ABC
‘American Idol’ Finale Recap: Who Was Named the Winner of Season 22 After Final Performances?
The top 3 took the stage during the season 22 finale of American Idol! The Sunday, May 19, episode featured finale performances from Abi Carter, Will Moseley and Jack Blocker, who sang for America’s votes one last time.
With Jon Bon Jovi serving as the finale mentor, the episode began with the top 3 singing Bon Jovi’s hit “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Jon, 62, then came on stage to sing the band’s new song “Legendary.”
Will, 23, was the first to take the stage with a performance of Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life.” The judges gave Will a standing ovation, with Lionel Richie praising the performance as “unbelievable” and Katy Perry applauding Will for looking so comfortable on the stage without his guitar.
Jack, 25, was up next. He sang a rendition of “I’ll Be There for You,” one of Bon Jovi’s ballads, and also got a standing ovation. Katy, 39, told Jack, “You sound good, you look good. No one is blocking Jack Blocker,” and also joked about how she actually voted “no” when he auditioned.
Finally, Abi performed “Bed of Roses” while showing off her impressive piano skills. The judges stood up and the crowd went wild, chanting Abi’s name as Luke, 47, Katy, and Lionel, 74, tried to get a word in edgewise. “I think the room is saying what they’re feeling!” Luke pointed out. Abi was brought to tears by the reaction and was even more overwhelmed when a special video message from Billie Eilish was played for her.
The next round featured footage from each contestant’s hometown visit. After getting refreshed from a family visit in Georgia, Will returned to the stage once again and sang Montgomery Gentry’s “My Town” as a dedication to where he came from. “You have all the tools to go and do anything you want after tonight,” Luke gushed.
Jack was back on stage next after returning to his hometown of Dallas, where he received a personalized message from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. He sang “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” by George Strait, bringing the perfect country flair to the evening. “You’re doing star maneuvers,” Luke said. “Everything about that was stars.” He also admitted it was his favorite performance of Jack’s all season.
For her last performance, Abi sang “Somewhere” from West Side Story for her hometown dedication. The judges were once again unable to get a word in as the crowd screamed. “That was a show-stopping moment,” Lionel confirmed. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”
Next, Fantasia Barrino returned to the American Idol stage 20 years after her win on the show. She gave some advice to the contestants and confirmed, “New music is coming.” Then, Jason Mraz joined season 22 contestant Julia Gagnon for an upbeat performance, and another previously eliminated contestant, Jayna Elise, sang with Seal.
Unfortunately, the halfway point of the episode meant it was time for one person to be eliminated. Ryan Seacrest announced the contestant in third place: Jack Blocker. That meant Abi and Will were the top 2.
The night continued with more performances from returnees, as well as Luke and Lionel. Abi also performed with Bishop Briggs. Another Idol alum, Nick Fradiani, also came back to the show to sing songs from A Beautiful Noise, the Broadway musical he’s currently starring in.
For her last episode of Idol, Katy performed with Jack, which was a full circle moment following her “no” during his audition earlier this season. The female contestants of the top 12 performed a tribute to the pop star, too, as they sang some of her biggest hits. Viewers also saw contestant Emmy Russell return to the stage to sing some of her grandmother, Loretta Lynn’s, songs with Wynonna Judd.
Will and Abi then got to perform one last time in hopes of securing more of America’s votes. Both singers performed their new singles for the crowd. Finally, it was time to announce the winner. Ryan revealed that the person who won season 22 of American Idol was … ABI CARTER!
