American Idol Season 23 will see several returning A-listers and a headline-grabbing new face set to judge the latest round of the long-running singing competition series.
Known as one of the staples of the reality TV genre, the ABC series is opening its doors once again to discover the next musical superstar. Season 23 debuted on ABC on March 2 and is set to continue with new episodes every week well into the spring.
This season saw some major changes to its judging panel, with former Idol winner Carrie Underwood stepping in to fill the chair of former judge Katy Perry, who surprisingly stepped away from the series after seven seasons.
Meet the Judges & Hosts of American Idol Season 23
Luke Bryan
Luke Bryan has been involved with American Idol since its revival in 2018. Since then, he has been one of the show's three primary judges, mentoring each cast member and (hopefully) shaping a musical superstar-in-the-making.
Outside of his work on Idol, Bryan spends his days as one of the biggest names in modern-day country.
The Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association have named him "Entertainer of the Year" five times. He is also one of the best-selling musicians of all time, with over 75 million records sold.
Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie has made judging on American Idol look easy in his eight seasons on the show. In 2018, Richie joined the series' ABC revival and appeared on the new iteration of the judging panel alongside Luke Bryan and Katy Perry.
Richie has been a mogul in the music industry since the early 1970s, when he was a member of the much-celebrated musical group The Commodores. He eventually went solo and became an even greater pop sensation with hits like "Easy," "Hello," and "All Night Long (All Night)."
Richie is a four-time Grammy winner and renowned songwriter, with one of his biggest writing credits coming on the 1985 smash-hit "We Are the World."
Carrie Underwood
While Carrie Underwood is a new addition to the American Idol judging panel, she is all too familiar with the series' star-making qualities. Underwood—who steps in for the now-departed Katy Perry—has made guest judge appearances on the series over the years and even participated in it at one point, winning Season 4 in 2005.
Since winning American Idol, Underwood has become one of the biggest female country stars of the last 25 years. She was the first-ever country artist to have their debut single release atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the only solo country artist in the 2000s to have a number-one song on the Hot 100.
She has eight Grammy Awards to her name and has topped the charts multiple times with songs like "Before He Cheats," "Inside Your Heaven," and "Jesus, Take the Wheel."
Ryan Seacrest
It would not be a season of American Idol without the talents of host Ryan Seacrest. The venerable radio host turned TV personality has been with the series for all 23 seasons, with his iconic voice narrating some of Idol's most iconic moments.
Seacrest is a man of many hats, hosting the daily radio program On Air With Ryan Seacrest and the on-air countdown program, American Top 40, while working as the host of big-name TV programs like Wheel of Fortune and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.
Jelly Roll
Another new addition to this season is award-winning musician Jelly Roll. While he does not serve on the judging panel like his fellow A-listers Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood, he will still play a key role in the journey of this season's cast.
Jelly Roll is set to be the show's first-ever artist in residence. He will work with the Season 23 cast of contestants, mentoring these aspiring musicians on their quest to secure the record deal grand prize at the end of the Idol journey.
Jelly Roll shot to superstardom over the last two years, grabbing attention for his unique mix of country, R&B, and hip-hop. He is best known for his singles "Son of a Sinner" and "Need a Favor," both of which earned him a Best New Artist nomination at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.
American Idol Season 23 continues with new episodes debuting every Sunday on ABC at 8 p.m. ET before streaming the next day on Hulu.
Read more about other big-name reality series coming in 2025 here.
