American Idol season 23: Start time, where to stream, contestants, and more to know

ABC started American Idol Season 23 on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET/PT after a Post-Oscars Auditions programme. Until May, programs run on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT; special Monday evenings run during Hollywood Week and results shows. The day after it broadcasts live on ABC, you may see the episode on Hulu via the ABC app.

Ryan Seacrest is back as host, again steering from the famed Idol stage that Alex Trebek previously inhabited. Replacing Perry in February 2024 will be Carrie Underwood, a country music great who beat Katy Perry in season 4 and is now up against Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie on the judging panel.

American Idol season 23: All we know so far

American Idol season 23 has both in-person and online auditions and maintains the show's trademark multi-round format; the Idol Across America event ran from August 12 to September 9, 2024. Hollywood Week with "Idol Arena" solo and group battles; the Showstopper round to cut the field to the top 24; and weekly themed live shows where public voting narrows the field to a finale.

The live broadcast on the ABC network will run Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT; on Mondays at the same hour, the program will appear on some networks to feature Hollywood Week and the outcomes.

Hulu offers a free trial for next-day streaming; Netflix, however, has no episodes right now. To see all the episodes, special highlights, and contestant profiles, go to the ABC website or download the ABC app.

During tryouts, Idol Arena soloists vied for three "Platinum Tickets," which let them bypass that round. Among the winners are Canaan James Hill, Kolbi Jordan, and Filo.

After Showstoppers and Head-to-Head duets, the judges choose 24 singers to advance to live performances. In two distinct groups of twelve, they will perform at the Disney Aulani resort in Hawaii from April 13th to 14th, 2025. Those that made the Top 24 are:

• Ché Chesterman
• John Foster
• Penny Samar
• Desmond Roberts
• Kolbi Jordan
• Drew Ryn
• Baylee Littrell
• Canaan James Hill
• Viktor Solomon
• Gabby Samone
• Filo
• Kyana Fanene
• MKY
• Olivier Bergeron
• Zaylie Grayson
• Torrence Windsor
• Breanna Nix
• Josh King
• Isaiah Misailegalu
• Mattie Pruitt
• Slater Nalley
• Thunderstorm Artis
• Jamal Roberts
• Amanda Barise

The field was whittled down to the top 20 based on America's votes and the judges' wild-card choices once the live performances in April finished. From then, it fell to the top 14, 12, and now the top 10 as of May 4's Ladies Night version.

Among the remarkable guest mentors and performers in Season 23, Jelly Roll first appeared as Artist in Residence during Hollywood Week. Ashanti and Josh Groban both served as judges and mentors for the Top 24 throughout their stay in Hawaii.

Among the themed weeks James Taylor, Fantasia Barrino, and Miranda Lambert have guided contestants through are Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Iconic Idol Moments, and Ladies Night.

American Idol's Season 23 offers fans weekly live performances on Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT or the next day on Hulu by combining returning judges (Underwood, Richie, Bryan, and Seacrest) with newcomers (virtual auditions and Platinum Tickets).

In keeping with Idol's legacy of format creativity while showcasing America's future singing stars, this season's Top 10 are selected from 24 semifinalists and include guest mentors from Jelly Roll to James Taylor.​

Divya Burman is a journalist at Primetimer 

She has completed her graduation in English Literature, which fuelled her interest in writing. A curious learner, Divya isn't scared to move out of her comfort zone and reviews her work from a critical point of view.

Divya has multiple years of work experience, including at companies like TechWhoop and Vimana. She also worked as a programme facilitator at MyCaptain.

Divya is also fond of research and keeping herself up to date on the latest trends in the world of fashion. In her free time, she indulges in music and reading and loves to watch films.