Leah Marlene
Season 20 · Third place
Where are they now
Leah Marlene is an independent singer based in Nashville. She released the EP We're All Buying Into a Dream on February 9, 2024. In 2025 she was a Top 50 finalist in the NPR Tiny Desk Contest. Her single My Girl came out on September 25, 2026.
Career
- 2018
Leah Marlene released the EP Arrow on December 14, 2018.
- 2020
Leah Marlene released the album The Space Between on November 13, 2020. She has called it her first self-produced album.
- 2021
Leah Marlene won the 2021 SOCAN Young Canadian Songwriter Award.
- 2022
American Idol, season 20
Third place
- 2022
Leah Marlene released the album Many Colors on March 4, 2022, just before American Idol. She has called it her second self-produced album.
- 2022
After American Idol ended in May 2022, Leah Marlene moved to Nashville. She spent most of 2022 and much of 2023 on tour. Sources give hometown-show sales of over 4,000 tickets from more than 35 states, and close to 5,000 tickets from 30 or more states.
- 2022
Sources date the single Flowers to May 13, 2022, through 19 Recordings. An artist biography ties that release to the American Idol finale.
- 2024
Leah Marlene released the six-song EP We're All Buying Into a Dream on February 9, 2024, through Playground Creative LLC.
- 2025
As of 2025, Leah Marlene was based in Nashville and working on her next album.
- 2025
In 2025, Leah Marlene was a Top 50 finalist out of 7,500 entries in the NPR Tiny Desk Contest and was named Nashville's standout entrant for Tiny Desk On the Road.
- 2026
Leah Marlene released the single My Girl on September 25, 2026. The copyright names Playground Creative LLC under exclusive license to GRRRL Music.
More milestones
- Date not documented
Flowers reached number 6 on the iTunes chart.
- Date not documented
Leah Marlene attended Belmont University's songwriting program.
- Date not documented
Leah Marlene has performed for the U.S. Navy in Italy and Greece and on an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea.
- Date not documented
Leah Marlene has played well over 100 shows, including the festivals Pilgrimage and Summer Camp, and has shared stages with Jade Bird, Peach Pit, David Cook, The Cat Empire, and Margo Price.
- Date not documented
On the American Idol finale, Katy Perry joined Leah Marlene to perform Firework. They had one rehearsal.
Discography
| Title | Type | Year | Label | RIAA certification | U.S. sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrow | EP | 2018 | Leah Marlene | Not documented | Not documented |
| The Space Between | Album | 2020 | Leah Marlene | Not documented | Not documented |
| Many Colors | Album | 2022 | Leah Marlene | Not documented | Not documented |
| We're All Buying Into a Dream | EP | 2024 | Playground Creative LLC | Not documented | Not documented |
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | SOCAN | Young Canadian Songwriter Award | Won |
Sources
- Extended bio — Leah Marlene.
- iTunes Search API: Leah Marlene — Apple.
- List of American Idol finalists — Wikipedia, June 10, 2026.
- American Idol season 20 — Wikipedia, December 31, 2025.
- Conversations with Leah Marlene — Nashville Voyager, February 26, 2024.
