American Idol Season 21: Everything we know so far

American Idol returns for season 21 on ABC (Image via lionelrichie/Instagram)
American Idol returns for season 21 on ABC (Image via lionelrichie/Instagram)

Good news for all music lovers! American Idol is returning for Season 21 with the beloved judging panel from the previous season. The release date of American Idol is yet to be announced, but the show will most likely air in 2023 on ABC. However, the audition for the singing competition will start on August 3 and end on August 31, 2022.

Emmy Award-winning host and producer Ryan Seacrest, "who represents the heart and soul of the show," will also be back as the host of Season 2. Ryan Seacrest has hosted the show since its debut on Fox in 2002.

The official synopsis of the show reads:

“The gold standard of all music competition series, American Idol returns for a new season as superstar judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie set out on a journey across the nation to discover a new crop of inspiring talent with a touch of Disney magic on The ABC Television Network.”

Audition date of American Idol Season 21

Next year, the show will be returning for the singing competition's sixth season on ABC. The Live Virtual Audition Tour “Idol Across America” begins in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, August 3 in search of the next singing sensation.

"Idol Across America" auditions will be held as follows:

• 'First 500' VIP Event - August 3

• Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina - August 5

• Florida, Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia - August 8

• Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas - August 10

• Connecticut, New Jersey, New York - August. 12

• Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi - August 15

• Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee - August 17

• Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Washington - August 19

• Open Call: Nationwide - August 22

• Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin - August 24

• Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming - August 26

• Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C. - August 29

• Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont - August 31

The audition will kickstart with the annual "First 500" VIP event, where candidates can sign up to grab a VIP spot before anyone else. "Idol Across America" gives candidates a chance to showcase their singing talent to an American Idol producer, from anywhere in America.

The candidate must be at least 15 years of age to audition. To get complete information on how to sign up for virtual auditions, contestants have to visit www.americanidol.com/auditions. Details about eligibility criteria, submission forms, specific dates, and other terms and conditions are available on the website.


Fans react to American Idol Season 21 announcement

Fans are super excited about the announcement of Season 21, which will once again be judged by their favorite panel comprising Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.


All that we know about American Idol

The highest-rated series of nearly a decade, American Idol, as per their press release, has earned:

"57 Emmy nominations and eight wins, including the prestigious Governors Award in 2016, and its talented discoveries have already won 13 Grammys, two Golden Globes and an Academy Award, among numerous other accolades."

The singing competition has launched superstars like Jennifer Hudson, Katharine McPhee, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry, as well as last season's winner Noah Thompson, who recently released his countrified cover of Rihanna’s Stay.

The show is produced by Fremantle and Industrial Media's 19 Entertainment. Executive producers include Jennifer Mullin, Megan Wolflick and Fremantle's Trish Kinane, who is also serving as the showrunner. Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman are serving as executive producers for 19 Entertainment.

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Edited by Susrita Das