ENTERTAINMENT
What is the prize for winning American Idol? How much does the winner get?
American Idol is one the most popular entertainment shows in the US and has changed lives for the better, turning regular people into stars.
Since it burst onto our screens in 2002, American Idol has become a staple of entertainment television across the country, with a total of 21 winners being crowned and going on to have their own successful music careers.
American Idol’s latest season premiered on February 18, 2024 and has seen a wonderful array of talents fight it out until the very end to earn a coveted record deal. But that’s not all that is on offer for the winner, as a huge prize pot of money is also given out.
Who are the previous American Idol winners?
Full list of American Idol winners:
Season 1: Kelly Clarkson
Season 2: Ruben Studdard
Season 3: Fantasia Barrino
Season 4: Carrie Underwood
Season 5: Taylor Hicks
Season 6: Jordin Sparks
Season 7: David Cook
Season 8: Kris Allen
Season 9: Lee DeWyze
Season 10: Scotty McCreery
Season 11: Phillip Phillips
Season 12: Candice Glover
Season 13: Caleb Johnson
Season 14: Nick Fradiani
Season 15: Trent Harmon
Season 16: Maddie Poppe
Season 17: Laine Hardy
Season 18: Just Sam
Season 19: Chayce Beckham
Season 20: Noah Thompson
Season 21: Iam Tongi
What is the prize for winning American Idol?
The winner of American Idol receives $125,000 just for securing the winning spot in the competition. Along with this, they also earn a record deal.
What might be less known is that upon completing their first album, the singer gets an additional $100,000, bringing the total cash prize to $225,000. Given the fact that recording an album is not done for free, American Idol make sure that the winner has sufficient resources to do so by providing a recording budget of $300,000.
However, things aren’t all they seem. The recording budget is not a grant but a loan, which must be paid back. Newsweek say that winners have a budget of as much as $300,000 to record their album, which is “given as an advance that they will have to pay back against future earnings.”
Added to that, along with the dip the show has seen in TV ratings has come a dip in the prize money. When the show first aired back in 2002, the popularity was through the roof, with the money being in another dimension altogether. At the time, winners such as Kelly Clarkson walked away with $1 million deals.
The season finale of American Idol Season 22 is scheduled to air on Sunday, May 19 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. It will be available on Hulu the day after. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, the final three of Abi Carter, Jack Blocker and Will Moseley will battle it out as the judges, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Ritchie watch on eagerly.