American Idol season 21 (2023)
Aired on ABC from February 19, 2023 to May 21, 2023. 12 finalists and 14 semifinalists, with their show results and what they did after the show.
The 12 finalists (Top 12).
Finalists
| Finalist | Show result | After the show |
|---|---|---|
| WinnerLast competed May 21, 2023 | William Guy Tongi, who performs as Iam Tongi, won American Idol season 21 in 2023. He released Dreams in 2020 and I'll Be Seeing You in May 2023, then the singles Why Kiki? and Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride. On March 13, 2026, 19 Recordings, Inc. released his debut album Good For My Soul. | |
| Runner-upLast competed May 21, 2023 | Megan Danielle, from Douglasville, Georgia, was the runner-up of American Idol season 21 and had reached the top 9 of The Voice season 18 on Kelly Clarkson's team. 19 Recordings released Dream Girl on May 19, 2023. Provident Entertainment announced her roster addition on November 15, 2024, the day When I Found You came out, and Honey Sweet followed on February 14, 2025. | |
| Third placeLast competed May 21, 2023 | Colin Stough finished third on American Idol season 21. He has a deal with 19 Recordings and BMG Nashville. I Still Talk to Jesus came out on May 19, 2023. The Promiseland EP came out on October 20, 2023, and Lookin' For Home came out on July 12, 2024. Later singles run through Bone Dry on July 24, 2026, and Bone Dry (Revisited) with Kenny Wayne Shepherd on October 2, 2026. | |
| Eliminated (4th–5th)Last competed May 14, 2023 | Wé Ani, also known as Wé McDonald, finished third on The Voice in December 2016, on Team Alicia Keys, and later competed on American Idol. She released the five-song EP Frantic on April 5, 2023. As of September 2026 she was working on a debut album in Los Angeles. | |
| Eliminated (4th–5th)Last competed May 14, 2023 | Zachariah Smith competed on American Idol season 21 and released the single American Grace on May 19, 2023, on 19 Recordings and BMG. By June 2024 he had released Midnight in Mississippi, performed Rainy Days at the Grand Ole Opry, and co-hosted the Inspirational Country Music Awards with Megan Alexander. | |
| Eliminated (6th–8th)Last competed May 7, 2023 | Haven Madison released music independently from 2020, including Already Gone, Therapy, and the EP All the Things I Didn't Say. She reached the top 8 of American Idol season 21, which wrapped in May 2023, and sang Still Need You with Katy Perry at the finale. A signing with 19 Recordings and BMG was announced on December 13, 2023. Turn Off All the Lights came out on April 26, 2024. Roses, a seven-track album on the same artist listing, came out on October 17, 2025. | |
| Eliminated (6th–8th)Last competed May 7, 2023 | Oliver Steele, a singer and songwriter from Mount Juliet, Tennessee, reached the top 8 of American Idol season 21 and the top 20 with his original Too Soon. He released As It Was and Too Soon in 2023, a Better Together cover later that year, and in August 2024 the songs In the Sky and Love Begins With You. On September 3, 2024, he was scheduled to play the Ritz-Carlton Maui on September 4 and 5 and was working toward an album. | |
| Eliminated (6th–8th)Last competed May 7, 2023 | Warren Peay, from Bamberg, South Carolina, was a top-eight contestant on American Idol season 21 and leads worship at a small country church. Integrity Music announced a signing in August 2025. On January 23, 2026 the label released Gimme a Hallelujah and called it his debut single. | |
| Eliminated (9th–10th)Last competed May 1, 2023 | Marybeth Byrd, from Armorel, Arkansas, reached the top 8 of The Voice season 17 in 2019 on Team Legend and the top 10 of American Idol in 2023. Her releases include Something in the Orange and Jesus & Jail, and the original People Pleaser. On September 18, 2025, she sang a free outdoor concert at the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library. | |
| Eliminated (9th–10th)Last competed May 1, 2023 | Tyson Venegas of Port Moody, British Columbia received season 21's first platinum ticket in February 2023 for Billy Joel's New York State of Mind. In May 2023 he sang Burn with Ellie Goulding at the finale. | |
| Eliminated (11th–12th)Last competed April 30, 2023 | Lucy Love, a singer from Holly Grove, Arkansas, competed on American Idol season 21. She reached the top 20 and, on April 23, 2023, sang an original song called Boulders. | |
| Eliminated (11th–12th)Last competed April 30, 2023 | Nutsa Buzaladze, also known as Nutsa, is a Georgian singer. She began a solo career in 2011, won the New Wave Music Festival in 2014, and released the EP Nutsa22 on May 1, 2019. She finished in the top 12 of American Idol in 2023. In 2024 she represented Georgia at the Eurovision Song Contest with Firefighter and finished 21st. |
- Winner
- Runner-up
- Other finalists
Semifinalists
Semifinal round: the Top 26 picked after the Showstopper round, two groups of thirteen, who sang over two weeks (Top 26 on April 16 and 17 in Hawaii, Top 20 on April 23 and 24).
| Semifinalist | Show result | After the show |
|---|---|---|
| Eliminated in the Top 20Last competed April 24, 2023 | No career summary yet. | |
| Eliminated in the Top 20Last competed April 24, 2023 | No career summary yet. | |
| Eliminated in the Top 20Last competed April 24, 2023 | No career summary yet. | |
| Eliminated in the Top 20Last competed April 24, 2023 | No career summary yet. | |
| Eliminated in the Top 20Last competed April 24, 2023 | No career summary yet. | |
| Eliminated in the Top 20Last competed April 24, 2023 | No career summary yet. | |
| Eliminated in the Top 20Last competed April 24, 2023 | No career summary yet. | |
| Eliminated in the Top 20Last competed April 24, 2023 | No career summary yet. | |
| Eliminated in the Top 26Last competed April 17, 2023 | No career summary yet. | |
| Eliminated in the Top 26Last competed April 17, 2023 | No career summary yet. | |
| Eliminated in the Top 26Last competed April 17, 2023 | No career summary yet. | |
| Eliminated in the Top 26Last competed April 16, 2023 | No career summary yet. | |
| Eliminated in the Top 26Last competed April 16, 2023 | No career summary yet. | |
| Eliminated in the Top 26Last competed April 16, 2023 | No career summary yet. |
Sources
- List of American Idol finalists — Wikipedia, June 10, 2026.
- American Idol season 21 — Wikipedia, July 21, 2026.
- Iam Tongi — Wikipedia, May 17, 2026.
- Iam Tongi Releases Debut Full-Length Album Good For My Soul — Halo Entertainment Group, March 13, 2026.
- iTunes Search API album results for Iam Tongi — Apple.
- Who Is Megan Danielle? American Idol — Hollywood Life, May 21, 2023.
- American Idol Runner-Up Megan Danielle Signs with Provident + Releases New Single — CCM Magazine, November 15, 2024.
- iTunes Search API album results for Megan Danielle — Apple.
- About Megan Danielle — Megan Danielle.
- Colin Stough — BBR Music Group.
- iTunes album lookup for artist 1681681468 — Apple.
- Wé Ani (Wikipedia revision 1374986791) — Wikipedia, September 15, 2026.
- The Voice (American TV series) season 11 (Wikipedia revision 1375727275) — Wikipedia, September 19, 2026.
- Apple album search for We Ani — Apple.
- Zachariah Smith Releases Heart-Pounding Anthem, "American Grace," After Exiting American Idol — Music Mayhem Magazine, May 19, 2023.
- Apple album search for Zachariah Smith — Apple.
- From Small Towns to American Idol and the Grand Ole Opry Stage, Zachariah Smith Presents "My Miracle Moments" — Our Mississippi Home, June 4, 2024.
- American Idol Contestant Haven Madison Signs With 19 Recordings/BMG — MusicRow, December 13, 2023.
- Haven Madison Interview On Being An American Idol Finalist — Songwriter Universe, May 2, 2024.
- iTunes album lookup for artist 1516289438 — Apple.
- Oliver Steele Stuns American Idol Judges with Moving Original Too Soon — American Songwriter, April 24, 2023.
- American Idol contestant Oliver Steele making Maui debut Sept. 4, at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua — The Maui News, September 3, 2024.
- Warren Peay — Integrity Music.
- Integrity Music Signs Artist & Worship Leader Warren Peay — Jesus Freak Hideout, August 13, 2025.
- Warren Peay Releases Debut Single Today — Today's Christian Entertainment, January 23, 2026.
- Who Is Marybeth Byrd? Get To Know The American Idol Country Singer — Hollywood Life, April 24, 2023.
- Marybeth Byrd Music — Marybeth Byrd.
- Marybeth Byrd performs concert at Jonesboro library — Jonesboro Right Now, September 19, 2025.
- B.C. singer wows American Idol judges, earns season's first platinum ticket — Vancouver Sun, February 20, 2023.
- American Idol season 21 (Wikipedia revision 1365314609) — Wikipedia, July 21, 2026.
- Ellie Goulding and Tyson Venegas Light Up 'American Idol' Finale — American Songwriter, May 22, 2023.
- Lucy Love Gets Standing Ovation from Judges for Original Song Boulders on American Idol — American Songwriter, April 24, 2023.
- Nutsa Buzaladze — Wikipedia, November 26, 2025.
- Firefighter (song) (Wikipedia revision 1374998455) — Wikipedia, September 15, 2026.