Winning American Idol has been a dream come true for many singers, but the prizes have changed a lot over the years.
Kelly Clarkson was crowned the singing competition’s inaugural winner in 2002. She reportedly walked away with a $1 million prize and a record deal with RCA Records, per Parade. In addition to the cash prize and contract, Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini both got a free vacation to Turks and Caicos following the season 1 finale.
Clarkson wasn’t the only one to take home $1 million as it was the standard prize for winners up to season 9. The record deal portion of the prize, meanwhile, is worth up to six studio albums. The winners also received a management contract with American Idol-affiliated 19 Management.
When Carrie Underwood won American Idol in 2005, she took home a brand new car alongside the cash prize and record deal. In 2023, Underwood shared that she still has the Ford Mustang convertible.
“I do still have the car that I won when I won American Idol,” the country singer said in a March 2023 interview with Today’s Country Radio With Kelleigh Bannen. “So I have my blue Mustang.”
Underwood added that she will still drive the sentimental vehicle around on occasion.
“It always makes me want to drive it more, because it was such a pivotal point in my life,” she recalled. “That was the car that I was driving around when I first moved to Tennessee, and I’m very, very glad I still have that car.”
While it is not known how much season 10 and 11 winners Lee DeWyze and Scotty McCreery made, season 12 winner Phillip Phillips took home $1 million, per Today.
When American Idol ended at Fox and moved to ABC in 2018, the cash prize changed drastically. Winners now receive $250,000, per Variety. Season 16 winner Maddie Poppe revealed in a 2022 interview with Business Insider that winning the show doesn’t get a contestant “set for life.”
“You do get $250,000, but not really because of taxes,” Poppe told the outlet. “And you get half of it before you complete your record, and then the second half you get after you complete the record. So it’s just like an advance from the record deal, but I’m pretty sure I have to recoup it.”
Related: ‘American Idol’ Winners: Where Are Fantasia Barrino and More Now?
American Idol paved the way for reality competition shows to help everyday people achieve their dreams of music stardom. The series premiered in 2002 on Fox with a star-studded judging panel consisting of Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. American Idol‘s freshman season introduced Kelly Clarkson, who would become the show’s first breakout star. […]
Season 23 crowned Jamal Roberts as its winner in May 2025. In addition to winning the $250,000, Roberts and runner-up John Foster both won a Disney cruise. The pair each received a trip for four on the Disney Wish cruise line. The trip includes world-class dining, Disney entertainment, and character experiences, plus a stay at Disney’s private island, Castaway Key.
While not every contestant can win the grand prize, the ones that make it to the live rounds do get compensated.
“You don’t get paid until you make it to the live rounds, and then you can be paid,” seasons 17 and 18 contestant Margie Mays said in a 2020 TikTok video.
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