A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| American Idol | |
|---|---|
| Season 14 | |
 | |
| Hosted by | Ryan Seacrest |
| Judges | |
| Winner | Nick Fradiani |
| Runner-up | Clark Beckham |
| Finals venue | Dolby Theatre |
| Mentor | Scott Borchetta |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox |
| Original release | January 7 – May 13, 2015 |
| Season chronology | |
The fourteenth season of American Idol, also known as American Idol XIV, premiered on the Fox television network on January 7, 2015. Ryan Seacrest returned as host, while Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez, and Keith Urban returned as judges. Randy Jackson stepped down as the in-house mentor and was replaced by Scott Borchetta. Long-time sponsor Coca-Cola ended its relationship with the show.
Before the finale, it was announced that the fifteenth season would be the last of the reality show. Since the series began in 2002, it peaked in viewership at 30 million viewers per episode in 2006, slipping to 20 million viewers per episode in 2011, and down further since with an average of about 9.15 million viewers per episode in 2015.[1]
On May 13, Nick Fradiani was announced as this season's winner, with Clark Beckham as the runner-up.
Changes from previous seasons
The fourteenth season of American Idol featured a number of changes to its format. Former judge Randy Jackson, who had served as a mentor on the previous season, left the show and was succeeded by Big Machine Records founder Scott Borchetta.[2] In May 2014, Ryan Seacrest signed a two-year extension to remain as host through 2016, which would be the show's final season.[3][4] Long-time sponsor Coca-Cola ended its relationship with the series, and the Ford Motor Company maintained a reduced role.[5][6]
To evaluate their ability to perform in front of a live audience, the final 48 contestants participated in a private concert at the House of Blues in West Hollywood before being cut to 24.[5][6] Separate results shows during the top 12 rounds were discontinued in favor of a single two-hour broadcast on Wednesday nights, where the results from the previous week were revealed, similarly to So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars.[6]
A new feature was also introduced, where viewers could vote via Twitter to decide which of the bottom two singers from the previous week would advance.[7] Beginning with the top 9, the two contestants who received the lowest votes the previous week were revealed.[8] The bottom two contestants then performed in exactly the same format as the safe contestants. However, after the performances were completed, the viewers only had five minutes to vote by Twitter; the contestant with the higher vote count would be safe and the other contestant would be eliminated.[8]
The finale returned to the Dolby Theatre, where five of the first six-season finales took place.[9]
Regional auditions
The American Idol "Audition Bus Tour" visited the following cities: Portland, Oregon; Portland, Maine; Reno, Nevada; Columbus, Ohio; Richmond, Virginia; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Amarillo, Texas; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Branson, Missouri; Tallahassee, Florida; and Kansas City, Missouri.[10]
Auditions took place in the following cities:[10][11]
| City | Preliminary date | Preliminary venue | Filming date(s) | Filming venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis, Minnesota | June 18, 2014 | Mariucci Arena | September 24–25, 2014 | Minneapolis Convention Center[12] |
| New Orleans, Louisiana | June 25, 2014 | Lakefront Arena | August 26–27, 2014 | Morial Convention Center[13] |
| Various cities | July 9–21, 2014 | Varied | August 13–14, 2014 | Bartle Hall Convention Center (Kansas City)[14] |
| Uniondale, New York | July 23, 2014 | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum | September 16–17, 2014 | Marriott Hotel (Brooklyn)[15][a] |
| Nashville, Tennessee | July 30, 2014 | Nashville Municipal Auditorium | August 3–4, 2014 | Music City Center[17] |
| San Francisco, California | September 29, 2014 | Cow Palace | October 3–4, 2014 | Westin St. Francis[18] |
- ^ Adam Lambert filled in for Keith Urban, who was with his wife, Nicole Kidman, after the death of her father.[16]
Hollywood week
Hollywood week aired in four parts over two weeks. Contestants participated in three rounds: lines of ten, groups and solos. The judges also asked some of the most notable contestants to sing for them at the beginning of the rounds, surprising many of them, but they all advanced. After Hollywood Week, contestants performed in the Showcase round in front of a live audience at the House of Blues in Los Angeles.
Semifinals
The semifinals began on February 25, 2015, and were filmed at The Fillmore in Detroit, Michigan.[19] After the top 10 finalists were determined by the public vote, the judges chose two additional contestants to advance to the finals as Wild Card picks.
Color key:
This contestant was chosen by the public to advance.
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This contestant was not chosen by the public, but was chosen by the judges as a Wild Card pick.
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This contestant was eliminated.
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Top 24
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
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Top 16 – Motown
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
|
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| Performers | Song |
|---|---|
| Aretha Franklin | "I Will Survive" |
Top 12 finalists
- Nick Fradiani (born November 15, 1985) was from Guilford, Connecticut.[20] He and his girlfriend auditioned in New York City, and his golden ticket song was Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes."[21] In Hollywood, he sang "Babylon" by David Gray. He sang Train's "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" during the House of Blues Showcase, earning his spot in the top 24.
- Clark Beckham (born May 15, 1992) was from White House, Tennessee.[22] Beckham sang James Brown's "It's a Man's World" during his audition. In his first solo performance in Hollywood, he sang Otis Reding's "Try a Little Tenderness". He advanced to the top 24 after he sang "Georgia on My Mind" by Ray Charles in the House of Blues Showcase.
- Jax was from East Brunswick, New Jersey.[23] She auditioned in New York City with her rendition of the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand". She also sang "Toxic" by Britney Spears during her first solo in Hollywood. For her final solo, she sang the Beatles' "Let it Be". She earned her spot in the Top 24 in the House of Blues Showcase after she performed Lady Gaga's "You & I."
- Rayvon Owen (born June 27, 1991) was a vocal coach from Richmond, Virginia.[24] He auditioned in San Francisco with his rendition of Katy Perry's "Wide Awake." He sang "Ordinary People" by John Legend as his first solo and Otis Reding's "Try a Little Tenderness" as his final solo in Hollywood. He performed Sam Smith's "Lay Me Down" in the House of Blues Showcase, earning his spot in the semifinals.
- Tyanna Jones (born August 8, 1998) was from Jacksonville, Florida. For her audition, she sang "Wings" by Little Mix. In Hollywood, she sang Olly Murs' "Dance with Me Tonight" as her first solo and "Try" by Colbie Caillat as her final solo. She performed Beyoncé's "Love on Top" in the House of Blues Showcase, earning her spot in the semifinals.
- Quentin Alexander (born December 11, 1994) was from New Orleans, Louisiana.[25] He auditioned in New Orleans with "Royals" by Lorde.[26] In Hollywood, he sang "Riptide" by Vance Joy. He sang "Youth" by Foxes in the House of Blues Showcase, earning his spot in the semifinals.
- Joey Cook (born March 30, 1991) was originally from Woodbridge, Virginia, but had moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, where she auditioned with "King of Spain" by The Tallest Man on Earth. She sang Miranda Lambert's "Kerosene" as her first solo and "Across the Universe" by the Beatles as her final solo in Hollywood. She earned her spot in the top 24 after she performed "Sweet Pea" by Amos Lee in the House of Blues Showcase. Her performance of Fancy during the top 11 was well-received by the judges and earned a standing ovation from Keith Urban. She played the accordion, ukulele, banjo, and the mandolin during the course of the season.[27]
- Qaasim Middleton (born January 13, 1996) was from Brooklyn, New York. He auditioned in New York City with "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder. He performed Ed Sheeran's "Give Me Love" as his final solo in Hollywood. He sang "Satisfaction" by Allen Stone, earning his spot in the top 24 in the House of Blues Showcase.
- Daniel Seavey (born April 2, 1999) was from Vancouver, Washington. He sang Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" during his audition in San Francisco. In Hollywood, he sang Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" as his first solo and Sheeran's "I See Fire" as his final solo in Hollywood. He performed "Straight Up" again in the House of Blues Showcase, earning his spot in the top 24.
- Adanna Duru (born October 10, 1996) was from Diamond Bar, California. She auditioned in San Francisco with Lady Gaga's "You & I." She performed "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World" by James Brown during the House of Blues Showcase, where she got standing ovation by Jennifer Lopez and earned her spot in the Top 24.
- Maddie Walker (born December 23, 1997) was from Ankeny, Iowa. She had previously auditioned in the thirteenth season, but was cut during the group round in Hollywood. She auditioned again in New York City with Gwen Sebastian's "Suitcase." She sang "Already Gone" by Sugarland as her first solo in Hollywood, and "Don't Ya" by Brett Eldredge as her final solo. During the House of Blues Showcase, she sang "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie. She was cut during the top 24 selection, but was called back by the judges, and subsequently earned a spot in the semifinals.
- Sarina-Joi Crowe (born June 27, 1995) was from Columbia, Tennessee. She had originally auditioned in the tenth season, but was cut on the last day in Hollywood. She had also auditioned in the twelfth and thirteenth seasons, where she was again cut. For her fourth appearance, she auditioned in Nashville with "Love Runs Out" by OneRepublic. She sang Jessie J's "Big White Room" in the House of Blues Showcase, where she earned her spot in the top 24.
Finals
There were eleven weeks of finals with twelve contestants competing. At least one contestant was eliminated every week based on the public's votes, although the judges could veto one elimination through the use of the "judges' save."
Color key:
This contestant was saved by America's vote.
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This contestant was in the bottom two or three, but was saved by America's vote.
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This contestant was saved from elimination by the judges.
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This contestant was in the bottom two, but was saved from elimination by voters on Twitter.
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This contestant was eliminated.
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This contestant won American Idol.
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This contestant was the runner-up.
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Top 12 – Back to the start
Contestants performed the songs they originally sang at their auditions, and are listed in the order they performed.