FINAL AMERICAN IDOL WINNER IS.... TRENT HARMON

Fourteen years ago, in the summer of 2002, a new little show called American Idol went searching for a superstar, and it found a girl named Kelly Clarkson. This year, in its final season, Idol searched for a “Kelly Clarkson bookend.” And this week – on a nostalgic, throwback-Thursday finale featuring dozens of alumni who’ve competed in the years in between – the show came full circle and crowned a winner worthy of the Kelly legacy.

America, your final Idol is… Trent Harmon!

“It was so hard, because I knew that have a God-given ability, but I didn’t want to take it for granted – and she pushed me to do it,” Trent declared through his tears upon hearing the news, embracing runner-up La’Porsha Renae.

Trent impressed this year from his first audition (one of the greatest Idol audition of all time), bringing the element of surprise as he entered the room acting like a humble Mississippi farm boy… and then, instead of doing an expected country song, completely wailing on Allen Stone’s “Unaware,” showcasing an otherworldly R&B falsetto and sexy indie swagger. Then he proved he had a great all-American work ethic, as well as talent, when he bravely soldiered through Hollywood Week while battling a case of full-blown mono (it’s crazy to imagine how this season might’ve panned out if Trent had followed doctor’s orders and quit the show). But it really wasn’t until top four week, when he exquisitely belted Sia’s “Chandelier” – one of the greatest Idol performances of all time – that Trent truly became a Season 15 front runner. 

And then on this Wednesday’s top two show, when Trent reprised “Chandelier” and somehow managed to top his original performance, he sealed the deal and secured the win over the season’s other favorite, R&B diva La’Porsha.

But La’Porsha should be incredibly proud of her runner-up status. No other Idol finale ever featured such well-matched, next-level powerhouse vocalists as these two, and both Trent and La’Porsha carried on the show’s tradition grandly. This week, American Idol ended on a literal and figurative high note. Big Machine Records’ Scott Borchetta announced shortly after the show that he plans to sign both contestants – Trent to Big Machine, La’Porsha to a joint deal with Motown.

Other highlights of the Nigel Lythgoe-produced, nostalgia-heavy Season 15 finale included a glorious hits medley by Kelly Clarkson; a David Bowie tribute by “WGWG” winners Phillip Phillips, Lee DeWyze, Kris Allen, Nick Fradiani, and David Cook; a rock medley featuring Chris Daughtry, Bo Bice, Constanine Maroulis, Caelb Johnson, and James Durbin; and R&B medley with led by Season 3 trifecta of Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson, and LaToya London; and surprise appearances by Simon Cowell, Brian Dunkleman, William Hung, General Larry Platt, and even President Obama.