The winner of American Idol has officially been named! Country singer and fan-favorite Noah Thompson was crowned the Season 20 champion during Sunday night’s (May 22) three-hour star-studded grand finale, which aired live coast-to-coast on ABC.
The highly anticipated announcement came mere seconds before the nail-biting episode came to a close. Thompson, who was presented with the title by long running host Ryan Seacrest, beat out fellow contenders, HunterGirl and Leah Marlene – who learned hours before that she placed third overall in the competition.
“What?” Thompson said, stunned by the news of his win. “My heart is beating out of my chest. This is crazy.”
During the epic broadcast, each Top 3 finalist competed for America’s votes one final time, facing off with not only solo performances of their debut singles but also separate takes on a Bruce Springsteen hit. For those moments, Thompson performed his original song, “One Day Tonight,” and “I’m On Fire” from Springsteen’s extensive award-winning catalog. Later in the show, Thompson also duetted on “I’m The Only One” with Melissa Etheridge before reviving a song that he sang previously in the season.
Thompson has had an interesting run since beginning his Idol journey. A former construction worker from Louisa, Kentucky, he auditioned in front of judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan with Kameron Marlowe’s “Giving You Up.” But, that audition may have never taken place had it not been for his good buddy and former co-worker, Arthur, who believed in him from the get-go, and urged him to try out for the popular reality singing competition.
“Noah’s just got pure, raw talent, man,” Arthur told viewers of Thompson early on in the season. “It’s just something he was born with…. I think this is his time, man.”
After impressing judges with his initial audition, Thompson continued to fight for America’s votes in hopes to give his son, Walker, a better life. Throughout his run on the show, he has successfully performed songs like Jason Isbell’s “Cover Me Up” (later made famous by Morgan Wallen), Rihanna’s “Stay,” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” showing fans that he has cross-genre appeal. The fan-favorite and Season 20 front runner also celebrated his 20th birthday on the series, where he received an extra b-day surprise, landing into the Top 10.
At one point in the competition, he ran into a hiccup after learning that he tested positive for coronavirus. But that news didn’t stop him from outperforming some of his peers. Singing in isolation in a hotel room, with just an acoustic guitar in hand, he proved to judges that he had what it took to eventually win it all.
“I don’t know what you found between those two ferns for a whole week, but it was good. I have never seen you move from that stage to this stage,” Perry told him after he broke out of isolation and delivered a memorable take on Carrie Underwood’s “So Small.”
Now, Thompson is taking the next step in his music career as the new American Idol winner, and it will be interesting to see his star grow from here on out. Thompson’s win, which includes a recording contract with Hollywood Records/19 Recordings and $250,000, follows fellow country singer Chayce Beckham, who won Season 19.
Congratulations, Noah Thompson!