‘This Is Only the Beginning’: Who’s Left in the Top 5 on ‘American Idol’ Season 23

Season 23 of American Idol is in full swing and trust us when we say it’s more dramatic and jaw-dropping than ever. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest and judged by Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood, the singing competition follows a group of singers hoping to break into the music industry. Four contestants are left, and people are anxiously awaiting the finale to find out who wins. Below, we look into the remaining American Idol 2025 contestants and when they are expected to compete next. 

Who is in the top 5 of ‘American Idol’ 2025?

On Sunday’s episode, after traveling to Disneyland and meeting with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, the seven remaining contestants each took the stage to perform a classic Disney song and a song honoring whatever mother figure they had in their lives.  

“Getting to work with Lin as a mentor was something so special for this round,” Thunderstorm Artis recently told the Deseret News. “I think when you’re covering iconic Disney songs, you want to make sure that you don’t veer too far from the source material, but whatever things that you do add to it, you want to make sure that you really pay respects to not just the people that wrote it, but to the people that are huge fans of the songs. And so he’s really helping me find the ways to keep it organic as me, but also really keep it connected to the source material.” 

Then, after the judges’ critiques and over 20 million votes from at-home viewers, the top five were announced. They are: Thunderstorm Artis, John Foster, Breanna Nix, Jamal Roberts and Slater Nalley. This meant that Gabby Samone and Mattie Pruitt went home, ending their journey to become the next American Idol. 

“Thank you all so much for the love and support! I am so grateful to have made it this far,” Samone wrote on Instagram after her departure. “I love you all! Please continue to support my friends on their journey! This was an amazing experience!! This is only the beginning!”

What’s next for the contestants? 

The next episode of American Idol will take place on Monday, May 12. All five contestants will sing again, and then wait a week before returning on Sunday, May 18, for the three-hour live finale, where one of them will be named the winner. 

After a winner is crowned, they will earn a $250,000 cash prize and a recording contract with a studio. Notable past winners include Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, David Cook and Jordin Sparks. 

“I have no idea how that 21-year-old Carrie was able to muster up enough guts to walk into a room and audition in front of Simon (Cowell), Paula (Abdul) and Randy (Jackson) and the world,” Underwood said in a video uploaded to her YouTube channel. “I was like, I did a bad job,” the singer says in the video while looking back at Cowell’s interruption. “He immediately gave me a compliment, and then said, ‘I’m surprised we haven’t found any good country singers,’ which surprised me. And then told me to keep being me. I feel like he deserves a lot of credit.”

“I was a baby. I was 21 years old, and now on the other side of things as a judge, you see people walk in like that I can relate to holding in the emotions.”

Season 23 marks Underwood’s first time as a judge as well as the first time she’s returned to the Idol world since 2005. She is 42 and has gone on to become a multi-platinum country music singer.