A Moment Like This! 'American Idol' Winners Who Found Their Claim to Fame: Where Are They Now?

The first champion has been riding a wave of success since she snagged the win. She’s released nine albums, headlined tons of tours, shared the stage with famous musicians and has blossomed into an actress, author and TV personality with three Grammys and her own talk show! She’s also gotten married, had two kids and gone through a divorce!

"I feel like I’ve obviously progressed as a human," said Kelly Clarkson, 42. "At the same time, though, I do feel very similar and very tied to that 19-year-old that first auditioned."

The 45-year-old singer has been thriving years after his win. Ruben Studdard has released seven albums, including his platinum-selling debut, Soulful. He’s also ventured into acting, appearing in several popular shows, including One on One, 8 Simple Rules and All of Us.

In 2018, he moved on to Broadway theater in Ruben & Clay’s Christmas Show.

This powerful vocalist reprised her role as Celie Johnson for the movie musical adaptation of The Color Purple, which became her feature film debut. She worked on two albums and said she will always be grateful to the show.

"It was the door that opened for me that allowed so many things, good and bad. I had to go through so many things, nobody prepares you for the industry," said Fantasia Barrino, 40.

The country music superstar, 41, released her ninth studio album, Denim & Rhinestones, launched her SiriusXM channel, Carrie’s Country, and extended her Las Vegas residency through August. She’s married to ex-NHL player Mike Fisher and they share sons Isaiah, 8, and Jacob, 5.

"Where does the time go?" Carrie Underwood asked.

The youngest winner in the series’ history has had hit albums and competed on The Masked Dancer and Dancing With the Stars.

Jordin Sparks, 34, has also been a mentor on American Idol and reflected, "I couldn’t believe I was back and it was my turn to share what I learned."

In 2012, she made her feature film debut in Sparkle alongside Whitney Houston.

The 39-year-old singer from Arkansas came out with the single "Live Like We’re Dying" in 2009 and sold over 1.7 million copies!

Kris Allen released his fifth studio album, Letting You In, in 2016, and later toured Europe with Cook.

Before American Idol, Allen was a missionary working in countries all around the world. Since winning the eighth season, he’s become involved with several charitable organizations that promote music education. He married his high school sweetheart, Katy, and they have young children together.

The 38-year-old with the rough-hewn voice and laid-back charm already had two albums out when his success on the show catapulted him to fame.

Lee DeWyze now has seven albums and does music for TV shows like Nashville and Shameless.

"It was always about songwriting for me," he said. "It’s what I loved. That’s why I did all of that in the first place. It wasn’t for fame or any of that stuff."

Like Sparks, Scotty McCreery was just 17 when he won American Idol. He released his song "Five More Minutes" following his victory.

McCreery, 30, kept the momentum going and released five albums, with his latest titled Same Truck. He married in 2018 and had his first child, a son, and said, "Becoming a father is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me and watching my wife be a rock star as his mom has been the joy of my life."

The singer and guitarist’s debut song, "Home," is the best-selling song in American Idol history, selling over 5 million copies in the U.S.

Now 33 and a married dad-of-one, Phillip Phillips has released four albums and toured with John Mayer and the Goo Goo Dolls.

He said he was grateful for the show and offered advice for future contestants, "Know who you are as an artist, and don’t be afraid to make that statement on television."

Candice Glover, 34, is the first winner to have auditioned three times before being cast for the live shows. She’s an R&B singer now but had a long climb to becoming a winner after Simon Cowell eliminated her in Season 9 saying she’d be nothing more than a lounge singer after she forgot the words to her song.

She said it was hard to go from a "contest winner" to being taken seriously in the real world.

"It can be nerve-wracking but I wouldn’t trade it for anything," insisted Glover.

The 33-year-old is now a country singer who works as a full-time songwriter in Nashville. Trent Harmon released the hit "You Got ’Em All," the title track for his debut album, in 2018.

"I got a lot of benefits from doing the show from learning to sing early in the morning and always being ready to go," he said.

In 2019, he tied the knot with longtime galpal Kathleen Couch.

Laine Hardy, 23, performed his coronation song "Flame" on The View. He also sang on the televised 2020 National Tree Lighting Ceremony and released his album Here’s to Anyone.

"When I first tried out, I couldn’t have ever imagined where I was headed," he recalled. "Since then, I’ve been able to tour across America, play for our troops in Asia, and make new fans in Europe."

In 2022, he avoided jail for allegedly bugging his ex-girlfriend’s home — but saw his career derailed by the scandal.

The latest American Idol winner is Iam Tongi — and he’s only 19 years old! He’s also the first Pacific Islander and first non-country singer in three years to win the show.

He made the judges very emotional during his audition, and was a clear winner from the start.

In an interview, Tongi recalled the special moment "when they called my name, I was just very excited. It was an amazing experience."