Everything We Know About ‘American Idol’ Season 21
Photo by ABC/Christopher Willard Reading Time: 2 minutes
American Idol is returning for Season 21 on ABC, and we now know a little bit more about what to expect from the judging panel and the audition process. Katy Perry just made an exciting announcement on social media that has us ready for next year.
American Idol Judges, Host to Return for Season 21
Anyone who was worried that their favorite judge might not return next season, have no fear. Judge Katy Perry posted a video on social media Thursday confirming that she, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan will all be back at the table.
Host Ryan Seacrest will also be back. This will be his 21st season hosting the show, as he’s been the emcee from the very beginning and only missed one day of work in all those years. This will be his sixth year hosting the show on ABC.
Seacrest commented on Perry’s Instagram post announcing the panel’s return, writing, “Worth the wait.” Richie and Bryan also posted their own announcements, albeit not quite as funny as Perry’s suspenseful post.
SEE ALSO: ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ WINNER NOAH THOMPSON THINKS THE SHOW MADE HIM SEEM BORING
Auditions for Season 21 Are Now Open
Online auditions for American Idol Season 21 are now open, meaning you can submit an audition video. However, virtual auditions with producers start next week, with a schedule organized by state. It all starts with a VIP event for the first 500 people on August 3.
The show shared a schedule on social media with state-by-state “Idol Across America” audition dates throughout the month of August. These auditions will be face-to-face with a producer by Zoom. These are not the auditions in front of the judges that we see on TV — those come later.
You can sign up now to either submit an online audition or get a virtual audition date and time. All 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., have dates listed. There is also a nationwide open call scheduled for August 22.
A premiere date has yet to be announced for Season 21, and we don’t know if last season’s Platinum Ticket will return for another season. It was introduced to celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary.
