American Idol has once again concluded with a special contestant taking home the prestigious trophy.
On Monday night, May 11, the hit US singing competition television series announced the deserving winner for its Season 24, crowning Hannah Harper for her remarkable skill.
For the 2026 season, the top 3 finalists for American Idol were Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, and Keyla Richardson, who delivered mindblowing performances during the three-hour-long finale.
Following their performances, host Ryan Seacrest crowned the 25-year-old Hannah the Season 24 winner, with her family cheering her on from the side of the stage.
As the confetti filled the air, the mother of three got visibly emotional, following which she reflected on her major win and expressed, “It’s not real. I’m going to wake up tomorrow, right? Life’s going to be normal,” reported Gold Derby.
When asked about how she is feeling after the entire journey is finally over, with her receiving the trophy, Hannah said, “Oh, all the tears. I’ve joked with everybody — it feels like the last few weeks of pregnancy, which you wouldn’t relate to, but I’m sure if you have kids, you relate to it. But it’s one of those things where you want it to end so bad, you just can’t wait, but at the same time, you know it’s never going to happen again and you try to soak it in.”
“So all of that has just been a learning process for me because I’m like, “Gosh, I’m ready to get out of here.” But I’ve learned so much and I have so much to be thankful for for this journey,” she added.
The American Idol Season 24 took place between November 2025 and May 2026, primarily in Tennessee’s Nashville and California’s Los Angeles, with a special round in Ko Olina, Hawaii.
