‘American Idol' Judges Celebrate Hannah Harper After Season 24 Win

"American Idol" judges Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood and Lionel Richie are celebrating Hannah Harper after she was crowned the Season 24 winner.

On the May 11 episode of the ABC singing competition, host Ryan Seacrest revealed that Harper had won the title, beating out finalists Jordan McCullough and Keyla Richardson, who were eliminated earlier in the season finale.

Her victory marks the first time a female country artist has taken the title since Carrie Underwood's Season 4 win in 2005.

Following the announcement of her win, Harper closed the show with a performance of Chris Tomlin's "At the Cross (Love Ran Red)."

Underwood and Bryan celebrated the news of Harper's victory on Instagram.

"Congratulations to our winner Hannah and our runner-up Jordan on an amazing @americanidol finale! 👏🏻 Can't wait to see what the future holds for you both," Underwood, 43, shared.

"Closing out this season on such a high note!" Bryan, 49, added. "Congratulations to our #idol Season 9 winner @hannahharper. I could tell from the beginning you were gonna make us proud."

Underwood, Bryan and fellow judge Richie, 76, also shared their advice for the new "American Idol" after the show.

Underwood revealed she would have some practical advice for the mom of three, telling TV Insider, "I feel like my main advice to her will be about being a mother in the business. I've done things well. I've done things terribly. And if I can impart some wisdom there … because she's a really great songwriter and she's proven that time and time again, so it's like she's already got the material, which is half the battle. I'm excited to see what she does and where she goes."

Bryan encouraged Harper to "take this momentum" from her win and "get some material out there and go."

"Chase your dreams and really enjoy your love of music," he added, noting that a music career is "hard work" but "so fulfilling and fun."

Richie advised Harper to "take a deep breath [and] be present" as she navigates the next chapter in her career. He explained, "We're going to throw you into the vat of real artists and the competition now becomes if you can hold the American public and the world. Can you hold their attention? Can the world fall in love with you?"

"You have to build it now. You walk out of your house and go, ‘I got a hit record.' Good. What's your next one? Right now, I told her, ‘Get some sleep.' She's going to be tired. And 200 years from now, when you're like me, they keep asking me, ‘What are you going to do next?' And you'll feel good about it," he concluded.

"American Idol" is available to stream on Hulu.

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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 1:41 PM.