They're baaaaaack. American Idol announces season 24 judges and live audition tour

They're baaaaaack.

*American Idol *announces season 24 judges and live audition tour

They're baaaaaack.

By Jessica Wang

Jessica is a staff writer at , where she covers TV, movies, and pop culture. Her work has appeared in Bustle, NYLON, Cosmopolitan, InStyle, and more. She lives in California with her dog.

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Published on August 25, 2025 01:00PM EDT

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Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan on 'American Idol'. Credit:

Disney/Christopher Willard

Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood are all returning as judges for the upcoming season 24 of *American Idol*.

Yep, the judging trio has been tapped to return to the stage for a second round once the venerable music competition series returns to ABC and Hulu in 2026. The live virtual nationwide search for the next superstar begins Tuesday, Aug. 26 across all 50 states plus Washington, D.C.

ABC released a special judge announcement video on Monday to celebrate the announcement of the trio's return.**

Bryan and Richie first joined the judging panel in 2018 when the reality competition debuted on ABC from its previous home on Fox, where it first launched in 2002. They were joined by Katy Perry, whom Underwood replaced as a judge last season.**

Underwood's stint as a judge is particularly notable, as the country superstar began her career on the show after she won season 4 back in 2005.

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"It was a different time in the show — in the world in general — and there was a decent chance you might get super-duper humiliated in front of tens of millions of people," Underwood told ** earlier this year of how the show has evolved since she her days as a contestant. "It's changed a lot, and hopefully people can leave with some information that will make them better — no matter how long they are on the show."

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Jamal Roberts, an artist and P.E. teacher from Mississippi, was crowned the show's season 23 winner in May, beating out runners-up John Foster and Breanna Nix. His debut single "Heal" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Gospel chart that month.

'Americal Idol' season 23 winner Jamal Roberts with Ryan Seacrest.

Disney/Christopher Willard

"From my first step on that stage to this unbelievable moment, I never dreamed a kid from my hometown would one day be called *American Idol," *Roberts reflected after his big win.* "*This journey has been bigger than me, and I'm so grateful for every person who believed in me when I was just chasing a dream."

The star-studded finale also featured performances by Patti LaBelle and Jessica Simpson, the latter of whom delivered her first television performance in 15 years.

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Source: "AOL TV"

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