ABC/Eliza Morse Music industry legends and all-star judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, along with Emmy¨-winning producer and host Ryan Seacrest, and multimedia personality and in-house mentor Bobby Bones, were on hand when ABC's "American Idol" kicked off auditions for the upcoming season in search for the next singing sensation in Savannah, Georgia, Monday, Sept. 30, 2019.
American Idol returns tonight, Feb 16, 2020 for the third season on ABC and the 18th overall season. The two-hour season premiere begins at 8 p.m. ET/PT. For now, the show will just air on Sunday nights, but it’s possible that it will move to the two-night structure later in the season.
In the premiere episode, the judges will listen to and discover talented performers from all over the country, specifically in Savannah, Georgia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles, California and Sunriver, Oregon.
Making up the Season 18 judging panel is Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Long-time Idol host Ryan Seacrest is also back, making this his 18th season hosting the show. In-house mentor Bobby Bones will also return.
Read on to learn more about the 2020 season of American Idol
American Idol 2020 Airing Schedule
American Idol will kick off on Sunday, Feb 16 at 8 p.m. with a two-hour episode. The next episode, which will also be two hours long, will air on Sunday, Feb 23. After a few more episodes of auditions, the show will move into the Hollywood Week episodes.
During the first episode, the judges encounter never-before-seen twists and auditions from people including a subway performer from Harlem, a garbage collector with absolutely no experience performing in front of a crowd and a hopeless romantic.
The second episode of the season will be much of the same but with different auditions. The synopsis says that episode will include a performance from a singer who “unleashes her unique love for sardines with an original song,” however.
It’s likely the season will conclude by late May. Live voting will probably start sometime in April. Earlier this year, American Idol announced that they would be opening up live voting earlier in the season than they had in previous years.
This time, viewers will be able to vote on their favorite competitors starting with the top 20 contestants rather than the top 10 or less. Voting will begin at that point, and viewers will be able to determine who they wish to see in the top 10.
What to Expect This Season on American Idol
This season, the show will offer a different twist than it has before. In 2019, the show asked fans to vote for their favorite of three former contestants who would be able to return to the show. The three artists performed on the American Music Awards.
Of the three contestants, America voted for season 16 Idol contestant Layla Spring to get a second chance on the show, and she was rewarded with a Golden Ticket straight to Hollywood, so expect to see her later in the season.
On top of that, in released clips from just the premiere, we’ve already seen the judges tell one contestant that he’s top-10 material, and another contestant was told he could be a huge star after a highly emotional performance. They told him he could possibly be the biggest star they’ve seen.
Last year, Louisiana native Laine Hardy won the singing competition. The 19-year-old singer-songwriter has since relocated to Nashville to begin work on his first studio album. He has been recording songs and working with country stars like Eric Church, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan.
Tune in to American Idol on Sundays on ABC to see which contestants get to move forward in the competition and make your guesses on who will win the title of an “American Idol.”
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