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[05/24/07 - 10:12 AM]
Jordin Sparks Is Crowned the "American Idol"
Amazingly, 74 million votes were received after Tuesday's performance show, shattering the previous world record of 70 million set April 24 following the "Idol Gives Back" fund-raising special.

[via press release from FOX]

JORDIN SPARKS IS CROWNED THE "AMERICAN IDOL"

Almost 610 Million Total Votes Cast During Sixth Season of Television's No. 1 Show; World-Record 74 Million Votes Received Tuesday Night

Guest Performers Included Tony Bennett, Doug E. Fresh, Green Day, Gladys Knight, Bette Midler, Joe Perry, Smokey Robinson, Gwen Stefani, BeBe and CeCe Winans and The African Children's Choir

Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Hicks Returned to AMERICAN IDOL Stage

The extraordinary sixth season of AMERICAN IDOL came to a spectacular conclusion tonight as 17-year-old Jordin Sparks was crowned the competition's youngest-ever winner during the live two-hour season finale on FOX. Sparks from Glendale, AZ, emerged as America's choice in a competition that began with over 100,000 hopefuls who auditioned in San Antonio, Minneapolis, Memphis, Birmingham, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle. Over the course of the season, viewers cast a record-breaking number of votes � almost 610 million � in support of their favorite contestants. Amazingly, 74 million votes were received after Tuesday's performance show, shattering the previous world record of 70 million set April 24 following the IDOL GIVES BACK fund-raising special.

The broadcast from the legendary Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA, featured a number of headline performances. Fifteen-time Grammy Award winner Tony Bennett crooned "For Once in My Life"; Gwen Stefani sang "4 in the Morning"; Green Day performed John Lennon's "Working Class Hero"; Bette Midler sang her classic "Wind Beneath My Wings"; and the African Children's Choir, encoring their appearance on IDOL GIVES BACK, delighted the audience with "Abataka."

Also returning to the AMERICAN IDOL stage were past winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Hicks. Clarkson performed her new single "Never Again"; Studdard duetted with Sparks on the Motown classic "You're All I Need to Get By"; Underwood reprised her IDOL GIVES BACK performance of "I'll Stand By You"; while Hicks belted his new single "Heaven Knows."

Honoring the 40th anniversary of the release of the Beatles' legendary "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," the returning Idols joined with this season's Top 12 to sing a medley of the iconic album's hits.

The Top 6 guys were joined by Smokey Robinson for a medley of his hits, specially arranged by David Thomas of Take 6, while the Top 6 girls joined Gladys Knight for a medley of her chart-topping songs. Lewis and Doug E. Fresh had the audience on its feet as they performed "The Show." Third-place finisher Melinda Doolittle had the house jumping with her rendition of "Hold Up the Light" featuring gospel duo BeBe and CeCe Winans. Finalist Sanjaya Malakar joined Aerosmith's Joe Perry on the Kinks' "You Really Got Me." Sparks and Lewis kicked off the show with a duet of another Beatles tune, "I Saw Her Standing There."

Sparks is the sixth American Idol to be crowned, joining Clarkson, Studdard, Fantasia, Underwood and Hicks as winners of the coveted title, a major recording contract and a management contract.

On Tuesday night's final competition, Sparks and Lewis each performed three songs. Both co-finalists sang "This Is My Now," Scott Krippayne and Jeff Peabody's winning entry in this season's American Idol Songwriting Contest. In addition, Sparks sang "Fighter" and "Broken Wing," and Lewis sang "She Will" and "You Give Love a Bad Name." The night was capped by a special performance by Daughtry, the band fronted by 2006 AMERICAN IDOL finalist Chris Daughtry, of their hit song "Home."

Sparks capped her coronation on Wednesday's finale by reprising "This Is My Now." The song is available for digital download exclusively on Americanidol.com and iTunes.com.

AMERICAN IDOL is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; Nigel Lythgoe, President, 19 Television; and Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.





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· AMERICAN IDOL (ABC)





[07/11/25 - 12:45 PM]
ABC Concludes September to May Season with Top Five Shows Among Adults 18-49 Including "High Potential," "Abbott Elementary," "The Rookie," "Shifting Gears" and "9-1-1"
Continuing to lead among broadcast series, ABC's "High Potential" stood as the No. 1 new drama among Total Viewers (16.41 million) and No. 1 new show among Adults 18-49 (3.85 rating).

[07/11/25 - 11:28 AM]
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Last night, season 27 premiered to nearly 3 million viewers.

[07/11/25 - 10:01 AM]
FX's "Alien: Earth" Takes Fandom to New Heights with Premium Exclusive Content Including a Companion Podcast and Innovative Immersive Experiences
"Alien: Earth," a new drama series from Noah Hawley inspired by the acclaimed feature film franchise, will premiere on Tuesday, August 12.

[07/11/25 - 10:01 AM]
CBS Unveils Fall Primetime Premiere Dates for the 2025-2026 Season
Highlights include an early return for "Watson" on Monday, October 13 in place of the previously announced "FBI" spin-off "CIA."

[07/11/25 - 10:00 AM]
The "Outlander" Universe Expands in Hall H, as Starz Returns to San Diego Comic-Con
Look for can't miss panels for "Outlander" and "Outlander: Blood of my Blood" in Hall H on Friday, July 25 and an in-depth preview of the newest saga in the Spartacus franchise, "Spartacus: House of Ashur" on Saturday, July 26 in the Indigo Ballroom.

[07/11/25 - 10:00 AM]
Adult Swim Returns to San Diego Comic-Con with "Pirate Purrrty on the Green," Must-See Panel Events, and Exclusive First Looks and Giveaways
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[07/11/25 - 09:01 AM]
HBO Max to Host Fan Experiences for Upcoming Seasons of "Peacemaker" and "It: Welcome to Derry" in San Diego
The festivities include a panel in Hall H, where showrunner/writer/director and Co-Head of DC Studios James Gunn and the cast of "Peacemaker" will share new details about the upcoming season and premiere the global trailer for season two.

[07/11/25 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Billy Joel: And So It Goes" - Official Trailer - HBO Max
There's always a message in the music.

[07/11/25 - 06:00 AM]
"Love Island (UK)" 10th Anniversary Special Date Announcement
The special premieres in the US on Friday, July 11.

[07/11/25 - 02:01 AM]
Netflix Will Release "Death Inc." Seasons 1, 2 and 3
The series is a comedy centered around a family-run funeral home and the relationships between the eccentric characters who inhabit it.

[07/11/25 - 12:01 AM]
"Too Hot to Handle: Italy" Is Coming on July 18 Only on Netflix
A special guest will guide the contestants in the first Italian edition of the reality show.

[07/10/25 - 07:01 PM]
Video: "The Winning Try" - Official Trailer - Netflix
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[07/10/25 - 07:01 PM]
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[07/10/25 - 05:03 PM]
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[07/10/25 - 12:01 PM]
"Virgin River" Is Returning for Season 8
"On behalf of myself and the whole 'Virgin River' family, we're eternally grateful to Netflix and to the fans for allowing us to continue on this journey with these beloved characters," said showrunner Patrick Sean Smith.