Life after the show · 3 min read ·

Alex Lambert made Idol's Top 16 in 2010. In 2026 he signed with Big Loud Texas

Alex Lambert signed with Big Loud Texas in January 2026. Blake Proehl, Pia Toscano, Bea Miller and more singing-show alumni signed new deals.

Alex Lambert

Alex Lambert

Photo: Nickj23 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo source.

Alex Lambert made the Top 16 of American Idol's ninth season in 2010. In January 2026 he signed with Big Loud Texas, the imprint Miranda Lambert and Jon Randall founded with Big Loud Records. Here is where his new music comes from, and the deals more singers from Idol, The Voice and The X Factor signed in 2025 and 2026.

Alex Lambert's year with Big Loud Texas

Miranda Lambert's assistant came across his song Cryin' In the Rain and sent it to her. His first Big Loud Texas release, Shoot Me Down, came out with the signing announcement on January 16, 2026. In March he was on the road with Ty Myers, and that year he also supported Billy Currington, Kip Moore and Paul Cauthen. In September he played Big Loud's AMERICANAFEST showcase, and on October 23 he released Amen.

Blake Proehl with MCA, and Bea Miller with Republic

Blake Proehl, from the Top 24 of Idol's 22nd season, signed with MCA, Universal Music Group's Nashville label group; MCA announced the deal on June 8, 2026, with his song She Got It. His six-song EP Hearts Don't Break came out in October, and by October 19 he had passed one million monthly listeners. Bea Miller, ninth on The X Factor's second season, signed with Republic Records in May 2026. Her first release with the label, Depressed on the Internet, came out on May 8.

Beatrice Miller

Photo: James McShane · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo source.

Pia Toscano with Melody Place

Pia Toscano, ninth on Idol's 10th season, signed an exclusive label deal with Melody Place, an independent label based in Nashville; it was announced on June 23, 2026. Her first Melody Place single, Redirected, came out on July 10, 2026.

Pia Toscano

Photo: mtanne · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo source.

Warren Peay, Clark Beckham and Justin Aaron in faith music

Integrity Music announced the signing of Warren Peay, from the Top 8 of Idol's 21st season, on August 13, 2025. His solo debut single, Gimme a Hallelujah, came out on January 23, 2026, and a new version with Emerson Day followed on October 16. Clark Beckham, the runner-up of Idol's 14th season, signed exclusively with NCS Records in October 2025; his debut single with NCS Collective, Mystery, came out in November, and Acoustic Worship Sessions followed on June 26, 2026. Justin Aaron, from the Top 8 of The Voice's 22nd season, became the first artist signed to a label partnership of Fifty Something Records and Lrae Entertainment in October 2025.

Clark Beckham

Photo: Carol Leigh AKA Scarlot Harlot · CC BY 2.0 · Photo source.

Mattie Pruitt with 19 Recordings and Graffiti Sound

Mattie Pruitt, from the Top 7 of Idol's 23rd season, was signed to 19 Recordings in partnership with Graffiti Sound by March 2026. On July 10, 2026, she and Alex Sampson released Like Me, credited to both companies.

Mattie Pruitt

Photo: Flagswodum · CC0 1.0 · Photo source.

Read another story

Photo credits (3 photos)