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American Idol
Season 18
Promotional poster
Hosted by	Ryan Seacrest
Judges	Luke Bryan Katy Perry Lionel Richie
Winner	Just Sam
Runner-up	Arthur Gunn
No. of episodes	16
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	February 16 (2020-02-16) – May 17, 2020 (2020-05-17)
Season chronology
← Previous Season 17Next → Season 19
List of episodes

The eighteenth season of American Idol premiered on February 16, 2020, on the ABC television network. Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie returned as judges, while Ryan Seacrest continued as host. Bobby Bones returned as the in-house mentor.

Taping was suspended after the top 19 were revealed and the contestants were sent home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The show resumed production in late April, with the on-air talent and contestants filming from their homes. The stay-at-home and social-distancing mandates, according to Billboard, compelled producers "to get very, very creative this time around to keep season 18 afloat amid the most challenging conditions in show history." Up to forty-five remote sites were used and each contestant was treated equally, with access to similar equipment and resources. Segments were usually taped a day in advance, except for the judges' critiques and voting results, which aired live.

On May 17, 2020, Just Sam was crowned as the winner, with Arthur Gunn finishing as the runner-up.

Regional auditions

Hollywood week

Hollywood week was filmed December 2–5, 2019, at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. There were several changes in format this season. In the first round, each contestant chose and performed a song from a selection of musical genres (pop, rock, R&B, soul, country, or singer-songwriter). Those who impressed the judges and the producers were advanced to the next round. Instead of group performances as had been done in previous seasons, contestants paired up and performed duets. They were given twelve hours to rehearse, which included a session with a vocal coach and a stage rehearsal. Judges could advance either, neither, or both of the contestants to the next round, where they performed their final solos before advancing to the Showcase round.

Showcase round

The Showcase round aired on March 29 and April 5, and featured the top 40 performing for the judges and a live audience at Disney's Aulani resort in Kapolei, Hawaii. The following day, the judges narrowed the number of contestants down from 40 to 20. The following is a list of the first nineteen contestants who reached the top 20 and the song they performed at the Showcase. For the twentieth and final spot, Grace Leer and Lauren Mascetti's result was determined by a vote from the public, which was revealed on April 19. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.

Finals

After a short hiatus, production resumed and all contestants performed remotely due to safety measures in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Ryan Seacrest and the judges were also broadcast from their homes.

Color key:

Top 20 (April 26)

The ten contestants who received the most votes continued on, while the judges were granted a one-time judges' save, which they used to save Makayla Phillips from elimination. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.

Top 11 (May 3)

Contestants are listed in the order they performed.

Top 7 – Disney & Mother's Day (May 10)

Each contestant performed two songs: one song from a Disney movie, and one song in honor of Mother's Day. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.

Top 5 – Finale (May 17)

Each contestant performed two songs, and are listed in the order they performed.

Elimination chart

Color key:

Ratings

References

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External links

• Official website

• American Idol seasons
• 2020 American television seasons
• Television series impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic