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who are the current judges on american idol

The current judges on American Idol for the upcoming 2026 season (Season 24) are Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie.

Quick Scoop: Who Are the Current Judges on American Idol?

For the 2026 run of American Idol (Season 24 on ABC), the judging panel is:

  • Carrie Underwood – Original Idol winner turned superstar, now back on the show as a full-time judge for her second season.
  • Luke Bryan – Country star who has been a fixture on the ABC-era panel since 2018, continuing into Season 24.
  • Lionel Richie – Music legend and longtime judge, also returning for another season in 2026.

ABC and entertainment outlets confirmed that this trio is returning together for Season 24, following their Season 23 lineup in 2025.

How This Fits Into Recent Idol News

  • Katy Perry left the show after Season 22, opening the spot that Carrie Underwood filled starting with Season 23.
  • The network promoted the Season 24 panel with a “class is back in session”/“Idol university” style rollout, highlighting the same trio returning for another year.
  • Coverage in 2025 also emphasized that this makes another consecutive season with Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie on the panel, and a continued “winner-to-judge” storyline for Carrie.

Simple HTML Table of the Current Judges

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Judge</th>
      <th>Role on American Idol 2026</th>
      <th>Notable Idol Connection</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Carrie Underwood</td>
      <td>Returning judge for Season 24 (2026)</td>
      <td>Winner of Season 4, returned as judge starting in Season 23</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Luke Bryan</td>
      <td>Returning long-time judge in Season 24</td>
      <td>On the judging panel since the ABC revival in 2018</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Lionel Richie</td>
      <td>Returning long-time judge in Season 24</td>
      <td>Joined the panel with Bryan in 2018 and continues into 2026</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

TL;DR: If you’re asking “who are the current judges on American Idol” for the latest 2026 season, it’s Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.