‘American Idol’ 2021 Winner Predictions: Who Could Be the Next American Idol?

ABC/Eric McCandless

Season 4 of ABC’s iteration of American Idol has narrowed the number of contestants down to 7, and the competition continues to heat up as the date of the three-hour live finale gets closer.

Judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie offered criticism and praise early on in the competition, deciding which contestants move on to the next round after performances. Soon, the power to decide who moved on to the next round goes to the fans, as votes continue to decide the fate of the American Idol hopefuls.

After seeing each of the contestants perform with the power of a full band behind them and alongside A-List music stars, there are a few clear front-runners emerging from the pack, leading to some predictions about who might win the show at the end of the season.

There are no spoilers for season 19 of American Idol in this article.

Who Might Win ‘American Idol’ in 2021?

Of course, there are a lot of factors that can come into play during the remainder of the season, and there are a lot of episodes left before a winner is crowned. Up until the top 7, however, we have gotten some clues about who may pull through with the win.

Our first prediction for the winner of this season of American Idol is singer Willie Spence. Fans have grown attached to the singer throughout the season, and at the time of writing, GoldDerby puts him at number one odds to win the competition.

Another male contestant who could pull away with the title of American Idol is Chayce Beckham, a 24-year-old from Apple Valley, California. The judges originally told him to take some more chances, and he really pulled through during the top 24 performances, nearly upstaging his celebrity duet partner. We think he may be able to continue pulling ahead and gaining new fans as the contestant moves forward.

Lastly, Grace Kinstler has been extremely impressive throughout the entire competition, bringing Luke Bryan to tears with her audition song and later knocking it out of the park in the duet round of Hollywood Week. Kinstler is placed at second odds to win the competition, according to GoldDerby.

We believe it’s unlikely that returning contestant Arthur Gunn will pull it off to be the winner of the show, as viewers may not feel as attached to him as they are to the rest of the contestants. Fans have also been upset about the second-chance twist, so it’s not immediately clear if they’ll continue voting for Arthur Gunn.

When is the ‘American Idol’ Finale?

Here’s what the schedule looks like for the rest of the season:

• Sunday, May 9
• Sunday, May 16
• Sunday, May 23: Three-hour finale

At the time of writing, the season finale of American Idol is scheduled for Sunday, May 23, though it’s possible that will change at some point.

Tune in to American Idol on Sundays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific to see which of the contestants do ultimately move forward in the competition.

Follow the Heavy on American Idol Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!

“American Idol” airs on Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

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