Seventeen-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys is set to join American Idol as a guest mentor and will perform in the upcoming season finale of the ABC music competition series.
Keys will guide the Top 3 finalists as they prepare to take the stage for a final chance to earn America’s vote and become the next American Idol. Keys will also perform twice throughout the night to celebrate the milestone of her 2001 debut album, Songs in A Minor, including a performance with the Top 3.
Keys will join host Ryan Seacrest and judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood in the three-hour season finale, which airs live Monday, May 11, at 8 pm EDT on ABC and Disney+ and next day on Hulu.
Since the release of Songs in A Minor, Keys has sold over 65 million records and over 5 billion streams. Keys also is the creator of the original stage musical Hell’s Kitchen, which opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theater on April 20, 2024, to critical acclaim and commercial success. The show went on to receive 13 Tony Award nominations, with two Tony wins, and the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Keys most recently boarded the Wayfarer Studios, Misfits Entertainment and Mediawan documentary, Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story, as an executive producer. The documentary follows the life of photographer and activist Kwame Brathwaite, who helped ignite the transformative “Black Is Beautiful” movement that reshaped visual culture and Black identity.
American Idol is produced by Fremantle and 19 Entertainment, a part of Sony Pictures Television. Megan Wolflick executive produces and also serves as showrunner. Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman serve as executive producers for 19 Entertainment. Fremantle distributes the series worldwide.
2026 judges for ‘American Idol’
The judges for Season 24 of “American Idol” are Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood, who joined the cast in 2025 when Katy Perry signed off after seven seasons.
Before signing on as a judge, Underwood won Season 4 and went on to enjoy one of the most successful post-“Idol” careers of any former winner — right up there with Kelly Clarkson.
How to watch ‘American Idol’ tonight
You can watch “American Idol” live on your local ABC network.
How to vote at AmericanIdol.com/vote
Go to AmericanIdol.com/vote and register. Then you simply sign in and click on the artist you wish to vote for and assign that artist the number of votes you wish to cast. Then click the Save button. This voting method allows up to 10 votes per contestant. Don’t forget to save when entering or updating your votes!
How to vote using American Idol Social Media
For the first time in Idol history, you can vote on social media. Head to @AmericanIdol on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. In the official pinned social media post, comment with the name of the hopeful you are voting for.
You can write one name per comment. It equals one vote. You can vote 10 times per voting method. Only the first finalist named in your comment will receive your vote. You must comment additional times (up to 10 per finalist) to cast multiple votes. You must be at least 18 years old and located in the U.S. to vote on social media platforms.
What is ‘American Idol’ on tonight?
In addition to airing in Arizona on ABC15, “American Idol” Season 24 will be available to stream the following day on Hulu.
A subscription to Hulu costs $11.99 a month (or $119.99/year) for the ad-supported plan. Students can get Hulu with ads for $1.99 a month, and Hulu Premium, with no ads, is $18.99 a month.
