Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, and Keyla Richardson will compete for the title in the live finale.

Who are the American Idol finalists? Meet season 24’s top 3 contestants

Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, and Keyla Richardson will compete for the title in the live finale.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

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on May 11, 2026 12:44 p.m. ET

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'American Idol' season 24 finalists Jordan McCullough, Hannah Harper, and Keyla Richardson. Credit:

Eric McCandless/Disney

- The top 3 finalists on *American Idol* season 24 are Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, and Keyla Richardson.

- The "Grand Finale" on Monday, May 11, will determine which of them has won a recording contract and a cash prize.

- Judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan have repeatedly said this season's competition is fierce.

*This* is the* **American Idol** *finale!

Tonight, finalists Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, and Keyla Richardson are set to take the stage for the final time as contestants. Fans will vote live during the episode to determine which of them walks away with the crown in season 24.

But before they give the most important performances of their lives, here's a closer look at the three singers still standing in the competition.

Hannah Harper

Hannah Harper was beloved by the judges from the moment she auditioned with "String Cheese," an original song penned by the 25-year-old mother of three about postpartum depression. It even moved Carrie Underwood to tears.

"Well," Underwood said, "that's about the most relatable song I think I’ve ever heard."

Fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie were also fans from the start.

Bryan told Harper he heard traces of Kacey Musgraves and Allison Krauss in her voice. Underwood compared her to Dolly Parton.

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The church singer from Willow Springs, Mo., won over viewers, too, as the song became one of the most-viewed clips in the show's history.

Harper explained that, when she was a kid her family traveled for seven years in a bus, singing for the Lord with banjos in hand.

On* American Idol*, she covered songs such as "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac, "Almost There" from Disney's *The Princess and the Frog*, and Jo Dee Messina's "Heads Carolina, Tails California." She also delivered a memorable rendition of Peggy Lee's "Fever."

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Jordan McCullough

Like Harper, McCullough is used to singing in churches. The 27-year-old from Murfreesboro, Tenn., works as a worship director.

While he auditioned for another music competition show, *The Voice*, in 2019, it was on *Idol *that he won raves.

*Idol *alum Jennifer Hudson, who was a guest judge on Disney Night, was particularly enamored with his take on "Colors of the Wind" from the animated 1995 film *Pocahontas*. She threw not one but two shoes, much to his amusement.

"I'm not going to lie, that was one of my goals going into Disney Night," he told TVLine this month. "I wanted to honor the song in the moment, but I also knew Jennifer Hudson was there, and I know what she's all about — so my goal was definitely having a shoe being thrown at me. I was not thinking she was going to throw two! That's such a big honor. I felt like I won the night in that moment."

He later wowed the judges and audience with performances of MercyMe's "I Can Only Imagine," Queen's "Somebody to Love," and Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me."

Keyla Richardson

The most important thing to know about Richardson, besides that she has an amazing voice, is that her young son, Drew, is adorable. He's been cheering on the 29-year-old from Pensacola, Fla., throughout the season.

One of her standout moments on the show saw her working with guest mentors Keke Palmer and Brad Paisley in March. Richardson was rehearsing her take on the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" when Paisley told the cameras, "Oh, this is the perfect singer."

Richardson's voice even moved Palmer to tears.

When she performed live, Richie said Richardson had a "Janis Joplin-sounding, Tina Turner-sounding" voice.

"I don't know who you are. But that right there was the greatest performance I have ever seen on this stage," Richie said. "That was ridiculous.”

Palmer said the music teacher reminded her of Fantasia Barrino, who won *American Idol* in 2004.

Bryan drew laughs when he jokingly asked if Richardson recalled him giving her singing lessons during her audition.

"Why did you let me do that?" he said. "You were just being kind to me. Thank you for allowing me that time, but I hereby relinquish my vocal lessons to you."

She's also showcased her pipes on songs such as "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri, "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz, and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" by Stevie Wonder.

The *American Idol *finale airs Monday, May 11, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.

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