American Idol Season 24: Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie to return as judges

American Idol is back for his 24th season in 2026, with Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie returning as judges. The popular singing competition will appear on ABC and Hulu. This is the second season of Underwood on the judging panel, after her debut in season 23 earlier this year. Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie have been part of the show since season 16 in 2018. They previously shared the panel with Katy Perry, who left the series before the season 24. The longtime host Ryan Seacrest, who has hosted the program since the original launch in 2002, was not mentioned in the official press release. The search for the next Idol winner begins with Idol Across America, a virtual audition tour that begins on August 26. The tour starts with a special “First 900” VIP event, and then moves through the southern United States, before ending all 50 states and Washington, DC, the audition phase, ends on September 22, followed by a nationwide call on September 24. Fantasia Barrino, Adam Lambert, Chris Daughtry, and Jennifer Hudson. Carrie Underwood, who is now returning as a judge, is the top-selling alumnus of the show, with more than 16 million albums sold since winning season 4. The show is produced by Fremantle and 19 Entertainment, with Megan Wolflick serving as Showrunner. She produces with Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman of 19 Entertainment. Fremantle handles global distribution.