Chayce Beckham won the season on May 23, 2021, while Willie Spence was the runner-up, and Grace Kinstler finished in third place.
Auditions
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, American Idol offered live virtual auditions to aspiring contestants through its Idol Across America program using custom-built Zoom technology to mirror the way the audition was done in previous season but in a home environment.[3] The remote auditions took place from August 10 to October 28, 2020, in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., as well as a number of open-call auditions, and from these the producers selected the contestants who would then be invited to audition in front of the judges.[4][5]
Due to the pandemic that limited travel for the judges, the judges' auditions were held in only three locations across California: Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ojai. The judges' auditions began on October 5, 2020, with a number of health and safety protocols in place, such as separate tables for the judges and regular COVID-19 testing for cast and crew.[6]
Hollywood week was filmed December 7–10, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The format remained similar to last season. In the first round, each contestant chose and performed a song from a selection of musical genres (indie folk, pop, rock, R&B, soul, or country). Those who impressed the judges and the producers were advanced to the next round. Instead of group performances as had been done in earlier seasons, the contestants were paired up by the judges and performed duets. They were given twenty-four hours to rehearse, which included advice from one of the judges. Judges could advance either, neither, or both of the contestants to the Showstopper round.
Showstopper round
The Showstopper round featured the top 64 contestants performing for the judges at the Dolby Theatre. This round was aired on March 28 and March 29, but only 37 contestants were aired. The following day, the judges narrowed the number of contestants down 24. The following is a list of the contestants who reached the top 24 and the song they performed. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
^Anilee List was originally eliminated, but was invited back after Benson Boone withdrew from the competition.[11]
Top 24 (April 4 & 5)
The top 24 contestants were split into two groups of twelve. The first group aired on April 4, and the second group on April 5. Each contestant performed one solo and then one duet with a celebrity singer. Four contestants from each group were eliminated based on the public vote, and the rest advanced to the top 16. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
The Top 16 performances aired on Sunday, April 11, followed by the live results show on Monday, April 12.[15]Paula Abdul served as a guest judge on April 12 after Luke Bryan tested positive for COVID-19.[16]
Color key:
This contestant was chosen by the public to advance.
This contestant was not chosen by the public, and had to perform again for the judges.
This contestant was not chosen by the public, but was chosen by the judges as a Wild Card pick.
This contestant withdrew from the competition.
This contestant was eliminated.
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Ten contestants from last season were brought back to compete for a second chance since last season's production was forced to go entirely remote because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[21] Only one was allowed to re-enter the competition. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
John Stamos served as a guest mentor this week. Each contestant performed one song from a Disney movie.[22] Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Chris Martin served as a guest mentor this week.[24] Each contestant performed two songs: one song from the Coldplay discography and one song in honor of Mother's Day. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
^Caleb Kennedy withdrew from the competition after this week due to a personal controversy.[26]
Top 4 (May 16)
Finneas served as a guest mentor this week. Each contestant performed four songs: one song from their personal idol, their winner's single, a repeat of their favorite performance from the season, and one song from the Finneas discography performed as a duet with a fellow contestant.[27]
Each contestant performed two songs – one song chosen by the judges and one song dedicated to the contestant's hometown – before the one contestant who had the fewest votes up to that point was eliminated, thereby finishing in third place. The remaining two contestants performed one last song as voting continued. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
