American Idol is freshening its format for the upcoming 24th season.
With the singing competition show just days away from its Jan. 26 premiere, it was announced that there will be new twists for season 24.
For starters, Idol will allow fans to vote for contestants on social media in addition to text and phone voting, showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick told Deadline in an interview published on Jan. 22. The move marks the very first time in show history that social voting will be used.
“We have to meet the audience where they are. Back in 2002 when the show began, texting was the new hot thing,” Michaels Wolflick explained. “We also have to meet the technology where it is, as well. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to vote for their favorites, weigh in from their couch with their second screen, in real time.”
Though details are still being sorted, the showrunner said the goal is to entice a younger audience to watch. “If we can get Gen Alpha and Gen Z to weigh in a little bit more in the easiest way possible, that’s very exciting,” she explained. “It could tip the scale.”
Idol—which has been hosted by Ryan Seacrest since its inception in 2002 and currently features Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood as judges—is also relocating its annual Hollywood Week from L.A. to Nashville despite its name, per Deadline.
As Michaels Wolflick put it, “The music industry in Nashville is just as strong as it is in L.A., too. It is a hub and a dream for people to go to.”
Additionally, the long-running series is planning to introduce a new Ohana Round, according to a press release from ABC. The round will be filmed at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii, and take place during its three-episode Hollywood Week.
Thirty hopefuls will perform for a group of “industry tastemakers,” who will help the judges narrow down 30 contestants to the top 20. The group includes influencer duo Kaniyia Brown and Terry McCaskill, music creator Anthony Gargiula, actress Loren Gray, podcast host Evan Ross Katz, vocal coach Cheryl Porter, Grand Ole Opry announcer Kelly Sutton and Rolling Stone co-editor-in-chief Shirley Halperin.
In her recent interview, Michaels Wolflick said the goal of Ohana Week is to get a pulse on exactly who fans—and industry professionals—are connecting to.
“The judges have the power right all the way up to America’s Vote of who they want to put through and I thought it’d be interesting to do some sort of focus group before they get to America’s Vote to inform the judges of who people are responding to,” she explained, noting that each of the groups will get a chance to pick their favorite contestant. “Back in the day, Kris Allen would have been the pick of the people and Adam Lambert probably would have been the industry pick. I’m super curious who the [potential] Idols are going to pick because they can’t vote for themselves.”
Idol isn’t the only show preparing to premiere in 2026. Check out the other shows making their debut this year.
