‘American Idol’ Judges Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie Re-Sign for 2026 Season

American Idol will keep its judging panel intact for the 2025-26 season.

ABC announced Monday that judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood have signed new deals to continue with the show for its ninth season on the network and 24th overall. Bryan and Richie have been American Idol judges throughout its tenure on ABC, while Underwood — whose Idol victory in 2005 kick-started her career — joined the panel last season.

Notably absent from ABC’s announcement was the name of host Ryan Seacrest, who has yet to sign for the coming season. That situation isn’t unheard of in Idol’s recent history, where Seacrest or the judges have inked new deals just on the cusp of a new season’s production beginning. Sources say Seacrest is likely to return as well.

As for the coming season, auditions are set to begin Aug. 26 with the show’s “Idol Across America” virtual round, which gives prospective contestants a chance to show their vocal chops for an Idol producer (details here).

American Idol remains a solid performer for ABC, with the 2025 season averaging about 7.3 million cross-platform viewers over five weeks. Its seven-day linear audience (i.e., before streaming) was 5.87 million viewers for the Sunday show, even with its 2024 average. The new season is set to premiere in the first quarter of 2026.

Fremantle and 19 Entertainment (part of Sony Pictures Television) produce the series. Showrunner Megan Wolflick executive produces with 19 Entertainment’s Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman