🔥 AMERICA THOUGHT THE WINNER WAS ALREADY DECIDED

But as the American Idol finale unfolds live, the energy online is shifting by the minute between Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, and Keyla Richardson.

One performance changes momentum. One reaction sparks fan wars. One vote swing could flip the entire season in real time.

And suddenly, nobody feels safe anymore.

Who Won This Season?

The latest season of the hit singing competition crowned its winner during its three-hour finale tonight.

JORDAN MCCULLOUGH, HANNAH HARPER AND KEYLA RICHARDSON | Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images

Well, my friends, the time has officially come: tonight, American Idol crowned its latest winner during a special three-hour finale.

This season has been a landmark one for the reality singing competition, marking several changes to the format and judging panel. The program began airing in early February, welcoming Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan to the judging panel and forgoing the usual traveling auditions and Hollywood Weeks, instead bringing those who landed auditions to Nashville.

In the weeks since, the playing field has been narrowed, and—following last week’s heartbreaking double elimination—the stage was set for a winner to be selected.

Who was eliminated last week on American Idol?

Last week’s semifinal was a serious blast from the past, with original American Idol judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson making appearances on the judging panel and as mentors, respectively.

The first round of the evening was also the first-ever American Idol x Dancing With the Stars round. For this challenge, the Top 5 contestants performed as pros from the hit ABC competition danced around them. Then, for the second round, the Top 5 contestants were tasked with performing a duet with a Season 5 contestant to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the show’s fifth season, which originally aired in 2006.

Keyla Richardson and Taylor Hicks left the judges in awe following their rendition of “Living for the City” by Stevie Wonder. Meanwhile, Chris Tungseth and Bucky Covington tackled a soulful version of “Thunder Rolls” by Garth Brooks. Braden Rumfelt and Paris Bennett rocked out to “The Show Must Go On” by Queen, and Hannah Harper and Kellie Pickler blew the panel away with their version of Martina McBride’s “A Broken Wing.” Finally, Jordan McCullough was starstruck by Elliot Yamin, and the two belted “A Song for You” by Donny Hathaway to perfection.

Once all the performances had finished and all the votes were counted, the Top 3 were revealed to be Harper, Richardson and McCullough, which meant Rumfelt and Tungseth were eliminated.

You can read our recap of last week’s episode here!

What’s the theme of American Idol this week?

As noted above, tonight’s finale was a special three-hour-long spectacular, featuring plenty of surprises and guest performances.

Ahead of the episode’s premiere, the program announced on Instagram that fans could expect to see music industry titans across multiple genres, including Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms, Cameron Whitcomb, Clay Aiken, En Vogue, Jason Mraz, Lee Ann Womack, Mötley Crüe, Nelly, Shinedown and Tori Kelly.

ROUND 1: A Tribute to Alicia Keys

For the first round of performances, each contestant was mentored by Keys, who helped them make their chosen songs from her catalogue their own.

Hannah Harper

Harper kicked off the finale with a bluegrass version of Keys’s classic tune, “No One.” The contestant dedicated the performance to her husband, thanking him for his sacrifices in supporting her dreams. Richie applauded Harper’s ability to make the song her own, while Underwood “loved” the tender nature of the rendition. Bryan said Harper’s voice was like “walking through a beautiful garden” and added that he admired that she’d stayed “true to herself” through it all.

Keyla Richardson

Richardson chose “Unthinkable” by Keys for her opening number, changing the build of the tune to better match her voice with the help of the original artist. Underwood called the song selection a “wonderful choice,” and Bryan concurred, adding that Richardson has already won in their eyes. Richice joked that he wasn’t sure if he was a judge or “Papa Richie,” saying he was “proud” of the contestant and calling her a “shining star.”

Jordan McCullough

McCullough closed the first of three rounds with a passionate performance of “If I Ain’t Got You” by Keys, who called his staging of the song “really fun.” Richie agreed with Keys’s, saying the performance wasn’t just “money” but his “career.” Bryan was most excited about how confident McCullough appeared, noting he’d grown into his own over the competition. Underwood concluded the first round of judging by applauding his ability to connect with the audience, calling it his “superpower.”

ROUND 2: Hometowns

For the second round, the contestants were tasked with tackling a song dedicated to their hometowns, with behind-the-scenes footage showing them returning to the locations for inspiration.

Hannah Harper

Harper hails from Willow Springs, Mo., and opted to sing “Married Into This Town,” which she wrote herself. Richie loved watching Harper perform for her family and congratulated her on a “fantastic” rendition. Underwood was emotional, applauding Harper for both auditioning and ending the show with original songs. Bryan thanked the contestant for “pouring her heart out” week after week.

Keyla Richardson

Richardson calls Pensacola, Fla., home, and she sang a moving rendition of “I Love the Lord” by Whitney Houston. Underwood loved the song choice and called her voice “beautiful.” Bryan recalled how much Richardson has grown since the start of the competition, while Richie said that Richardson was put on Earth “to inspire” people, and she was “doing a great job.”

Jordan McCullough

McCullough is from Murfreesboro, Tenn., and chose to express his love for his hometown through the lyrics of Smokie Norful’s “Dear God.” Bryan was blown away by McCullough and the power in his voice. Richie called him “one hell of a singer,” and Underwood joked that she wanted a “three-way tie” for the ending, given how great all three finalists were.

FIRST ELIMINATION

Following the first two rounds, the contestants were told that voting would be paused, and whoever was in third place would be sent home to narrow the final round to the Top 2. As a result, Richardson was eliminated, and McCullough and Harper went on to compete in the Top 2.

The first elimination was followed by performances from an array of celebrity guests, who sang duets with the Top 10 contestants before the Top 2 returned to the stage for their final solos.

ROUND THREE: Song Redos

Harper performed first for the final round, reprising the song she wrote for the audition, titled “String Cheese.” McCullough followed Harper, performing the song “The Goodness of God,” which he had previously sung earlier in the competition. As host Ryan Seacrest noted, the original rendition earned him his first standing ovation.

Who won Season 24 of American Idol?

Following the three performance rounds and the celebrity duets, the program closed voting and readied to announce its winner.

When all of the votes were tallied, the winner of Season 24 of American Idol was revealed to be Harper. The newly crowned Idol closed the show with a performance of “At the Cross (Love Ran Red)” by Chris Tomlin.