American Idol Season 24 returned on Monday night for the grand finale episode, as the Top 3 contestants took the stage for their final chance to earn America’s vote. At the end of the night, Hannah Harper was named the winner of the season.
Hannah Harper Named American Idol Season 24 Winner
Singer Hannah Harper was officially named the winner of American Idol Season 24 during Monday night’s grand finale. Hannah kicked off the show with a performance of “No One” by guest mentor Alicia Keys, putting her own unique spin on the song. Judge Luke Bryan compared her voice to “walking through a beautiful garden.”
Later, Hannah took the stage to perform an original song called “Married Into This Town” that brought judge Carrie Underwood to tears as she noted what a full-circle moment it was, since Hannah’s audition song was also an original. She sang that track, titled “String Cheese,” as her final performance before the results of the live vote were revealed.
During the finale, Hannah also shared the stage with country singer Lee Ann Womack to perform a duet of “I Hope You Dance.” For those who don’t know, Hannah is a 25-year-old stay-at-home mom of three from Missouri.
Going into Monday’s American Idol finale, three singers were left in the competition — Hannah Harper, Keyla Richardson, and Jordan McCullough. After the first two performances, host Ryan Seacrest announced the results of the vote so far, meaning one singer had to be eliminated from the competition.
That singer was unfortunately Keyla Richardson, who started the episode by performing “Unthinkable” by Alicia Keys. Underwood praised the song choice, while Luke Bryan called her “so inspiring.” Keyla later returned to the stage to perform “I Love the Lord” by Whitney Houston, bringing Underwood to tears.
Keyla’s elimination meant that Jordan McCullough ended up finishing the competition in second place behind Hannah Harper. During the show, Jordan performed “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys, earning a standing ovation from the judges. Underwood said his performances are always “just enough.”
Later, Jordan returned to the stage to sing “Dear God” by Smokie Norful, as well as his audition song, “Goodness of God.” After the nationwide vote, Jordan became the Season 24 runner-up.
What do you think of the results of the American Idol Season 24 finale? Were you rooting for Hannah to win the show, or did you want another singer to take the crown? Let us know in the comments below.
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
