Who Won ‘American Idol’ 2025, Explained
American Idol has chosen its winner! Which of the Top 3 contestants was the strongest tonight?
American Idol always had us at the edge of our seats. Season 23 has brought talent that moved and inspired us.
Our Top 3 – John Foster, Jamal Roberts, Breanna Nix – reminded us why music has the power to change lives. But who took home the win?
‘American Idol’ 2025: Grand Finale Recap
The grand finale began with all 3 finalists coming together to perform Queen's “We Are the Champions,” which was a fitting tribute to their incredible time on the show.
Then finalists took their turn in the spotlight. Here's what each contestant performed:
- John Foster brought his A-game with Toby Keith's “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).”
- Jamal Roberts followed with his rendition of “First Time” by Teeks.
- Breanna Nix touched hearts with her delivery of “In Jesus Name (God Is Possible)” by Katy Nichole.
Nix became the first to leave the finale. The competition narrowed to John Foster and Jamal Roberts. And our winner was revealed: Jamal Roberts!
‘American Idol’ Winner 2025: Jamal Roberts Speaks on His Win
A whopping 26 million votes were cast, which is more than double last year's number. During his talk with ABC7, Roberts was honest about what that win meant to him.
“I won for my kids. I won for my hometown. I won for the state of Mississippi,” he revealed.
Jamal Roberts came into the show as a PE teacher and now he's ready to launch his career so much further.
How Did Fans React to Jamal Roberts Winning ‘American Idol’?
“So happy!!!! But Why did they wait til the last minute for the results?? I wanted to see him revel in his victory for a while!!! It was over way too fast - bad move Idol,” Redditor Sporticha wrote.
“John definitely saw the card before Ryan announced it haha he’ll def have a very successful career tho. Great talent,” another fan, ZekeGonZaldi on Reddit said.
“Jamal the man you are! His ability to connect with so many different groups of people just emphasizes how versatile he is as an artist. He can truly sing it all and make it work. One for the history books,” Redditor Kayla102701 shared.
Where to Watch the ‘American Idol’ Grand Finale?
Season 23 of American Idol is available on Hulu.
