After another successful season, fans are wondering which judges are making a return for American Idol Season 24 in 2026. Viewers want to know if the current judging panel remains, or if there is someone new the show producers are eyeing for.
Here are the details on the judging panel for American Idol Season 24.
American Idol reveals its judge panel for Season 24
Hulu and ABC scheduled the premiere of American Idol Season 24 for 2026. Over the course of 23 seasons, viewers have witnessed the show’s judging panel change multiple times. So, like with every new season, everybody’s wondering what the judging panel for Season 24 looks like.
Fans of this year’s judging panel are going to be happy. Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie are all set to come back for American Idol Season 24 as judges. While Underwood is new to the panel by replacing Katy Perry, Bryan and Richie have been on the show since 2018.
American Idol announced it on its official YouTube channel through a fun promo spot. The spot dubbed judges as “professors” while sharing the details on auditions for the next season.
After winning American Idol Season 4, Underwood has written and sung multiple hit songs. Before He Cheats (2005), Jesus, Take the Wheel (2005), and Blown Away (2012) are some of her most popular songs.
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly earlier this year, Underwood spoke about the show’s changes since her appearance on it. She said, “It was a different time in the show, in the world in general, and there was a decent chance you might get super-duper humiliated in front of tens of millions of people”. Underwood expresses, “It’s changed a lot, and hopefully people can leave with some information that will make them better — no matter how long they are on the show.”
Season 23 concluded earlier this year with Jamal Roberts crowned as the winner.