Finale night for Season 23 of American Idol is finally here. The Top 3 — John Foster, Breanna Nix, and Jamal Roberts — will all take the stage one last time, and whoever earns the most viewer votes throughout the three-hour finale will be named the winner.
Amid the show, viewers will also be treated to performances from artists including Jessica Simpson, Good Charlotte, Patti LaBelle, Goo Goo Dolls and more. Plus, judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie will offer their feedback and hit the stage to perform themselves.
Following the Top 3’s first two performances, the person with the least amount of votes will be eliminated, with the winner chosen from the remaining two at the end of the night. Follow along below for a recap of the night and check back to find out who won. We’ll be providing live updates all episode long.
John Foster
For the first round of competition, the Top 3 provided a list of their favorite songs, and artist in residence Jelly Roll picked which one they performed. For John, it was “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” by the late Toby Keith.
ABC
John’s performance had all three judges standing on their feet. “That’s the way you work it for American Idol. Perfect song, my friend, and you just nailed it,” Richie gushed.
“It’s the time to pull out all the stops and you’re pulling out all the stops,” Underwood added. “I’m so proud of you and all that you’ve accomplished throughout this entire competition. I felt like I was at the John Foster concert.”
Jamal Roberts
Jelly Roll picked “First Time” by Teeks for his first performance. Jamal sang this back on TikTok in 2024, so this was a major full circle moment.
ABC
“You are just so talented and I feel like tonight, you just look so comfortable and at ease. The way you’re walking around interacting with everybody, looking down the barrel of the camera, you just feel so comfortable and sound so comfortable and it sounds so good,” Underwood raved.
Bryan jumped in to say, “Will you teach me how to be that smooth? It is SMOOTH. When we leave the set and go back home and people ask me about you, I’m just like, ‘He’s so smooth with his delivery.’ You’re always hooked up with your look. Everything about you is a star.”