American Idol season 5 (2006)

Finalists

American Idol season 5 finalists: show result, then career after the show

Finalist	Show result	After the show
Taylor Hicks	WinnerLast competed May 24, 2006	Taylor Hicks made his Grand Ole Opry debut on June 16, 2023, after releasing the single Porch Swing in February 2023. He has released music on Modern Whomp since 2008, after Arista and 19 Recordings from 2006 to 2008.
Katharine McPhee	Runner-upLast competed May 24, 2006	Katharine McPhee tours with producer David Foster in the show An Intimate Evening with David Foster and Katharine McPhee, with dates booked into 2026. She signed with the Nashville label Melody Place in 2024, and in June 2026 she was the guest vocalist on a new duet version of the late Dan Seals's song The Healing Kind.
Elliott Yamin	Eliminated 3rdLast competed May 17, 2006	Elliott Yamin collaborated with Blake Lewis on Lewis's studio album Wanderlust Unknown, released in 2020. He also collaborated on Phil Lassiter's album Party Crashers, released digitally on July 6, 2018. His fourth studio album, As Time Goes By, was released in Japan on November 5, 2015.
Chris Daughtry	Eliminated 4thLast competed May 10, 2006	Chris Daughtry fronts the rock band Daughtry, which in September 2026 announced a second leg of its acoustic "20 Years Unplugged" tour running into early 2027. In July 2026 the band released "There And Back Again", an 11-track set of re-recorded catalog songs.
Paris Bennett	Eliminated 5thLast competed May 3, 2006	Paris Bennett released the single Unapologetically Me in 2019, after All I Need for Christmas in 2018. Her albums include Princess P (2007) and A Royal Christmas, released October 14, 2008. She has been active since 2006.
Kellie Pickler	Eliminated 6thLast competed April 26, 2006	In February 2022 Kellie Pickler began work as a DJ on SiriusXM's The Highway. Her most recent studio album, The Woman I Am, was released on November 11, 2013, on Black River Entertainment.
Ace Young	Eliminated 7thLast competed April 19, 2006	It was announced in June 2019 that Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo would lead the first national tour of First Date, planned to launch in fall 2020. He played Joseph on the U.S. tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat from January 2014 to April 2015.
Bucky Covington	Eliminated 8thLast competed April 12, 2006	Bucky Covington's most recent documented release is the self-released EP Happy Man, dated July 14, 2015. His second studio album, Good Guys, came out on September 11, 2012, on E1 Music.
Mandisa	Eliminated 9thLast competed April 5, 2006	Mandisa was found dead on April 18, 2024. Her releases run from True Beauty in 2007 through singles in 2021, including the compilation Overcomer: The Greatest Hits on February 7, 2020. She won the 2014 Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Overcomer.
Lisa Tucker	Eliminated 10thLast competed March 29, 2006	In July 2020 Lisa Tucker released a country-folk ballad titled Fickle. She has been active since 2003 and was formerly signed to Ne-Yo's Compound Entertainment, with a recording deal through Island Def Jam.
Kevin Covais	Eliminated 11thLast competed March 22, 2006	In 2019 Kevin Covais appeared in an episode of The Rookie. From 2012 until 2014 he had a recurring role as Victor DeLeseur on Good Luck Charlie.
MMMelissa McGhee	Eliminated 12thLast competed March 15, 2006	As of July 2014, Melissa McGhee was performing regularly at Enigma in St. Petersburg and writing toward an EP, after returning to Tampa stages the year before. Her cover of What About Love is the first track on American Idol Season 5: Encores, released May 23, 2006.

Semifinalists

Semifinal round: the Top 24, twelve women and twelve men, who sang over three weeks (Top 24, Top 20 and Top 16) from February 21, 2006; the bottom two women and bottom two men left each week.

American Idol season 5 semifinalists: show result, then career after the show

Semifinalist	Show result	After the show
Ayla Brown	Eliminated in the Top 16Last competed March 9, 2006	No career summary yet.
GMGedeon McKinney	Eliminated in the Top 16Last competed March 9, 2006	No career summary yet.
KSKinnik Sky	Eliminated in the Top 16Last competed March 9, 2006	No career summary yet.
WMWill Makar	Eliminated in the Top 16Last competed March 9, 2006	No career summary yet.
BGBrenna Gethers	Eliminated in the Top 20Last competed March 2, 2006	No career summary yet.
DRDavid Radford	Eliminated in the Top 20Last competed March 2, 2006	No career summary yet.
HCHeather Cox	Eliminated in the Top 20Last competed March 2, 2006	No career summary yet.
SPSway Penala	Eliminated in the Top 20Last competed March 2, 2006	No career summary yet.
BOBecky O'Donohue	Eliminated in the Top 24Last competed February 23, 2006	No career summary yet.
BBBobby Bennett	Eliminated in the Top 24Last competed February 23, 2006	No career summary yet.
PHPatrick Hall	Eliminated in the Top 24Last competed February 23, 2006	No career summary yet.
SSStevie Scott	Eliminated in the Top 24Last competed February 23, 2006	No career summary yet.