Dim the lights, we have a new "American Idol" winner.
Following a three-hour season finale on May 21, host Ryan Seacrest announced Iam Tongi as the champion of the competition series, beating out Megan Danielle, as well as Colin Stough, who was eliminated earlier in the night.
(Megan Danielle, Stough and Tongi were previously announced as the final three contestants during May 14's "Disney Night" episode.)
Prior to crowning the new winner, Megan, Stough and Tongi all took to the stage one last time to perform.
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The season finale also included star-studded performances from judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, along with former "American Idol" stars Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard.
Ellie Goulding, James Blunt, Jazmine Sullivan, Jelly Roll, Kevin Cronin from REO Speedwagon, Kylie Minogue, Lainey Wilson, Lauren Daigle, Pitbull and TLC also took the stage to perform during the finale, along with former "Idol" judge Keith Urban, who also mentored the three finalists.
American Idol: Where Are They Now?
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In late April, Richie couldn't help but gush over the talented artists he met this season.
"The top 12 are ridiculous, the top 20 was ridiculous," he told E! News. "Every one of them can be a number one artists, without a doubt."
Why? For the Grammy winner, it's all about style. "Everyone has a different twist on their talent," he said. "So at this point, I'm so happy we're not voting as the judges." (Like in past seasons, the public took over voting halfway through the competition.)
"Their voices, their attitude...look how much they've grown," he said of this season's contestants. "From those little shy kids you saw at the auditions to now...oh!"
The May 21 finale came just days after it was announced that Idol had been renewed for another season, which will be its seventh on ABC and 22 season overall. (The series previously aired on Fox before moving to ABC in 2017.)
