Season 18

Pre Auditions
Contestants once again auditioned across the US, from LA to NYC.

Judges
Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie were once again judges.

Auditions
Auditions took place in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Savannah and Sunriver (Oregon). Contestants performed in front of the judges, and they either got a ticket to Hollywood, or were sent home.

Hollywood Week
Hollywood had 167 contestants. Each contestant performed 3 songs, but this year it was different. Instead of Lines of 10, each contestant got to pick their own genre, and instead of group performances, it would be duets and contestants got to choose their partner. Final solos remained the same. At the end, there was only 70 contestants left, in which they were separated into 3 rooms, in which 1 would be eliminated and 2 would advance. This all made the Top 40, which would head to Hawaii once again.

Showcase/Final Judgment (Top 40)
The Top 40 Showcase & Final Judgement was split into two episodes for the first time, in which it aired on March 29th & April 5th, 2020 (originally March 30th). The Top 40 would once again go to Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii. The Top 40 would then perform in front of an audience and the judges. After that, each contestant of the 40 would sit down with the judges and would learn whether if they made it to the Top 20, or have been eliminated.

Top 40 List & Results

This Is Me (Top 21)
This was two special episodes, which were about the backstories of the contestants, unseen footage, rehearsals and more. This aired on April 12th & 19th, 2020.

Top 20 Performances
This was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, Ryan Seacrest revealed that the Top 20 will sing from home, which began on April 26th.

This is the first Week of the Live Shows.

Top 20 Results and Song Choices After the Top 20 performed, America gets to vote who would go into the Top 10. However, one contestant would be saved, which would make the Top 11.

Top 11: Homeward Bound
The Top 10 will perform songs that remind them of home. One contestant was saved after, making the Top 11. This aired on May 3rd, 2020. Makayla Phillips was the 11th and saved contestant.

After the Top 11 sang, America can vote who to be in the Top 7.

Disney Night / Mother’s Day (Top 7)
The Top 7 sang two songs for the first time, a Disney song, and a tribute to their mothers. This aired on May 10th, 2020.

Disney Songs: American can then vote who to put in the Finale.

Finale (Top 5)
The finale took place on May 17th, 2020. There were 5 contestant who performed 2 songs. Then the Top 2 were revealed. After that, the Winner was revealed.

Contestant Performances: