American Idol has finally crowned a winner for its milestone 20th season, judged by Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Katy Perry.
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After almost three months of auditions, duets, and live shows, the season revealed that after America's votes, Noah Thompson is the next American Idol.
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HunterGirl, Leah Marlene, and Noah competed for the right to be declared the winner of season 20.
With an eventful night that featured musicians like Gabby Barrett, Thomas Rhett, Michael Buble, and Tai Verdes, plus performances by the judges with the contestants, viewers were in for a treat.
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After Leah Marlene was eliminated in third place, the final vote came down to Noah and HunterGirl, with the former eventually taking the title.
© Photo: Getty ImagesNoah Thompson won American Idol season 20
Hailing from Louisa, Kentucky, he made an impression on the judges from the very beginning after being persuaded to audition by a friend.
His consistently sultry vocals and smooth ability to transcend between genres won him many fans, even while he suffered a major speedbump after contracting COVID during Top 7.
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"My heart is beating out of my chest. This is crazy," he said when asked by Ryan Seacrest about how he felt after winning, clearly left overwhelmed by emotion.
He then capped the night off with a performance of his new single, One Day Tonight, to enthusiastic cheers from his family, fellow finalists, and the judges.
The Kentucky native was a consistent fan favorite along the way
The night included several big ticket performances, including Katy being joined by Thomas Rhett for the worldwide debut of their duet Where We Started.
She then joined Leah for a rendition of Firework, with Luke pairing up with runner-up HunterGirl for a rendition of I Told You So.
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