A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| American Idol | |
|---|---|
| Season 8 | |
| Hosted by | Ryan Seacrest |
| Judges | Paula Abdul Simon Cowell Kara DioGuardi Randy Jackson |
| Winner | Kris Allen |
| Runner-up | Adam Lambert |
| Finals venue | Nokia Theatre L.A. Live |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox |
| Original release | January 13 – May 20, 2009 |
| Season chronology | |
The eighth season of American Idol premiered on Tuesday, January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned as judges, while Ryan Seacrest returned as host. This season introduced Kara DioGuardi as a permanent fourth judge.[1] This was also Paula Abdul's last season as a judge.[2] Kris Allen was announced the winner of the competition on May 20, 2009, defeating runner-up Adam Lambert after nearly 100 million votes were cast.
The eighth season saw numerous changes to the format of the show. There were 36 semifinalists instead of 24, and thirteen finalists instead of twelve: nine contestants chosen by the public and four by the judges in a Wild Card round. Another addition was the "judges' save," which allowed the judges to veto one elimination during the competition, and was used to veto Matt Giraud's elimination.
Multiple contestants from this season were signed to record deals, including Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta, Lil Rounds, Anoop Desai, and Michael Sarver.[3]
Changes from previous seasons
Several changes were planned for the eighth season. Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly stated that Idol would feature fewer "William Hung-like" contestants and "funny auditions," and would quickly move its focus to the potential singers during the earlier stages of the competition, thus moving the season at a faster pace.[4] Mike Darnell, president of Fox's alternative programming, said the contestants would be more emotional and that viewers would learn more about them and their pasts than they had in the previous season.[5] Songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi was added as a permanent fourth judge. She had previously collaborated with Celine Dion, Hilary Duff, Britney Spears, Enrique Iglesias, Leona Lewis and Christina Aguilera, and produced several Top 40 hits. As a songwriter, she had already worked with several American Idol alumni and winners, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, David Archuleta, and David Cook.[6] Meanwhile, Ken Warwick became the new executive producer, as Nigel Lythgoe had left the show to focus on So You Think You Can Dance and his new show with Simon Fuller, Superstars of Dance.[7] Idol Gives Back was canceled for the eighth season, as the economic crisis and recession left Idol officials uncomfortable about asking financially struggling viewers to donate.[8] The semifinals saw the biggest change as the Wild Card round returned for the first time since the third season. After voters picked three finalists from each of three groups of 12 semifinalists, the judges selected eight of the previously eliminated 27 semifinalists to return and perform on the March 5 show. They were judged by the panel, instead of a vote by the viewers, with four advancing to the finals.[9][10] Although the finals had been billed from the beginning of the season as a set of 12 contestants, the judges announced at the last minute that they would be advancing a fourth Wild Card contestant, resulting in 13 singers advancing to the finals.
Judges' save
Another change to the Idol format was the judges' save, an element previously used in France's Nouvelle Star.[11] The judges were given the power to veto one elimination in the finals for that particular week. This could only be used until the top 5. The following week, two contestants would be eliminated if the judges' save were used. The save could only be used once per season and must be a unanimous decision. The new format change was revealed on March 11, 2009. The first recipient of the judges' save was Matt Giraud.
Regional auditions
Auditions began July 17, 2008, and were held in the following cities:[12]
| City | Preliminary date | Preliminary venue | Filming date(s) | Filming venue | Golden tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, California | July 17, 2008 | Cow Palace | September 13, 2008 | Westin St. Francis | 12 |
| Louisville, Kentucky | July 21, 2008 | Freedom Hall | September 7–8, 2008 | Churchill Downs[13] | 19 |
| Phoenix, Arizona | July 25, 2008 | Jobing.com Arena | September 2008 | The Boulders | 27 |
| Salt Lake City, Utah | July 29, 2008 | EnergySolutions Arena | September 18–19, 2008 | Wells Fargo Center | 13 |
| San Juan, Puerto Rico | August 2, 2008 | Coliseo de Puerto Rico | September 2008 | Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza | 9 |
| Kansas City, Missouri | August 8, 2008 | Kemper Arena | October 5, 2008 | Firestone Building[14] | 27 |
| Jacksonville, Florida | August 13, 2008 | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena | September 3, 2008 | Amelia Island Plantation[15] | 16 |
| New York City, New York | August 19, 2008 | Izod Center | August 26, 2008 | Chelsea Piers[16] | 26 |
| Total number of tickets to Hollywood | 149 | ||||
Contestants were required to be between the ages of 16 and 28 on July 15, 2008, and eligible to work in the United States. Those ineligible included former contestants who had previously reached the semifinals of the first through third seasons, or the last phase of the Hollywood round of the fourth through seventh seasons, those holding recording or management contracts, or those who were not U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Hollywood week
The Hollywood round moved from the Orpheum Theatre to the Kodak Theatre, which had previously been used for the finales in the first and third through sixth seasons.
In the first round, the 147 contestants each sang a short solo a cappella performance of any song. The next round had the remaining 107 contestants performing in groups of three or four. The 72 contestants who survived that round performed one more solo song, this time accompanied by a band, before being narrowed down to 54. The final 54 then went to the "judges' mansion" in Los Angeles for the final results, and the top 36 were announced. Some contestants had a sing-off to determine who would enter the top 36.
Semifinals
The 36 contestants performed in three groups of twelve and sang songs that were Billboard Hot 100 hits. In each group, three people advanced to the next round via a public vote. After nine contestants had been chosen, the judges selected eight of the remaining 27 semifinalists to compete in the Wild Card round. Following another performance by each contender, each judge selected one contestant to advance to the final group of 13.
Color key:
This contestant was chosen by the public and moved on to the live shows.
|
This contestant was not chosen by the public and was left to perform again for the judges in the Wild Card round.
|
This contestant was eliminated.
|
Group 1
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Jackie Tohn | "A Little Less Conversation" | Eliminated |
| Ricky Braddy | "A Song for You" | Wild Card |
| Alexis Grace | "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" | Advanced |
| Brent Keith | "Hicktown" | Eliminated |
| Stevie Wright | "You Belong with Me" | Eliminated |
| Anoop Desai | "Angel of Mine" | Wild Card |
| Casey Carlson | "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" | Eliminated |
| Michael Sarver | "I Don't Want to Be" | Advanced |
| Ann Marie Boskovich | "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" | Eliminated |
| Stephen Fowler | "Rock with You" | Eliminated |
| Tatiana Del Toro | "Saving All My Love for You" | Wild Card |
| Danny Gokey | "Hero" | Advanced |
| Performers | Song |
|---|---|
| Group 1 | "I'm Yours" |
| Carly Smithson & Michael Johns |
"The Letter" |
Group 2
Due to President Obama's 2009 speech to a joint session of Congress that took place on Tuesday, February 24, the performance show was moved to Wednesday, February 25, and the results show to Thursday, February 26. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Jasmine Murray | "Love Song" | Wild Card |
| Matt Giraud | "Viva la Vida" | Wild Card |
| Jeanine Vailes | "This Love" | Eliminated |
| Nick Mitchell | "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" | Eliminated |
| Allison Iraheta | "Alone" | Advanced |
| Kris Allen | "Man in the Mirror" | Advanced |
| Megan Joy | "Put Your Records On" | Wild Card |
| Matt Breitzke | "If You Could Only See" | Eliminated |
| Jesse Langseth | "Bette Davis Eyes" | Wild Card |
| Kai Kalama | "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" | Eliminated |
| Mishavonna Henson | "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" | Eliminated |
| Adam Lambert | "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" | Advanced |
| Performers | Song |
|---|---|
| Group 2 | "Closer" |
| Brooke White | "Hold Up My Heart" |
Group 3
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Von Smith | "You're All I Need to Get By" | Wild Card |
| Taylor Vaifanua | "If I Ain't Got You" | Eliminated |
| Alex Wagner-Trugman | "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" | Eliminated |
| Arianna Afsar | "The Winner Takes It All" | Eliminated |
| Ju'Not Joyner | "Hey There Delilah" | Eliminated |
| Kristen McNamara | "Give Me One Reason" | Eliminated |
| Nathaniel Marshall | "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" | Eliminated |
| Felicia Barton[a] | "No One" | Eliminated |
| Scott MacIntyre | "Mandolin Rain" | Advanced |
| Kendall Beard | "This One's for the Girls" | Eliminated |
| Jorge Núñez | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" | Advanced |
| Lil Rounds | "Be Without You" | Advanced |
| Performers | Song |
|---|---|
| Group 3 | "Hot n Cold" |
- ^ Felicia Barton was initially eliminated prior to the semifinals. However, after Joanna Pacitti was disqualified, Felicia was invited back into the competition.
Wild Card round
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.