t achieved the same level of success as his earlier work.

Kris Allen first got into music when he was in elementary school, and he did well throughout his education in learning new instruments. In college, Allen made the decision to become a professional musician, so he released his first album in 2007, which he wrote and produced, called “Brand New Shoes.” He went on to audition for Season 8 of “American Idol” alongside his brother, but he was the only one to move on to the next round in Hollywood.

Allen won Season 8 with performances of “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “What’s Going On,” finishing off with his coronation songs, “No Boundaries” and “Heartless.” He released his self-titled debut studio album, “Kris Allen,” in 2009 via Jive Records, but it wasn’t a major hit. Allen went on to record numerous tracks, and he dropped several albums. He also toured Europe with fellow “American Idol” winner David Cook in 2021.

While he’s not making headlines like he did upon winning “American Idol’s eighth season, Allen is working in the industry. As of January, he isn’t scheduled for any tour dates in 2025, but he released “Pole Vaulter” the previous year and hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down despite his dip in overall popularity in the music industry.

David Cook is another former independent artist who worked with multiple bands prior to competing on “American Idol.” He released several albums in the years leading up to his “American Idol” win, including a solo album, “Analog Heart” in 2006. When he showed up to audition for “American Idol,” he had no plan on participating and was only there to support his brother.

With some encouragement, he auditioned and went on to win Season 7 of “American Idol.” Cook stormed onto the Billboard charts immediately after winning, and he had 11 songs on the Hot 100 the week after his victory, breaking the record for most songs in one week by a debuting artist. Cook then had his major label debut album, “David Cook,” released in 2008, and it also did incredibly well. He spent the next few years recording and releasing new music, much of which did well.

His success in the music industry enabled other pursuits, including a career on Broadway. Cook had his Broadway debut in a production of “Kinky Boots.” Cook’s “American Idol” win definitely set him up for success, and he’s been busy in the years since. He also continues to tour, so while he’s not at the height of popularity he enjoyed soon after his “American Idol” victory, Cook has never stopped working in the industry.

Taylor Hicks taught himself the harmonica at an early age, and by 18, he’d written his first song. The following year, he’d learned to play the church organ and electric guitar, so music was a big part of his life. Hicks went on to college, where he joined a Widespread Panic cover band. He went on to form his own band and released “In Your Time” as his debut independent album.

Seven years later, he released another album, “Under the Radar.” In 2005, he competed on Season 5 of “American Idol” and won. Hicks’ success on “American Idol” saw him make numerous deals, including signing with the Ford Motor Company for one of its annual campaigns. People also named him the hottest bachelor in 2006.

Hicks signed with 19 Recordings Limited/Arista Records and landed his debut single “Do I Make You Proud” on the Billboard Hot 100’s number one spot. He continued recording music and worked in other areas. He released his ghostwritten memoir, “Heart Full of Soul: An Inspirational Memoir About Finding Your Voice and Finding Your Way,” in 2007. The following year, he performed in the Broadway production of “Grease.” In 2011, Hicks also became a restaurateur when he opened Saw’s Juke Joint in Birmingham, Alabama, showcasing how he wears more than a few hats.

Ruben Studdard began to pursue a career in music while attending Alabama A&M, having gained some experience performing with a local jazz and R&B band and other musicians. He went to Nashville, Tennessee, to audition for “American Idol” and earned a spot singing Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky.” Studdard earned the nickname “Velvet Teddy Bear” during the competition, and when it came to the finale, Studdard won, becoming the second winner of “American Idol.”

After his victory, Studdard went on to release his debut studio album, “Soulful,” which sold well and charted at number one on the Billboard 200. He spent the next couple of decades recording music and dropping albums. He paired up with Clay Aiken in 2024 to appear in Season 11 of “The Masked Singer,” but both were eliminated. That was hardly Studdard’s only gig post-“Idol,” as he’s taken up acting.

Studdard appeared in several TV shows, filming cameo appearances before landing a walk-on role in “Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.” He also dabbled in musical theater, having toured in “Ain’t Misbehavin,” which released a cast recording. Studdard has never stopped working, but he’s not at the same level of fame he enjoyed in his post-“Idol” years, so he doesn’t pop up in many headlines these days.