- - 'American Idol' to introduce live social voting: Everything to know about the upcoming Season 24

Neia BalaoJanuary 24, 2026 at 3:17 AM

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Who's ready for more American Idol? The long-running singing competition series returns for a new season next week — and this time, things will look noticeably different.

Going into Season 24, American Idol showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick felt compelled to capitalize on the momentum of the show’s record-breaking last season. Her plan? To introduce a new voting method and completely shake up the filming locations.

“There’s always an immense amount of pressure regarding how we level up. What do we do that’s different? We don’t know who is going to come across our door, but we want to use the momentum of last season to bring in new people and fire them up,” Michaels Wolflick told Deadline.

Here’s everything you about the upcoming season of American Idol — including the major format and location changes that are to come.

When does American Idol Season 24 premiere?

American Idol Season 24 will premiere on Monday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Episodes will air live on Monday each week and will be available to stream on Hulu the next day.

Who are the judges?

Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, judges of "American Idol" Season 24. (Eric McCandless/Disney)

Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and former American Idol winner Carrie Underwood will return as judges for Season 24. This season will mark Underwood’s second at the judges' table since replacing Katy Perry in 2025.

“[Carrie] was a totally different beat. We could have found a personality similar to Katy,” Michaels Wolflick told Deadline. “In the music world, there are plenty of female pop singers who would have brought a zaniness, whereas we went completely other way. American Idol bringing Carrie on was the first time globally on Idol that a former winner had come on the panel.”

Is Ryan Seacrest still hosting?

Yes. Ryan Seacrest will once again return as host of American Idol Season 24. Seacrest has remained a fixture of the long-running singing competition series, having served as its emcee since its inaugural season in 2002.

Are there any changes coming to the American Idol format?

"American Idol" Season 24 auditions. (Eric McCandless/Disney)

American Idol viewers can expect a shake-up this season. For starters, Season 24 will mark the first time the show — and any reality television competition — is incorporating social voting. This means fans will be able to vote for their favorite singers live on social media. Text and phone voting will still be available.

Part of introducing social voting is to appeal to younger demographics, as Michaels Wolflick told Deadline, “If we can get Gen Alpha and Gen Z to weigh in a little bit more in the easiest way possible, that’s very exciting. It could tip the scale. Trends are always different.”

Michaels Wolflick added, “We have to meet the audience where they are. Back in 2002 when the show began, texting was the new hot thing. We also have to meet the technology where it is, as well. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to vote for their favorites, weigh in from their couch with their second screen, in real time.”

Where were American Idol Season 24 auditions held?

"American Idol" Season 24 auditions. (Eric McCandless/Disney)

Farewell, Los Angeles! While American Idol has a storied history of kicking things off in the City of Angels, Season 24 will largely take place in Nashville. Pretaped auditions were held exclusively at Nashville’s Belmont University, which marks a noted shift from the show’s previous format of holding auditions in multiple cities.

“I live an hour away,” Underwood told Music Mayhem of her proximity to Belmont University. “So we have so much talent to go through that if we’re wrapping at 10:00, 10:30 at night, if I’m going to get home at like 11:30, and then I’m going to be back in the makeup chair at 7:00. … I’ve been doing a little bit of that. I’ve been trying to bounce back and forth.”

With the shift to the Music City, Hollywood Week, the round that comes after the judges utter the famous words, “You’re going to Hollywood!” will take place in Nashville instead. The round has been rebranded as Hollywood Week: Music City Takeover.

What is the Ohana Round in American Idol Season 24?

"American Idol" Season 24 auditions. (Eric McCandless/Disney)

For the first time in American Idol history, the show will no longer be sending contestants through to Hollywood. Instead, Hollywood Week will be replaced by the Ohana Round, a three-episode spectacle filmed at the Aulani Resort in Kapolei, Hawaii.

Rather than allow the judges to select the top 20 contestants, the power will be in the hands of a focus group called “industry tastemakers,” which includes Shirley Halperin, coeditor-in-chief of Rolling Stone, and cultural commentator Evan Ross Katz.

“The judges have the power right all the way up to America’s Vote of who they want to put through and I thought it’d be interesting to do some sort of focus group before they get to America’s Vote to inform the judges of who people are responding to,” Michaels Wolflick told Deadline. “The judges will comment, and at the end, each of the groups will pick their favorite person.”

Is there anything else to know about American Idol Season 24?

Ahead of the Season 24 premiere, American Idol shared a heartfelt clip of 19-year-old contestant Jesse Findling’s audition. Watch it below:

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”