‘American Idol' 2026 Results Tonight: Who Went Home and Who Made the Finale?
At the American Idol 20th high school reunion, fan-favorite Idols from the class of 2006, along with special guests, returned as Dancing with the Stars pros brought some ballroom flair to the celebration, while America voted live for the Top 3 finalists.
Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood were on hand to lend their voices to critique the Top 5 following their performances, and they were joined by guest judge Paula Abdul, who, along with Randy Jackson made an iconic return. Randy served as mentor to the Top 5 finalists.
Last season's American Idol winner Jamal Roberts popped in for a surprise performance of his new single, "Perfect for Me."
As previously announced, The American Idol app for voting has been replaced by social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) voting. Text voting and online voting are still in place.
Related: How to Vote on American Idol 2026: Online, Text and Social Media Voting Guide
Here's our spoiler-filled recap of who went home on American Idol tonight, and who made it through to the finale.
Who was eliminated on American Idol tonight?
Braden Rumfelt, 22
Murphy, NY
Substitute Teacher
Chris Tungseth, 27
Fergus Falls, MN
Construction Tradesman
Who Made It Through to the American Idol Finale?
Hannah Harper, 26
Willow Springs, MO
Stay-at-Home Mom
Jordan McCullough, 27
Murfreesboro, TN
Worship Director
Keyla Richardson, 29
Pensacola, FL
Music Teacher
Related: American Idol 2026 Results Last Night: Who Went Home and Who Made the Top 5?
Here is how the night played out for the American Idol Top 5:
ROUND 1 -- Dancing with the Stars
KEYLA RICHARDSON
Song: "River Deep, Mountain High" by Ike & Tina Turner
Lionel said: "That's the way you start a show off. What I loved, the attitude. Always remember don't work too hard, but what you were sounding like was everything. I love the way you do your thing."
CHRIS TUNGSETH
Song: "Northern Attitude" by Noah Kahan
Paula said: "You have this beautiful, tender ache in your voice. It's like your letting us in on a secret that you finally trust us with. And we're going to protect it. It's beautiful. I just didn't want you to smile so soon. Let us soak and marinate in the achiness of the lyrics of the song. But you just have that gorgeousness to your voice."
BRAEDEN RUMFELT
Song: "Lose Control" by Teddy Swims
Carrie said: "Randy gave you some real good advice. It's not about dancing; it's kind of about singing with your whole body. We see more glimpses of that every week. It can just be your shoulders, lean a little bit."
HANNAH HARPER
Song: "Fever" by Peggy Lee
Luke said: "I thought it was incredible. I thought it was so uniquely different for you. It was sexy. It was sultry. Not what I expect from you, but I loved it."
JORDAN McCULLOUGH
Song: "Footprints in the Sand" by Leona Lewis
Lionel said: "You do what we call spinal cord singing. In order words, it just goes straight to your spinal cord. Let the congregation say, ‘Amen.'"
Related: American Idol Standout Jordan McCullough Teases a ‘Risky' Taylor Swift Night Performance (Exclusive)
ROUND 2 -- Duets
KEYLA RICHARDSON & TAYLOR HICKS
Song: "Living for the City" by Stevie Wonder
Paula said: "I have never seen you have so much fun. That's because of the magic between you and Taylor. You truly brought the house down."
CHRIS TUNGSETH & BUCKY COVINGTON
Song: "The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks
Carrie said: "That's what we talked about. You looked more comfortable than we've seen you all season. The hair was flying. More, more, more!"
BRADEN RUMFELT & PARIS BENNETT
Song: "The Show Must Go On" by Queen
Luke said: "Our Idol alum is bringing it out of our hopeful. That had some stank face on it."
HANNAH HARPER & KELLY PICKLER
Song: "A Broken Wing" by Martina McBride
Lionel said: "All I can say is the perfect voice blend and complement. The two of you made one dynamic performance."
JORDAN McCULLOUGH & ELLIOTT YAMIN
Song: "A Song for You" by Donny Hathaway
Paula said: "There is something that I always told Elliott -- he got into my heart so deeply. The two of you together was a master's class in duet."
Then host Ryan Seacrest announced the Top 3: Hannah, Keyla and Jordan.
American Idol airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+. Streams next day on Hulu and Disney+.
Next,'American Idol' Returns in 2026 with Three Game-Changing Shake-Ups
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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 7:01 PM.