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Thirty-five years after Lionel Richie blessed us with “We Are the World,” the American Idol judge has released an updated version of his feel-good anthem with the help of some iconic contestants of seasons past.

The new rendition made its TV debut during Sunday’s Idol finale, as the Top 11 of Season 18 — Arthur Gunn, Dillon James, Francisco Martin, Grace Leer, Jonny West, Jovin Webb, Julia Gargano, Just Sam, Louis Knight, Makayla Phillips and Sophia James — joined an impressive list of previous winners and finalists.

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On the May 10 episode of “American Idol,” the Top 7 sang two songs apiece: one in honor of Mother’s Day and another from the Disney catalog. Only five of the seven contestants will make it through to Sunday’s finale based on their votes from the public. We asked for your predictions as to which of these finalists will go all the way to win season 18 on May 17.

“American Idol” fans remain divided between two of the artists: Arthur Gunn has 31% of the viewers vote as of this writing and Just Sam is at 21%. Each is up by four points from last week, as they split the support for the four eliminated contestants: Sophia James, Grace Leer, Makayla Phillips and Jovin Webb.

See ‘American Idol’ Winners: Where Are They Now (Seasons 1 – 17)?

Of the other five contenders for the season 18 title, only three enjoy double digit support: Jonny West (14%), Dillon James...

During the Sunday, May 10 episode of “American Idol,” host Ryan Seacrest announced that Dillon James was one of the Top 7 contestants still in the running to join the reality TV show’s iconic winners list. This 26-year-old performed “Our Town” (“Cars”) from home in Bakersfield, California as viewers and judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie watched remotely from locations around the country. If you want Dillon to make it into next week’s Season 18 finale, you need to vote before the cutoff time at 9am Et/6am Pt on Monday, May 11.

You can cast up to 30 votes for Dillon James’s Disney night performance across three different platforms: 10 votes on the “American Idol” app, 10 votes online at americanidol.com/vote or 10 votes via text messages (text the number “15” to 21523). Message and data rates may apply for app download and usage. Voting is open Right Now, so what are you waiting for?...

The dream that these seven singers wished did come true. Sunday’s American Idol marked the ever-popular Disney Night, sending four contestants packing in the process.

Prior to Sunday’s episode, TVLine readers predicted that Jovin Webb, Grace Leer, Louis Knight and Sophia James would be eliminated this week. Were they right? Let’s take a look at the seven singers moving forward and find out:

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“American Idol” season 18 only has three weeks of live shows. The winner will be revealed at the end of the two-hour finale on May 17. A whopping 21 contestants made the cut and got to sing for America’s votes. Only 11 of them made the cut and got to contend on the first live show last Sunday. This week, four of them found out that they did not number among the Top 7: Sophia James, Grace Leer, Makayla Phillips and Jovin Webb.

On May 10, the lucky seven to survive to the second live show got to sing again for the three judges — Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie — and the country. Who do you want to see win season 18 of “American Idol”? Cast your vote in the poll below and then sound off with your thoughts on the season so far in the comments section.

Each of the Top 7 will perform live from their home.

The May 10 episode of “American Idol” will see the Top 11 cut down to a lucky seven artists who will still be in the running for the season 18 title. The 11 artists hoping to sing on the second live show of the season are: Samantha Diaz (“Just Sam”), Julia Gargano, Arthur Gunn, Dillon James, Sophia James (Wackerman), Louis Knight, Grace Leer, Francisco Martin, Makayla Phillips, Jovin Webb and Jonny West .

Only seven of them will learn from host Ryan Seacrest that they number among America’s favorites and will get to sing two songs on Sunday: one of these tunes will celebrate Disney Night while the other will be in tribute to their mothers. As with last week, the three judges — Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie — will be watching from their respective homes and will weigh in with their thougts.

See ‘American Idol’ Winners: Where Are They Now (Seasons 1 – 17)?

Below,...

During the Sunday, May 3 episode of “American Idol,” host Ryan Seacrest announced that Sophia James was one of the Top 11 contestants who were still in the running to join the reality TV show’s iconic winners list. This 20-year-old performed The Beach Boys‘ “In My Room'” from home in Long Beach, California as judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie watched remotely from their locations around the country. If you want Sophia to make it into next week’s Top 7, you need to vote before the cutoff time at 9am Et/6am Pt on Monday, May 4.

You can cast up to 30 votes for Sophia James across three different platforms: 10 votes on the free “American Idol” app, 10 votes online at americanidol.com/vote or 10 votes via text messages (text the number “13” to 21523). Message and data rates may apply for app download and usage. Voting is open Right Now, so what are you waiting for?...

The number of contestants still in the running to become the next American Idol can (almost) be counted with just two hands. Sunday’s episode, the show’s second at-home broadcast, narrowed down the Season 18 pack, eliminating nearly half of the remaining competitors. (There is one upside to performing remotely: No one was “sent home.” They were already there!)

The evening began with an emotional performance of “Home” by Season 11 winner Phillip Phillips, an on-the-nose introduction to an episode about — wait for it — home! Throughout the episode, Ryan Seacrest revealed which singers made the cut, followed by those contestants’ performances...

“American Idol” voting for the Top 8 begins towards the end of the live show on Sunday, May 3. As you will only have until earlyy Monday morning (6 am Pt/9 am Et) to weigh in with your choice for the season 18 winner, you need to be ready. There are three ways to make your voice heard: online, by app or via text. You can vote up to 10 times per method for each artist. This means you can cast up to 30 votes for each and every contestant that you want to see make it into the Top 8.

To vote via the app — which is available for download on both the Apple App Store and Google Play — or online at AmericanIdol.com/vote; you have to be at least 16 years of age and resident in the U.S., Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. Remember, you can reallocate your votes throughout the show or...

The May 3 episode of “American Idol” will see the Top 20 cut down to the final 11 artists still in contention for the season 18 title. The 20 artists hoping to sing on the first live show of the season are: Faith Becnal, Franklin Boone, Dewayne Crocker, Jr., Samantha Diaz (“Just Sam”), Cyniah Elise, Kimmy Gabriela, Julia Gargano, Arthur Gunn, Aliana Jester, Dillon James, Louis Knight, Grace Leer, Francisco Martin, Nick Merico, Makayla Phillips, Lauren Spencer Smith, Sophia Wackerman, Jovin Webb, Jonny West and Olivia Ximines.

Ten of them will hear from host Ryan Seacrest that they number among America’s favorites and have earned places in the Top 11. The three judges — Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie — will confer and throw a lifeline to one artist from the remaining 10 who will get to round out the Top 11. Each of them will sing live from their home in the hopes of winning enough...

For the first time ever, the Top 20 contestants on “American Idol” performed from the comfort of their own homes amid the current Covid-19 pandemic. Each of the artists was sent state-of-the-art equipment that allowed them to sing for America’s vote on Sunday, April 26. Judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan continued to critique the performances from their own homes while Ryan Seacrest hosted.

On Sunday, May 3 the field of 20 will be cut in half and the Top 10 will sing live. But who has the best shot at moving forward? Check out our official Power Rankings of the 11 women who remain in the field. These rankings are based on their most recent performances and overall progress in the competition. Who has momentum after Sunday’s performances? And who may be in danger of elimination? Below are our rankings based on who is most likely to advance.

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“American Idol” wasn’t about to let the Covid-19 pandemic stop America from voting for the season 18 winner. The producers have sent the same set of camera equipment and lighting to each of the Top 20 contestants. Just as the artists are housebound, so are the three judges — Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie — who will weigh in with their thoughts live. You can have your say too by voting in the poll below.

The Top 20 will compete in a special episode slated to air on April 26. The Top 10 will perform on May 3 in the first of three live shows (all branded “Live Coast to Coast Feed”) hosted, as ever, by Ryan Seacrest. The season 18 “American Idol” winner will be crowned on the May 17 finale.

We were originally supposed to have six live shows, starting with a Top 14 on April 12. The Top 10 were to take to the stage on April...

Ten weeks after the third season of “American Idol” hosted by Ryan Seacrest began on ABC, America finally gets a chance to vote as the Top 20 perform on the April 26 episode. As the coronavirus caused the cancellation of the live shows at the studio, the contestants will be performing from their homes. This change in venue means they will have to shine vocally, instead of relying on the production values and the live audience to stand out from their competition.

The three judges — Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie — will weigh in with their thoughts from the comfort of their homes. To date, they have been the ones who decided who went forward in the competition, handing out golden tickets to Hollywood to more than 15o contestants. These would-be winners then competed both individually and in groups before the judges decided on the Top 40. In turn, this two score of talent travelled to Hawaii,...

“It’s a quirky last name,” says Sophia Wackerman, a 20-year old college student from Long Beach, California with hopes of becoming the next winner of “American Idol.” Sophia is one of 20 Season 18 finalists featured on the “American Idol” special, “This is Me” airing on April 12 and April 19 on ABC.

Besides being about music, “American Idol” is about people, their stories and their dreams. Host Ryan Seacrest narrates this deep dive into the contestants where we hear more personal stories, see highlights from their audition process and learn what it took for them to convince judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan to select them as finalists.

“I come from a really musical family,” Sophia explains. “My father is a drummer, my late mother was a singer. My mother was just my inspiration for everything. She was what really fueled my passion for music and singing. She used to sing in The Moody Blues,...

In addition to solidifying this season’s Top 20, Sunday’s episode of American Idol also gave us a preview of how the live performances will look moving forward.

Following another two-hour block of behind-the-scenes footage, the show took us to Ryan Seacrest’s living room, where the host announced whether America decided to send Grace Leer or Lauren Mascitti through to the next round. Though the big reveal wasn’t recorded live, the consistently clear video quality of Grace and Lauren’s home streams was still somewhat encouraging as we prepare to head into months of episodes filmed remotely.

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American Idol‘s Top 20 — or is it Top 21? — had better start warming up, because ABC is finally going live later this month.

The network on Tuesday announced a plan to air live episodes of Season 18, with contestants singing remotely for America’s votes. Beginning Sunday, April 26 (8/7c), Idol “will be coming to audiences remotely with our three judges, Ryan Seacrest, Bobby Bones and our top 20 contestants performing for America’s vote remotely,” according to a statement.

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The Top 21 contestants for Season 18 of “American Idol” have been chosen by judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. Following regional auditions, 167 contestants received a golden ticket and competed in Hollywood Week where they were narrowed down to a field of 40. Those 40 artists performed in a showcase at the Disney Aulauni Resort and Spa in Hawaii and from that select group, 21 singers were chosen to advance and compete for America’s vote. See our official Power Rankings for the Top 12 women still in the running to become the Season 18 champion below.

Prior to singing for America, an unprecedented early vote will take place to eliminate one of two contestants: Lauren Mascitti or Grace Leer. Following the Hawaii showcase, the judges could not come to a definitive conclusion on which of these country singers should advance, so they left it up to voters at home to decide. Before the Top 20 sing for America’s vote,...

“American Idol” revealed the Top 21 on the April 5 episode, which concluded the showcase section of the competition. In these shows taped in Hawaii weeks ago, the Top 40 were divided into two groups. Each one of these hopefuls then had to perform in front of judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

That trio of talent then determined if each contestant deserved a place in the Top 21. Which of these contestants do you think deserves to win “American Idol” season 18? Cast your vote in the poll below and then sound off in the comments section as to your choice for champ.

Due to the current coronavirus pandemic, the live shows have been axed. But “American Idol” viewers will still get to decide the winner. Ryan Seacrest says details are still being worked out but expect to be able to watch live performances and hear comments from the judges in real-time before fan voting lines open.

Following up on the March 29 episode of “American Idol,” the three judges — – pop princess Katy Perry, country superstar Luke Bryan and Oscar-winning singer/songwriter Lionel Richie — see the rest of the Top 40 perform. In last week’s episode, eight contestants advanced to the next round. Who will join them? Follow along with our live blog from Night 10 of Season 18 below.

Once the live playoffs of “American Idol” season 18 begin, you will be able to predict the outcome of each episode in our predictions center. You can already make forecasts for the outcomes on such reality TV shows as “Survivor,” plus the winners of the Academy of Country Music Awards and both the daytime and primetime Emmy Awards.

See ‘American Idol’ Winners: Where Are They Now (Seasons 1 – 17)?

Refresh this page for our live blog updates

Below, follow along with all the action on the Night 10 episode of “American Idol,” which features...

What is with American Idol and cliffhangers this season? After making us wait a whole week to learn of Dillon James’ fate, the show threw yet another curveball on Sunday, extending the battle for the Top 20 — and moving it to a totally new arena.

With only one spot remaining, the judges revealed that they can’t (and won’t!) choose between the two remaining contestants, Grace Leer and Lauren Mascitti. In the judges’ defense, both women are 28-year-old country powerhouses from Nashville, so comparisons are bound to be drawn. That said, I’m not really sure why they weren’t...

And then there were 40. Monday’s episode of American Idol wrapped Hollywood Week by revealing which singers are proceeding to the next round in Hawaii… and who is saying “aloha” to the competition for good. (“Aloha” doubles as a farewell greeting too, Ok? Trust me, I Googled it.)

But before we get to the results, let’s break down some of the most memorable performances (for better or worse) from the Solo Round:

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The third of three episodes of “American Idol” showcasing Hollywood Week airs on March 23. Over the course of the three episodes devoted to Hollywood Week (the others aired last Monday and this Sunday) the contestants sing in three rounds: lines of 10, groups, and solos. The judges will winnow the list down to just 40 who will sing in a showcase set to air next Sunday and Monday.

Those contenders will be culled down to just half that number and that Top 20 will be judged on both solo performances and celebrity duets over the course of three episodes. Once the live playoffs of “American Idol” season 18 begin, you will be able to predict the outcome of each episode in our predictions center.

Below, follow along with all the action on the Night 8 episode of “American Idol.”

8:00 p.m. — It’s the last night of Hollywood week as the remaining contestants take...

The American Idol contestant pool was whittled down Monday to a top 40 on the third night of Hollywood Week. Following a genre challenge and duets in the previous episodes, the remaining contestants had to sing solo showcases. Judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie made more cuts. Last season’s runner-up Alejandro Aranda also dropped by Hollywood Week to offer guidance.

One of the standout performances came at the top when Kimmy Gabriela sang “I’m Here” from The Color Purple. She brought Perry to her feet and exceeded her performance in the duets. Sophia Wackerman also tried to ...

My, Hollywood Week, how you’ve changed. Monday’s American Idol brought us to Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theatre, where 167 lucky contestants — a handful of whom I actually recognized — returned for another chance to impress the judges.

As Katy Perry explained atop the endless two-hour event, “Hollywood this year is… different.” More specifically, the contestants are now being asked to select a genre — pop, rock, R&b, soul, country and singer/songwriter — in which they would like to compete. Additionally, the judges are hearing all 167 contestants sing solo to get a better sense of who they are as individuals.

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American Idol‘s fourth week of auditions introduced a colorful assortment of characters, from an empowered woman who was inspired by Katy Perry to dump her boyfriend… to a guy who sees dead people.

Read on for a breakdown of the 15 successful contestants we met this week, most of whom will probably get the chop in Hollywood Week and you’ll never remember their names. Ok, let’s begin!

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