American Idol’s Current Age Limit For Contestants

The reality show offers thousands of wannabe pop stars the chance to achieve their dreams, but what is the current age limit for American Idol contestants? Based on the short-lived British show Pop Idol, American Idol is a reality singing competition that aims to find the next big name in the music industry. American Idol started life on Fox where it ran for 15 seasons before it was cancelled but soon bounced back after a two-year hiatus thanks to its revival by ABC which is currently airing the show’s 19th season.

The American Idol judging panel has featured some high-profile music industry names over the years – from producer Randy Jackson and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler to the current line-up which features pop singer Katy Perry, country star Luke Bryan and R&B legend Lionel Richie. It’s spawned some big-name talents too like first ever American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson, seven-time Grammy recipient Carrie Underwood or Jennifer Hudson, who finished seventh place during season 3 and went on to win a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in the musical drama Dreamgirls.

Approximately 100,000 people audition for American Idol each season in hopes of emulating the kinds of careers that Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson have established. However, not everybody is destined to become a contestant and there are certain criteria people must meet to take part in American Idol auditions. For example, as the title of the show is American Idol, contestants must be legal U.S. residents. Contestants can’t be in a romantic relationship with any Idol judges either and can’t be running for public office, which rules out the possibility of a politician pop star – for better or worse. Auditionees must also be a certain age to apply, but what is American Idol’s age window?

Since season 10, American Idol contestants have had to be between the ages of 15 and 28 to audition. The original age limit for American Idol auditions was 16 to 24 until the upper limit was raised to the ripe old age of 28 during the show’s fourth season. The decision to lower the age limit to 15 was made ahead of American Idol season 10, with the then popularity of teen pop stars like Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus thought to be a contributing factor.

To date, a contestant as young as 15 has yet to win American Idol. The youngest ever American Idol winner was Jordin Sparks who was 17 years old when she won in season 6, followed by Scotty McCreery who was just a couple of months older than Sparks when he won in season 10. On the other end of the age spectrum is the oldest winner Taylor Hicks, who was 28 years old when he auditioned and 29 when he won American Idol in season 5. However, though the age limit for American Idol contestants produces winners that sometimes skew younger and older, the average age of winners is 22 years old.