American Idol season 15
Template:Infobox reality music competition
The fifteenth and final season of American Idol, also branded as American Idol: The Farewell Season,[1][2] premiered on the Fox television network on January 6, 2016. Ryan Seacrest continued as the show's host, while Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick, Jr. returned as judges. This season was four to six weeks shorter than seasons 2 through 14. On April 7, Trent Harmon was announced as the season's winner and La'Porsha Renae was the runner-up. Harmon was the third consecutive winner to never be in the bottom two or three.
Regional auditions
Auditions took place in:[3][4]
| Date of airing | City | Audition date | Venue | Callback date | Callback venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 6, 2016 | Denver, Colorado | July 10, 2015 | Denver Coliseum | September 26–27, 2015 | Denver Convention Center[5] |
| January 6, 2016 | Savannah, Georgia | July 22, 2015 | Martin Luther King, Jr. Arena | September 13–14, 2015 | W Midtown Hotel, Atlanta[6] |
| January 7, 2016 | Little Rock, Arkansas | August 8, 2015 | Verizon Arena | August 22–23, 2015 | Statehouse Convention Center[7] |
| January 7, 2016 | San Francisco, California | September 15, 2015 | Cow Palace | October 10–11, 2015 | Westin St. Francis[8] |
| January 13, 2016 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | August 2, 2015 | Liacouras Center | August 15–16, 2015 | Pennsylvania Convention Center[9] |
| January 14, 2016 | Bus tour – various citiesA | July 9–21, 2015 | Various |
^Note A The American Idol "Audition Bus Tour" visited Seattle, Washington; Providence, Rhode Island; Baltimore, Maryland; San Diego, California; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Tucson, Arizona; Indianapolis, Indiana; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Athens, Georgia; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Oxford, Mississippi.[3] Auditions were also held in Wilmington, North Carolina.[10] The show also partnered with two technology companies to allow people to audition using video recording kiosks and mobile apps in Culver City, California, and Nashville, Tennessee.[citation needed]
Kanye West made a surprise appearance as an auditioner in San Francisco, where he performed "Gold Digger".[11]
Hollywood week
The Hollywood rounds aired in four parts over two weeks. Contestants participated in three rounds: lines of 10, groups, and solos.
Show changes
For the first time, performances by the Top 24 were judged solely by the show's judges and producers, who determined which contestants were eliminated. From each group of 12, seven advanced and five were eliminated, resulting in a Top 14 for the third week of the semi-finals.[citation needed]
The voting limit for this season was 10 votes per contestant per voting method, half of what it was the previous season.[citation needed]
Semi-finalists
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The following is a list of the Top 24 contestants who were eliminated:
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The following is a list of the Top 14 contestants who were eliminated:
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Semi-finals
The Top 24 semifinalists will be split into two groups of twelve. Pre-taped performances of the first group will air on February 10 and the second group on February 17. On the following day each week, pre-taped performances of each contestant performing a duet with a past Idol contender will air, as will the judges selection of seven contestants from each group to advance to the Top 14.[12][13] The past contestants for group one were season 2 winner Ruben Studdard, season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino, season 10 winner Scotty McCreery, season 10 runner-up Lauren Alaina, season 13 winner Caleb Johnson, and last season's winner Nick Fradiani. The past contestants for group two were season 4 finalist Constantine Maroulis, season 5 finalists Chris Daughtry and Kellie Pickler, season 6 winner Jordin Sparks, season 7 winner David Cook, and season 10 finalist Haley Reinhart.
Group 1
| Date of airing | Order | Contestant | Song | Duet partner | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 10, 2016 | 1 | Stephany Negrete | "Mamma Knows Best" | N/A | Eliminated |
| 2 | MacKenzie Bourg | "Say Something" | N/A | Wild Card | |
| 3 | Jeneve Rose Mitchell | "Angel" | N/A | Wild Card | |
| 4 | Jenna Renae | "My Church" | N/A | Eliminated | |
| 5 | James VIII | "Love Lockdown" | N/A | Eliminated | |
| 6 | Sonika Vaid | "Safe & Sound" | N/A | Wild Card | |
| 7 | Gianna Isabella | "I Put a Spell on You" | N/A | Wild Card | |
| 8 | Emily Brooke | "I Am Invincible" | N/A | Eliminated | |
| 9 | Avalon Young | "Love Yourself" | N/A | Wild Card | |
| 10 | Jordan Sasser | "All by Myself" | N/A | Eliminated | |
| 11 | Thomas Stringfellow | "Creep" | N/A | Wild Card | |
| 12 | La'Porsha Renae | "Proud Mary" | N/A | Advanced | |
| February 11, 2016 | 1 | Emily Brooke | "Flat on the Floor" | Lauren Alaina | Eliminated |
| 2 | Thomas Stringfellow | "Man in the Mirror" | Nick Fradiani | Wild Card | |
| 3 | Stephany Negrete | "Superstar" | Ruben Studdard | Eliminated | |
| 4 | Sonika Vaid | "Skyfall" | Caleb Johnson | Wild Card | |
| 5 | Jenna Renae | "See You Tonight" | Scotty McCreery | Eliminated | |
| 6 | La'Porsha Renae | "Summertime" | Fantasia | Advanced | |
| 7 | MacKenzie Bourg | "I Hope You Dance" | Lauren Alaina | Wild Card | |
| 8 | Gianna Isabella | "Beautiful Life" | Nick Fradiani | Wild Card | |
| 9 | Avalon Young | "Flying Without Wings" | Ruben Studdard | Wild Card | |
| 10 | James VIII | "Gimme Shelter" | Caleb Johnson | Eliminated | |
| 11 | Jeneve Rose Mitchell | "Gone" | Scotty McCreery | Wild Card | |
| 12 | Jordan Sasser | "I Believe" | Fantasia | Eliminated |
Group 2
| Date of airing | Order | Contestant | Song | Duet partner | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 17, 2016 | 1 | Shelbie Z | "Work Hard, Play Harder" | N/A | Eliminated |
| 2 | Manny Torres | "Adventure of a Lifetime" | N/A | Wild Card | |
| 3 | Kory Wheeler | "Let It Go" | N/A | Eliminated | |
| 4 | Amelia Eisenhauer | "Wake Me Up" | N/A | Eliminated | |
| 5 | Jenn Blosil | "Sorry" | N/A | Wild Card | |
| 6 | C.J. Johnson | "I'll Be" | N/A | Eliminated | |
| 7 | Lee Jean | "Runaway" | N/A | Wild Card | |
| 8 | Trent Harmon | "What Are You Listening To" | N/A | Advanced | |
| 9 | Tristan McIntosh | "Good Girl" | N/A | Wild Card | |
| 10 | Adam Lasher | "Black and Gold" | N/A | Eliminated | |
| 11 | Dalton Rapattoni | "Rebel Yell" | N/A | Advanced | |
| 12 | Olivia Rox | "Confident" | N/A | Advanced | |
| February 18, 2016 | 1 | Amelia Eisenhauer | "Suds in the Bucket" | Kellie Pickler | Eliminated |
| 2 | Kory Wheeler | "Bennie and the Jets" | Haley Reinhart | Eliminated | |
| 3 | Lee Jean | "Home" | Chris Daughtry | Wild Card | |
| 4 | C.J. Johnson | "The World I Know" | David Cook | Eliminated | |
| 5 | Manny Torres | "No Air" | Jordin Sparks | Wild Card | |
| 6 | Jenn Blosil | "My Funny Valentine" | Constantine Maroulis | Wild Card | |
| 7 | Tristan McIntosh | "Best Days of Your Life" | Kellie Pickler | Wild Card | |
| 8 | Olivia Rox | "Light On" | David Cook | Advanced | |
| 9 | Adam Lasher | "Can't Help Falling in Love" | Haley Reinhart | Eliminated | |
| 10 | Dalton Rapattoni | "Higher Ground" | Chris Daughtry | Advanced | |
| 11 | Trent Harmon | "To Love Somebody" | Jordin Sparks | Advanced | |
| 12 | Shelbie Z | "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Constantine Maroulis | Eliminated |
Wild Card round
Following the judges selection of four semifinalists to advance to the Finals,[14] the remaining ten semifinalists will compete for the viewers' vote to advance six of them to complete the final group of ten.[15]
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manny Torres | "Master Blaster (Jammin')" | Eliminated |
| 2 | Gianna Isabella | "I Put a Spell on You" | Advanced |
| 3 | Thomas Stringfellow | "Story of My Life" | Eliminated |
| 4 | Tristan McIntosh | "What Hurts the Most" | Advanced |
| 5 | Avalon Young | "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" | Advanced |
| 6 | Jenn Blosil | "True Colors" | Eliminated |
| 7 | Lee Jean | "Make It Rain" | Advanced |
| 8 | Sonika Vaid | "I Surrender" | Advanced |
| 9 | Jeneve Rose Mitchell | "Ring of Fire" | Eliminated |
| 10 | MacKenzie Bourg | "Roses" | Advanced |
Finalists
- Trent Harmon (born October 8, 1990) is from Amory, Mississippi. Harmon fell into music when his mother taught him to sing "Amazing Grace" at the age of 5.[16] His family owns a farm and a restaurant.[17] He sang and performed in numerous musicals throughout high school and college. Before his graduation from the University of Arkansas at Monticello, he led worship services on campus.[17] He previously tried out for an audition on The Voice.[18] He auditioned in Little Rock, Arkansas, singing "Unaware" by Allen Stone. When Harmon suffered mononucleosis during Hollywood Week, he continued by singing Sam Smith's "Lay Me Down" as his first solo performance.[19] In group round, he was not able to perform with other contestants due to his sickness and the producers allowed him to perform a solo to advance.[20] He landed a spot in the Top 24 during Showcase Week after performing Elton John's "Tiny Dancer".[21] On April 7, Harmon was named as the final winner of American Idol and received a recording contract with Big Machine Records. His single "Falling" was then released, and peaked at number 3 on the iTunes Top 100.
- La'Porsha Renae (born August 1, 1993) is a call representative from McComb, Mississippi. At 16, she once tried out for Idol during the eighth season.[16] After her college graduation at the age of 22, Renae was a former victim of domestic abuse. After a year, she separated with her husband and moved to McComb with her one month old daughter Nayalee Keya.[22][23] Accompanied with her daughter, she returned to audition at Little Rock, Arkansas and earned her golden ticket by performing in front of the judges with Radiohead's Creep. During Hollywood Week, she performed Katy Perry's "Roar" in her first solo performance.[24] She advanced to the Top 24 after she sang "The House of the Rising Sun" at Showcase Week.[25] She is the last female contestant. Renae was announced as the runner-up on April 7. It was revealed on the season finale that Renae had received a recording contract with Big Machine Records.
- Dalton Rapattoni (born February 6, 1996) is from Sunnyvale, Texas. At the age of 11, he started learning to play guitar. Rapattoni works as a vocal coach in School of Rock.[26] He was a member of the band Fly Away Hero. In 2012, Rapattoni was discovered in a national talent search where he was part of Disney boy band IM5 with other four members.[27] After he left the band in 2014, he reformed his former band Fly Away Hero with new bandmates. Rapattoni auditioned in Little Rock, Arkansas and sang "The Phantom of the Opera".[27] In his first solo performance in Hollywood rounds, he sang "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas & the Papas.[28] He sang Olivia Newton-John's "Hopelessly Devoted to You" in his final solo performance.[29] He advanced to the Top 24 after he sang "It's Gonna Be Me" by NSYNC during Showcase Week.[30] He was eliminated on April 6 and finished in third place.
- MacKenzie Bourg (born September 11, 1992) is from Lafayette, Louisiana. He was a contestant on the third season of The Voice where he was defaulted to CeeLo Green's team after being voted off in the first live show. Bourg auditioned at Atlanta performing a medley of songs by the judges. He sang his original song "Roses" for his final solo performance to advance to the Showcase round.[31] Bourg advanced to the top 24 after he performed "Can't Help Falling in Love".[21] He was eliminated on March 31. Bourg released his single "Roses" in association with Big Machine Records on April 7. His single peaked at number 4 of the iTunes Top 100.
- Sonika Vaid (born August 4, 1995) was originally from Weston, Massachusetts who moved to Martha's Vineyard.[32] She is of Indian descent and her parents immigrated to the U.S. when she was a child.[33] She began singing at the age of three.[16] Aside from singing, she also plays the piano.[16] She graduated from Weston High School in 2013.[34] Prior to entering Idol, she was studying biology and a regular performer at a local park near her home for special events.[35][36] Vaid sang "Look at Me" by Carrie Underwood at her audition in Denver, Colorado and received high praises from the judges, earning a golden ticket to Hollywood.[36] She then progressed to the first round of Hollywood week and sang "Almost Is Never Enough".[24] Vaid made it to the final Hollywood solo round, where she performed "One Last Time" by Ariana Grande.[29] In Showcase round, she performed "I Surrender" by Celine Dion and advanced to the Top 24.[25] She was eliminated on March 24.
- Tristan McIntosh (born April 25, 2000) is from Nashville, Tennessee. McIntosh won Q108's Clarksville's Got Talent competition in April 2013 at the age of 13.[37] Her mother Amy was an army major who works in the military overseas.[38] She performs at special events and venues. She was also a member of the Children's Christian choir and the Let Freedom Sing Tour in the past. McIntosh auditioned at Little Rock, Arkansas, performing "Why Baby Why" by Mickey Guyton.[39] During Hollywood Week, she sang "Something in the Water" by Carrie Underwood as her first solo performance.[19] She advanced to the Showcase round after performing her final solo performance, "What Hurts the Most".[31] She advanced to the Top 24 after singing "Stronger" by Faith Hill.[40] She was eliminated on March 17.
- Lee Jean (born September 10, 1999) is from Bluffton, South Carolina. Jean's first experience in music is singing in high school campus.[41] He was part of a duo with fellow musician Hannah Lindsey Lane. He auditioned at Atlanta and sang Ed Sheeran's "I See Fire". He sang "Stitches" by Shawn Mendes for his final solo performance.[29] In Showcase week, he sang "Make It Rain" to land a spot in the top 24.[30] He was eliminated along with Avalon Young on March 10.
- Avalon Young (born July 16, 1994) is from San Diego, California. She was named by her mother after the album of the same name by Roxy Music. She learned how to play guitar during her middle school years.[16] Young began singing during her senior year and was a band member of "Over the Edge".[42] Young originally works as a server at a restaurant. She auditioned in San Francisco, California by performing an acoustic version of "XO" by Beyoncé. During the final round of Hollywood week, Young sang Ariana Grande's "One Last Time" to advance in the Showcase Round.[43] She sang "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" by Chris Brown and advanced to the top 24 semifinals.[30] She was eliminated along with Lee Jean on March 10.
- Gianna Isabella (born March 30, 2000) is from Jackson, New Jersey. She is the daughter of singer Brenda K. Starr.[44] In 2014, Gianna won the 'New York Dream Night Talent Search' competition. She auditioned in Philadelphia and sang "The House of the Rising Sun".[44] She sang "One Night Only" during her first solo performance in Hollywood Week.[19] She sang her mother's hit single "I Still Believe" during Showcase Week to advance to the Top 24.[25] She was one of the first two finalists to be eliminated on March 3.
- Olivia Rox (born January 16, 1999) is from Agoura Hills, California. Olivia is the daughter of saxophonist Warren Hill and music producer Tamara Van Cleef.[26] She wrote her first song on the piano at the age of 4.[26] She earned her golden ticket during an audition in San Francisco, California, after she performed "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars.[45] She advanced in the first round of Hollywood Week by performing "Genie in a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera.[24] She sang one of her composed original songs to advance for the Showcase week.[31] She advanced to the Top 24 after she sang Maroon 5's "Love Somebody".[25] She was one of the first two finalists to be eliminated on March 3.
Finals
| This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2016) |
The finals took place over six weeks, consisting of seven live shows. There were 10 finalists. Two finalists were eliminated in the first two weeks and one in each subsequent week, based on viewers' votes and the Judges' Save. Scott Borchetta served as the finalists' mentor.
Top 10 – Contestants' Choice
- Guest judge: Kelly Clarkson[46]
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olivia Rox | "Unconditionally" | Eliminated |
| 2 | Gianna Isabella | "Listen" | Eliminated |
| 3 | Lee Jean | "Skinny Love" | Safe |
| 4 | Avalon Young | "Stitches" | Bottom 3 |
| 5 | Dalton Rapattoni | "Hey There Delilah" | Safe |
| 6 | Tristan McIntosh | "Nothin' Like You" | Safe |
| 7 | MacKenzie Bourg | "I See Fire" | Safe |
| 8 | La'Porsha Renae | "Diamonds" | Safe |
| 9 | Sonika Vaid | "Bring Me to Life" | Safe |
| 10 | Trent Harmon | "Like I Can" | Safe |
Top 8 – Idol Grammy Hits
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dalton Rapattoni | "Radioactive" | Safe |
| 2 | Lee Jean | "Use Somebody" | Eliminated |
| 3 | Sonika Vaid | "Since U Been Gone" | Bottom 3 |
| 4 | MacKenzie Bourg | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Safe |
| 5 | La'Porsha Renae | "Halo" | Safe |
| 6 | Trent Harmon | "When a Man Loves a Woman" | Safe |
| 7 | Tristan McIntosh | "Go Rest High on That Mountain" | Safe |
| 8 | Avalon Young | "Earned It" | Eliminated |
- Group performance: "Confident" with Demi Lovato
- Note: Olivia Rox performed "Trouble" and Gianna Isabella performed "If I Ain't Got You" in the Top 8 performance night for a spot in the top eight. They were part of the Top 10 week's Bottom 3 along with Avalon Young. However, both of them were eliminated and did not advance.
Top 6 – American Idol All Time Song Book
For the first time this season, the contestants paired up to sing duets.
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trent Harmon & La'Porsha Renae | "See You Again" | N/A |
| 2 | Sonika Vaid & Avalon Young | "Rise Up" | N/A |
| 3 | MacKenzie Bourg & Dalton Rapattoni | "I Want It That Way" | N/A |
| 4 | Tristan McIntosh & Lee Jean | "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" | N/A |
| 5 | La'Porsha Renae | "Come Together" | Safe |
| 6 | MacKenzie Bourg | "You Are So Beautiful" | Safe |
| 7 | Trent Harmon | "Stand By Me" | Safe |
| 8 | Tristan McIntosh | "A Broken Wing" | Eliminated |
| 9 | Dalton Rapattoni | "Eleanor Rigby" | Safe |
| 10 | Sonika Vaid | "I Have Nothing" | Bottom 2 |
- Note: Lee Jean performed "Let It Be" and Avalon Young performed "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" in the Top 6 performance night for a spot in the top six. They were part of the Top 8 week's Bottom 3 along with Sonika Vaid. However, both of them were eliminated and did not advance.
Top 5 – America's Twitter Song Choice
The finalists performed songs requested by the voting public through Twitter. For the first time in the competition, each finalist performs two songs.
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trent Harmon | "Counting Stars" | Safe |
| 2 | Dalton Rapattoni | "Numb" | Bottom 2 |
| 3 | La'Porsha Renae | "Ready for Love" | Safe |
| 4 | MacKenzie Bourg | "Wild World" | Safe |
| 5 | Sonika Vaid | "Let It Go" | Eliminated |
| 6 | Dalton Rapattoni | "The Sound of Silence" | Bottom 2 |
| 7 | MacKenzie Bourg | "Billie Jean" | Safe |
| 8 | Trent Harmon | "Simple Man" | Safe |
| 9 | Sonika Vaid | "Clarity" | Eliminated |
| 10 | La'Porsha Renae | "No More Drama" | Safe |
- Note: Tristan McIntosh performed "Independence Day" in the Top 5 performance night for a spot in the top five. She was part of the Top 6 week's Bottom 2 along with Sonika Vaid. However, she was eliminated and did not advance.
Top 4 – Classic rock / Sia
- Guest mentors: Sia & Stevie Van Zandt
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La'Porsha Renae | "Wanted Dead or Alive" | Bottom 2 |
| 2 | MacKenzie Bourg | "I Want You to Want Me" | Eliminated |
| 3 | Trent Harmon | "Sharp Dressed Man" | Safe |
| 4 | Dalton Rapattoni | "God Only Knows" | Safe |
| 5 | La'Porsha Renae | "Elastic Heart" | Bottom 2 |
| 6 | MacKenzie Bourg | "Titanium" | Eliminated |
| 7 | Trent Harmon | "Chandelier" | Safe |
| 8 | Dalton Rapattoni | "Bird Set Free" | Safe |
Top 3 – Hometown Dedication / Scott Borchetta's Choice / Judges' Choice
Each finalist performed a song dedicated to their hometown, a song Scott Borchetta chose, and a song the judges chose.[47]
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dalton Rapattoni | "Calling You" | Eliminated |
| 2 | Trent Harmon | "Tennessee Whiskey" | Safe |
| 3 | La'Porsha Renae | "Glory" | Safe |
| 4 | Dalton Rapattoni | "Dancing in the Dark" | Eliminated |
| 5 | La'Porsha Renae | "Stay with Me" | Safe |
| 6 | Trent Harmon | "Drink You Away" | Safe |
| 7 | Dalton Rapattoni | "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" | Eliminated |
| 8 | La'Porsha Renae | "Hello" | Safe |
| 9 | Trent Harmon | "Waiting Game" | Safe |
- Note: MacKenzie Bourg performed "Hallelujah" in the Hometown Dedication round, but did not advance to the Top 3.
Top 2 – Original's Single / Simon Fuller's Choice / Favorite Performance
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trent Harmon | "Falling" | Winner |
| 2 | La'Porsha Renae | "Battles" | Runner-up |
| 3 | Trent Harmon | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | Winner |
| 4 | La'Porsha Renae | "A House Is Not a Home" | Runner-up |
| 5 | Trent Harmon | "Chandelier" | Winner |
| 6 | La'Porsha Renae | "Diamonds" | Runner-up |
- Group performance: "Stole the Show"
- Note: Dalton Rapattoni performed "Strike A Match" in the Original's Single round, but did not advance to the Top 2.
Elimination chart
| Females | Males | Top 24 | Top 10 | Wild Card | Winner |
| Did Not Perform | Safe | Safe Last | Eliminated |
| Stage: | Semi-Finals | Wild Card | Finals | ||||||||||||
| Date: | 2/11 | 2/18 | 2/25 | 3/31 | 3/10 | 3/172 | 3/24 | 3/31 | 4/6 | 4/7 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Contestant | Result | |||||||||||||
| 1 | Trent Harmon | Top 10 | Winner | ||||||||||||
| 2 | La'Porsha Renae | Top 10 | Bottom 2 | Runner-up | |||||||||||
| 3 | Dalton Rapattoni | Top 10 | Bottom 2 | Elim | |||||||||||
| 4 | MacKenzie Bourg | Wild Card | Top 10 | Elim | |||||||||||
| 5 | Sonika Vaid | Wild Card | Top 10 | Bottom 3 | Bottom 2 | Elim | |||||||||
| 6 | Tristan McIntosh | Wild Card | Top 10 | Elim | |||||||||||
| 7–8 | Lee Jean | Wild Card | Top 10 | Elim | |||||||||||
| Avalon Young | Wild Card | Top 10 | Bottom 3 | ||||||||||||
| 9–10 | Gianna Isabella | Wild Card | Top 10 | Elim | |||||||||||
| Olivia Rox | Top 10 | ||||||||||||||
| 11–14 | Jenn Blosil | Wild Card | Elim | ||||||||||||
| Jeneve Rose Mitchell | Wild Card | ||||||||||||||
| Thomas Stringfellow | Wild Card | ||||||||||||||
| Manny Torres | Wild Card | ||||||||||||||
| 15–24 | Amelia Eisenhauer | Elim | |||||||||||||
| C.J. Johnson | |||||||||||||||
| Adam Lasher | |||||||||||||||
| Kory Wheeler | |||||||||||||||
| Shelbie Z | |||||||||||||||
| James VIII | Elim | ||||||||||||||
| Emily Brooke | |||||||||||||||
| Stephany Negrete | |||||||||||||||
| Jenna Renae | |||||||||||||||
| Jordan Sasser | |||||||||||||||
Guest performances
| Week | Performer(s) | Title | Hot 100 reaction | iTunes sales reaction | Performance type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 10 | Kelly Clarkson | "Piece by Piece" | 8 (debut)[48] | 210,000 | Live |
| Top 8 | Demi Lovato[49] | "Stone Cold" | 102 | — | |
| Harry Connick, Jr.[49] | "(I Do) Like We Do" | — | — | ||
| Top 6 | Nick Fradiani[49] | "Get You Home" | — | — | |
| Top 5 | Adam Lambert | "Mad World"[50] | — | — | |
| Jussie Smollett & Yazz The Greatest | "Never Let It Die" | — | — | ||
| Adam Lambert featuring Laleh | "Welcome to the Show"[51] | — | — | ||
| Top 4 | David Cook[52] | "Heartbeat" | 65 | 11,000 | |
| Katharine McPhee[53] | "Over the Rainbow" | — | peaked at 171 | ||
| Sia[54] | "Cheap Thrills" | 81 | 7,000 | ||
| Top 3 | Keith Urban[55] | "Wasted Time" | 37 | 30,000 | |
| Finale* | American Idol Top 10 & alumni | "One Voice" | unreleased | unreleased | |
| Trent Harmon & La'Porsha Renae | "It Takes Two" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Kara DioGuardi featuring Tamyra Gray & Jordin Sparks | "Sober" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Colton Dixon | "Through All of It" | — | — | ||
| Jordin Sparks & Justin Guarini | "No Air" | — | — | ||
| Kimberley Locke featuring Allison Iraheta & Jordin Sparks | "8th World Wonder" | — | — | ||
| Tamyra Gray featuring Justin Guarini, Allison Iraheta & Jordin Sparks | "Girl Crush" | — | — | ||
| Allison Iraheta & Larry Platt featuring Tamyra Gray, Kimberley Locke, Jordin Sparks & Pia Toscano | "No" / "Pants on the Ground" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Pia Toscano featuring Colton Dixon, Tamyra Gray, Justin Guarini, Allison Iraheta, Kimberley Locke & Jordin Sparks | "All by Myself" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Kelly Clarkson[56] | "Miss Independent" / "The Trouble With Love Is" / "Breakaway" / "Since U Been Gone" / "Behind These Hazel Eyes" / "Because of You" / "Walk Away" / "Never Again" / "Catch My Breath" / "My Life Would Suck Without You" / "I Do Not Hook Up" / "Already Gone" / "Don't You Wanna Stay" / "Mr. Know It All" / "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" / "Dark Side" / "Heartbeat Song" / "Invincible" / "Piece by Piece" / "A Moment Like This" | unreleased | unreleased | Pre-recorded | |
| Bo Bice featuring James Durbin, Caleb Johnson & Constantine Maroulis | "Vehicle" | unreleased | unreleased | Live | |
| James Durbin, Caleb Johnson & Constantine Maroulis | "Hard to Handle" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Chris Daughtry featuring Bo Bice, James Durbin, Caleb Johnson & Constantine Maroulis | "Torches" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Bo Bice, Chris Daughtry, James Durbin, Caleb Johnson & Constantine Maroulis | "Tobacco Road" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Carrie Underwood & Keith Urban | "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Diana DeGarmo, Kree Harrison & Skylar Laine featuring Bucky Covington, Constantine Maroulis & Ace Young | "You Belong with Me" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Bucky Covington, Constantine Maroulis & Ace Young featuring Diana DeGarmo, Kree Harrison & Skylar Laine | "Storm Warning" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Lauren Alaina & Kellie Pickler featuring Bucky Covington, Diana DeGarmo, Kree Harrison, Skylar Laine, Constantine Maroulis & Ace Young | "Done" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Scotty McCreery featuring Lauren Alaina, Bucky Covington, Diana DeGarmo, Kree Harrison, Skylar Laine, Constantine Maroulis, Kellie Pickler & Ace Young | "Papa Loved Mama" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Lauren Alaina, Bucky Covington, Diana DeGarmo, Kree Harrison, Skylar Laine, Constantine Maroulis, Scotty McCreery, Kellie Pickler & Ace Young | "Pavement Ends" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Harry Connick, Jr. & Marley Fletcher | "What a Wonderful World" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Casey James & Katharine McPhee | "Need You Now" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Carly Smithson | "Here You Come Again" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Clay Aiken | "Annie's Song" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Amber Holcomb & Ruben Studdard | "Here, There and Everywhere" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Jessica Sanchez | "The Prayer" | — | peaked at 166 [57] | ||
| Jennifer Lopez | "Ain't Your Mama" | 92 | — | Pre-recorded | |
| "Let's Get Loud" | — | — | |||
| Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson & LaToya London | "Bridge over Troubled Water" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Jennifer Hudson | "Remember the Music" | — | — | ||
| Clark Beckham, Danny Gokey, George Huff, Brandon Rogers & Elliott Yamin | "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" | unreleased | unreleased | Live | |
| Fantasia | "Ugly" | — | — | ||
| Taylor Hicks & LaToya London featuring Clark Beckham, Melinda Doolittle, Candice Glover, Mikalah Gordon, Danny Gokey, George Huff, Joshua Ledet, Brandon Rogers & Elliott Yamin | "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Joshua Ledet | "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Melinda Doolittle & Candice Glover featuring Clark Beckham, James Durbin, Danny Gokey, Mikalah Gordon, Taylor Hicks, George Huff, Joshua Ledet, Blake Lewis, Kimberley Locke, Brandon Rogers, Jordin Sparks, Elliott Yamin & American Idol Top 10 | "Joy to the World" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Kris Allen, David Cook, Lee DeWyze, Nick Fradiani & Phillip Phillips[58] | "Starman" / "Rebel Rebel" / "The Jean Genie" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| William Hung | "She Bangs" | unreleased | unreleased | ||
| Carrie Underwood[56] | "Something in the Water" | — | — | ||
| Trent Harmon | "Falling" | 116 | 23,000 |
Former contestants who performed on the April 7 finale included Clay Aiken, Lauren Alaina, Kris Allen, David Archuleta, Fantasia Barrino, Clark Beckham, Bo Bice, Kelly Clarkson, David Cook, Bucky Covington, Chris Daughtry, Diana DeGarmo, Lee DeWyze, Colton Dixon, Melinda Doolittle, James Durbin, Nick Fradiani, Candice Glover, Danny Gokey, Mikalah Gordon, Tamyra Gray, Justin Guarini, Kree Harrison, Taylor Hicks, Amber Holcomb, Jennifer Hudson, George Huff, Allison Iraheta, Casey James, Caleb Johnson, Skylar Laine, Joshua Ledet, Blake Lewis, Kimberley Locke, LaToya London, Sanjaya Malakar, Constantine Maroulis, Scotty McCreery, Katharine McPhee, Phillip Phillips, Kellie Pickler, Brandon Rogers, Jessica Sanchez, Carly Smithson, Jordin Sparks, Ruben Studdard, Pia Toscano, Jasmine Trias, Carrie Underwood, Elliott Yamin, and Ace Young.[56][59][60][61]
Ratings
Live + SD ratings
Season 15 premiered to 10.96 million viewers, the second lowest since the series premiere. It received an all-time-low 3.0/9 18–49 rating, down 9% from last season. The season finale however had 13.30 million viewers, 5 million more than the season 14 finale.[62][63]
| No. | Episode | Air date | Timeslot | Rating/Share (18–49) |
Viewers (millions) |
Nightly rank |
Weekly rank |
Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Denver & Atlanta Auditions" | January 6, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 3.0 | 9 | 10.96 | 1 | 5 | [64][65] |
| 2 | "Little Rock & San Francisco Auditions" | January 7, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.7 | 9 | 10.21 | 2 | 7 | [65][66] |
| 3 | "Philadelphia Auditions" | January 13, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.5 | 8 | 9.77 | 2 | 5 | [67][68] |
| 4 | "Denver & Little Rock Auditions" | January 14, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.2 | 7 | 8.72 | 2 | 6 | [68][69] |
| 5 | "Auditions No. 5" | January 20, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.4 | 8 | 9.22 | 1 | 4 | [70][71] |
| 6 | "Auditions No. 6" | January 21, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.4 | 8 | 9.36 | 1 | 4 | [71][72] |
| 7 | "Hollywood Week: Lines of Ten" | January 27, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.5 | 8 | 9.63 | 1 | 3 | [73][74] |
| 8 | "Hollywood Week: Group Rounds" | January 28, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.3 | 8 | 8.77 | 1 | 5 | [74][75] |
| 9 | "Hollywood Week: Solo Round" | February 3, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.3 | 8 | 9.18 | 1 | 7 | [76] |
| 10 | "Final Judgement" | February 4, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.2 | 7 | 8.94 | 2 | 9 | [77] |
| 11 | "Semi-Final #1: 1st 12 Solo Performances" | February 10, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.2 | 7 | 9.16 | 1 | 7 | [78] |
| 12 | "Semi-Final #2: 1st 12 Duets & Judges' Vote" | February 11, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.1 | 7 | 8.96 | 3 | 9 | [79] |
| 13 | "Semi-Final #3: 2nd 12 Solo Performances" | February 17, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.0 | 7 | 8.29 | 2 | 9 | [80][81] |
| 14 | "Semi-Final #4: 2nd 12 Duets & Judges' Vote" | February 18, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.0 | 7 | 8.19 | 4 | 9 | [81][82] |
| 15 | "Wild Card Night" | February 24, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.1 | 7 | 8.92 | 2 | 10 | [83] |
| 16 | "Top 10 Perform: Contestants' Choice" | February 25, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.1 | 7 | 8.72 | 2 | 10 | [84] |
| 17 | "Top 8 Perform: Grammy Hits" | March 3, 2016 | 2.0 | 7 | 8.74 | 2 | 8 | [85][86] | |
| 18 | "Top 6 Perform: American Idol Songbook" | March 10, 2016 | 1.8 | 6 | 8.06 | 3 | 11 | [87] | |
| 19 | "Top 5 Perform: America's Choice" | March 17, 2016 | 1.7 | 6 | 8.22 | 2 | 17 | [88][89] | |
| 20 | "Top 4 Perform: Sia & classic rock songs" | March 24, 2016 | 1.7 | 6 | 8.02 | 3 | 18 | [90][91] | |
| 21 | "Top 3 Perform: Hometown Dedication" | March 31, 2016 | 2.1 | 7 | 9.11 | 3 | 7 | [92][93] | |
| 22 | "American Dream" | April 5, 2016 | Tuesday 8:00 p.m. | 1.4 | 5 | 5.98 | 4 | 23 | [94][95] |
| 23 | "Top 2 Perform" | April 6, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.2 | 8 | 9.70 | 3 | 6 | [95][96] |
| 24 | "Series Finale" | April 7, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 3.0 | 10 | 13.30 | 2 | 3 | [95][97] |
Live + 7 Day (DVR) ratings
| No. | Episode | Air date | Timeslot | DVR 18–49 |
DVR viewers (millions) |
Total 18–49 |
Total viewers (millions) |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Denver & Atlanta Auditions" | January 6, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.28 | 3.7 | 13.25 | [98] |
| 2 | "Little Rock & San Francisco Auditions" | January 7, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.8 | 2.24 | 3.5 | 12.45 | [98] |
| 3 | "Philadelphia Auditions" | January 13, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 1.84 | 3.2 | 11.61 | [99] |
| 4 | "Denver & Little Rock Auditions" | January 14, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.05 | 2.9 | 10.77 | [99] |
| 5 | "Auditions No. 5" | January 20, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 1.51 | 3.1 | 10.73 | [100] |
| 6 | "Auditions No. 6" | January 21, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.05 | 3.1 | 11.42 | [100] |
| 7 | "Hollywood Week: Lines of Ten" | January 27, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.6 | 1.88 | 3.1 | 11.50 | [100] |
| 8 | "Hollywood Week: Group Rounds" | January 28, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.23 | 3.0 | 11.01 | [100] |
| 9 | "Hollywood Week: Solo Round" | February 3, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.04 | 3.0 | 11.21 | [101] |
| 10 | "Final Judgement" | February 4, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.04 | 2.9 | 10.98 | [101] |
| 11 | "Semi-Final #1: 1st 12 Performances" | February 10, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.55 | 2.7 | 10.71 | [102] |
| 12 | "Semi-Final #2: Judge's Vote" | February 11, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.48 | 2.5 | 10.44 | [102] |
| 13 | "Semi-Final #3: 2nd 12 Performances" | February 17, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.47 | 2.5 | 9.76 | [103] |
| 14 | "Semi-Final #4: Judge's Vote" | February 18, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.57 | 2.4 | 9.76 | [103] |
| 15 | "Top 10 Wild Card Round" | February 24, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.30 | 2.6 | 10.22 | [104] |
| 16 | "Top 10 Perform" | February 25, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.73 | 2.6 | 10.45 | [104] |
| 17 | "Top 8 Perform: Grammy Hits" | March 3, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.63 | 2.4 | 10.37 | [105] |
| 18 | "Top 6 Perform: American Idol Songbook" | March 10, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 2.02 | 2.3 | 10.08 | [106] |
| 19 | "Top 5 Perform: America's Choice" | March 17, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.66 | 2.2 | 9.89 | [107] |
| 20 | "Top 4 Perform: Sia & classic rock songs" | March 24, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.24 | 2.1 | 9.26 | [108] |
| 21 | "Top 3 Perform: Hometown Dedication" | March 31, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.50 | 2.5 | 10.61 | [109] |
| 22 | "American Dream" | April 5, 2016 | Tuesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | — | 1.8 | — | [110] |
| 23 | "Top 2 Perform" | April 6, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.53 | 2.6 | 11.23 | [111] |
| 24 | "Series Finale" | April 7, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.57 | 3.5 | 14.87 | [112] |
Contestants who appeared on other talent shows
|
- MacKenzie Bourg was a semifinalist on the third season of The Voice and was on Team Cee Lo, but was eliminated on the first live show of the season.
- Adam Lasher, C.J. Johnson, and Sonika Vaid all auditioned for The Voice. However, none of them scored a chair turn.
- Olivia Rox appeared on the eighth season of America's Got Talent; however, she was cut during "Vegas Week".
- Shelbie Z was a contestant on the fifth season of The Voice on Team Blake. She was eliminated during the first live show.
- Jenna Renae appeared on the tenth season of America's Got Talent; however, she was cut during Week 2 of the Judge's Cuts.
- Stephany Negrete was a finalist on a program called "Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento", season 12, on Estrella TV, an American channel dedicated to the Latino culture.
International broadcast
The season premiered in Australia on Fox8 and in New Zealand on Prime on January 7, 2016 and in the United Kingdom on January 11, 2016 on 4Music. The show broadcasts live throughout Africa and Middle Eastern territories on DSTV's Vuzu Channel 114, but due to it being broadcast at 2 am, there are repeats during the week.
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- ^ Porter, Rick (April 8, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: 'Big Bang Theory' adjusts up, 'Odd Couple' and 'The 100' adjust down". TV By The Numbers. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
- ^ a b Porter, Rick (January 25, 2016). "Broadcast Live +7 ratings: 'Shades of Blue' premiere gets a good lift in week 16". TV By The Numbers. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ a b Porter, Rick (February 1, 2016). "Broadcast Live +7 ratings: 'Big Bang Theory' and 'Modern Family' lead week 17, 'Shades of Blue' doubles". TV By The Numbers. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Broadcast Live +7 ratings: 'X-Files' premiere dominates week 18, 'Limitless' doubles". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
- ^ a b Porter, Rick (February 22, 2016). "Broadcast Live +7 ratings: 'Big Bang Theory' gains the most, 'Vampire Diaries' and 'Shades of Blue' double". TV By The Numbers. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
- ^ a b "Broadcast Live +3 ratings, Feb. 8-14: TGIT dramas move up the ranks". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
- ^ a b "Broadcast Live +3 ratings, Feb. 15-21: Grammys on top, 'Big Bang Theory' posts biggest gains". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
- ^ a b "Broadcast Live +3 ratings, Feb. 22-28: Oscars grow a little, 'Big Bang Theory' grows a lot". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
- ^ "Broadcast Live +3 ratings, Feb. 29-March 6: 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Blindspot' and 'Quantico' score biggest gains". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
- ^ "Broadcast Live +7 ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' and 'Quantico' lead week 25". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
- ^ "Broadcast Live +3 ratings, March 14–20: 'Modern Family,' 'NCIS' and 'Blindspot' on top". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com.
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/04/02/broadcast-live-3-ratings-march-21-27-2016/
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/04/09/broadcast-live-3-ratings-march-28-april-3-2016/
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/04/16/broadcast-live-3-ratings-april-4-10-2016/
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/04/16/broadcast-live-3-ratings-april-4-10-2016/
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/04/16/broadcast-live-3-ratings-april-4-10-2016/