The auditions are over, and Hollywood Week has once again reared its ugly head as the cast of American Idol 2025 undergoes one of the hardest challenges of the long-running reality series.
Season 23 of the fan-favorite singing competition series is now ongoing, as its cast of judges (including newcomer Carrie Underwood) selects the contestants who will eventually make it to the live voting rounds.
Before that, the cast must go through the gauntlet known as Hollywood Week. This sees everyone who made it through the audition process put through their paces to decide whether they will make it to the live shows or not.
Meet the Cast & Contestants of American Idol 2025
Slater Nalley
Instagram: @slaternalleymusic
One of the more viral stars from American Idol Season 23 so far has been 18-year-old Slater Nalley. Nalley wowed the judges during his audition with a touching original song that paid tribute to his high school teacher's late son.
Nalley's audition brought the Idol judges to tears as the Woodstock, Georgia native showcased his soulful southern twang and twinkling guitar picking (read more about Slater Nalley here).
Amanda Barise
Instagram: @amandabarise
Speaking of soul, Amanda Barise has got it in spade. The 26-year-old is originally from Manhatten, New York, poping up on the Idol radar after she was pushed through to Hollywood thanks to her rendition of "It's a Man's World" in the audition phase.
While her audition performance was impressive, Barise proved she truly belonged by entering the Idol Arena in Hollywood Week and belting out Etta James' "All I Could Do Was Cry."
Thunderstorm Artis
Instagram: @thunderstormartis
Thunderstorm Artis was born for the stage. This working Nashville musician has performed with industry giants like Jack Johnson, Zac Brown Band, and Train, and he is now ready to prove himself on a platform as big as Idol.
Artis made waves during the auditions, showing off his singer-songwriter skills by playing an original song he wrote for his wife, "Don't Let Me Let You Go."
Breanna Nix
Instagram: @breannanixmusic
Breanna Nix raised some eyebrows during her audition as she performed a version of judge Carrie Underwood's song, "Jesus Take the Wheel." In that showing, the 25-year-old stay-at-home mom did enough to wow the judges, even pulling a few tears out of Underwood herself.
In Hollywood Week, Nix entered the Idol Arena to perform her version of Lauren Daigle's "You Say," receiving a standing ovation from her fellow competitors and the Idol panel of judges.
Jamal Roberts
Instagram: @officialjamalroberts
Jamal Roberts hails from Meridian, Mississippi, where he spends his days working as a school teacher. He took things back in his Nashville audition, serenading the judges with his version of Rick James' "Mary Jane."
Robert punched his ticket to the Top 24 during Hollywood Week, singing "Her Heart" by Anthony Hamilton and showing off his silky smooth, John Legend-esque voice.
Sonny Tennet
Instagram: @sonnysocials
25-year-old English singer-songwriter hopped the Atlantic to bring his talents to the Idol stage. Like some of his fellow American Idol castmates, he took on the tough challenge of playing a song by one of the judges for his audition with The Commodores' "Easy" (a band which judge Lionel Richie was originally a part of).
Tennet then took on another classic during Hollywood Week, putting his own spin on "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston, making his musician-filled family proud.
Baylee Littrell
Instagram: @bayleelittrell_music
Baylee Littrell's arrival on Americal Idol caused a bit of a stir. The 23-year-old is the son of Backstreet Boy member Brian Littrell, making some wonder if famous kids are right to use Idol as a platform to further their musical careers.
Littrell dueted with his dad during his audition, performing an original song titled "Waiting on Myself To Die." He continued this trend of only playing originals on the series, performing his song about finding faith, "Hey Jesus," during Hollywood Week.
Victor Solomon
Instagram: @_victorsolo
Victor Solomon is a 26-year-old fast food industry worker from Peoria, Illinois. He arrived on Idol's 2025 season, being yet another contestant to take on a song by one of the judges. He sang Lionel Richie's "Hello" during his audition, something that Richie himself rained plaudits upon Solomon for doing.
He then 'took things to the next level,' as he put it, during Hollywood Week with a soaring rendition of Bill Wither's "Grand's Hands."
Crews Wright
Instagram: @crewswrightmusic
Over the years, American Idol has been no stranger to introducing the world to the next big-name country star, and 17-year-old Crews Wright could be the next. Wright is a student from Samson, Alabama, who not only won the judges over with his sweet-talking southern drawl but also his classic country audition performance of "The Fireman" by George Strait.
Wright showed that he believes in keeping classic country alive during his Hollywood Week Idol Arena performance, taking on Conway Twitty's "Goodbye Time" in another showcase of his classic country vocals.
Josh King
Instagram: @officialjoshking
Hailing from the Charlotte, North Carolina area, Josh King put his own twist on a classic during his audition. Accompanied by a piano arrangement he wrote himself, King played the classic Judy Garland tune, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." While the judges liked his audition, they wondered if King could move forward without falling into his lounge singer habits.
He took this challenge of breaking out of his box to heart, playing the pop hit "Hopelessly" by Rick Astley during his Idol Arena performance in Hollywood.
MKY
Instagram: @mkyofficial
MKY (aka Mikey Jimenez) is a Mexican-American singer-songwriter from East Los Angeles, California, arriving on the American Idol stage with his easy, breezy falsetto voice. The Season 23 contestant performed Smokie Robinson & The Miracles' "Ooo Baby Baby."
Like many of the other American Idol contestants, MKY has been said to be moving forward in the competition, but his Hollywood Week performance has not yet been seen by viewers.
Nina Daig
Instagram: @ninadaigmusic
Nina Daig broke the seal with her American Idol audition, marking the first time she had performed for anyone outside of her family. The 25-year-old Beaverdam, Virginia native brought the judges to tears during her audition with her original song, "Average Joe," about her handicapped older brother.
Daig was announced to be moving on as a part of Hollywood Week as well, meaning fans will get to hear more of her twang-ladened Reba McEntire-esque vocals.
Ché
Instagram: @chechesterman
Known simply as Ché, this American Idol 2025 cast member came all the way from England to perform for the Idol judges. He is a young father of three who got the golden ticket thanks to his stellar performance of "Mirror" by Madison Ryann Ward.
Ché then arrived in the Idol Arena, making his case that he deserves to be there once again by singing Donny Hathaway's "Song For You."
Jamier
Instagram: @itsjustjamier
Jamier is an R&B force to be reckoned with, coming to the Idol stage from Buffalo, New York. The 19-year-old fast food worker performed a modern soul-filled classic for his audition in Teddy Swims' "Lose Control." His audition performance was enough to get through to the next round, with judge Lionel Richie describing his voice as "silky."
Jamier's future on the series is not as certain, as his Hollywood Week performance earned mixed reviews from the judging panel.
Katelyn Myers
Instagram: @katybugsings
Katelyn Myers was one of the few notable contestants from the Hollywood round whose audition was not actually televised. Myers is 19 and from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, performing a unique mix of classic country and singer-songwriter pop.
Like Jamier, Myers's Hollywood Week performance did not go as well as she would have liked it to. Her nerves got the best of her and came through on stage. She was eventually eliminated, not making it past Hollywood.
Mattie Pruitt
Instagram: @mattiepruittofficial
Mattie Pruitt has quickly become a fan favorite on Season 23 of American Idol. At only 15 years old, she is one of the youngest heavy hitters in this season. Originally from Eagleville, Tennessee, Pruitt lives and breathes country music, which she showed off in an incredible audition performance of "How Could You" by Jessie Murph.
After her audition, judge Carrie Underwood predicted country music superstardom in Pruitt's future; the young singer made the case for her yet again with her rendition of Chris Stapleton's "Cold" during Hollywood Week, a performance that earned her a lengthy applause and standing ovation from everyone in the Idol Arena.
Isaiah Misailegalu
Instagram: @samoansilkk
Isaiah Misailegalu is a 17-year-old Las Vegas resident who was tapped to audition by an American Idol producer who saw the teen performing on the street. During the audition, Misailegalu put his heart on display by singing a version of Donny Hathaway's "A Song For You."
He then did it again, taking on Teddy Swims' "Lose Control" in Hollywood, and he received a standing ovation from the judges and the crowd.
Drew Ryn
Instagram: @drewofficial
Drew Ryn has been chasing her dream of being a professional musician for years, moving from her home of Chino Valley, Arizona, to Nashville to pursue a career in the music industry. For her audition, Ryn (27) played an original song titled "Walk on Water." The performance was enough to get Ryn through to the next round, with judge Luke Combes calling her one of his "favorites of the day."
Ryn earned more rave reviews during Hollywood Week, with performances like her version of Tom Odell's "Black Friday " getting big thumbs up from the judges.
