Heavy/Getty "American Idol" alums Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina
Twelve years after becoming close friends and the final two contestants on season 10 of “American Idol,” Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina have become popular country stars, both embarking on big tours and releasing new music this year. They’re so busy, in fact, the singers, who remain friends, have already made big plans for the holidays.
On July 15, 2023, Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry announced that McCreery, who won season 10 in 2011, and Alaina, who was the runner-up, will both headline shows during the 2023 Opry Country Christmas, an annual lineup of nine holiday shows it puts on each November and December, according to American Songwriter. Other stars who’ve been named to this year’s lineup are Trace Adkins, Chris Janson and Lady A, with other names expected to be announced soon.
Alaina will headline the November 29 show, which also features fellow Opry members Mandy Barnett, The Gatlin Brothers, Charlie McCoy, and Riders in the Sky. McCreery will headline the December 3 show, with the same group of Opry members scheduled to perform with him.
Scotty McCreery Hopes to Become a Member of the Grand Ole Opry Like Lauren Alaina
The Grand Ole Opry is a legendary performance space that’s been ground zero for country music since 1925. In February 2022, Alaina was inducted into the Opry as a lifetime member by Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks, a dream come true for the singer.
It’s an honor bestowed only on stars who have demonstrated ongoing success in country music and a “commitment” to the genre. Members are expected to perform multiple times at the Opry each year, according to The Boot.
“For as long as I can remember, my dream has been to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry,” she told The Tennessean. “I’m over the moon, and I could not be more excited. I’ve never been more proud of something in my life.”
Despite McCreery’s success in country music, with a string of chart-topping hits including “You Time,” “In Between” and “Five More Minutes,” he has not yet been invited to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry yet. He told Music Mayhem Magazine in January that it’s now one of his biggest goals to be inducted.
“Being an Opry member, that’s definitely at the top of my list as far as goals,” McCreery said. “So if you love country music and tradition, the Grand Ole Opry is right there in the middle of that. It would be a great honor, but you know. It’s on the dream board.”
Are Lauren Alaina & Scotty McCreery Still Friends?
During the tenth season of “American Idol,” McCreery and Alaina became very close as teen country singers thrown into the spotlight. McCreery was 17 when he became the show’s youngest-ever winner, and Alaina was just 16 as runner-up. The two still have a special bond all these years later.
During a radio interview with Audacy’s Rob + Holly in April 2022, he said he knew Alaina would become a big star the moment he heard her sing.
“I’ll never forget my first time meeting Lauren Alaina,” McCreery said. “It was Hollywood week and I’m listening to her singing, thinking, ‘oh my God, like, she is incredible,’ thinking she’s going to go all the way, and obviously she did.”
Though the two don’t talk every day, he said during that interview that they have a “brother-sister” relationship.
The two reunited on “Idol” for its 20th anniversary reunion show in May 2022, singing Alison Krauss & Union Station’s “When You Say Nothing At All.”
In September 2021, McCreery told Country Insider they’ve talked about recording a new duet together but the timing hasn’t worked out yet.
“I think the timing just has to be right, the song has to be right,” he said. “I think eventually it’ll work out.”