American Idol

11:44 AM PT -- Carrie Underwood spoke out after being chosen to perform at the inauguration ... "I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event. I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”

Donald Trump isn't struggling to find A-list talent for his second inauguration ... Carrie Underwood has been tapped to perform at the swearing-in ceremony, TMZ has learned.

A presidential inauguration committee spokesperson confirms to TMZ ... the "American Idol" winner will be singing a patriotic tune before President-elect Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.

Underwood's name was listed in what looked like a leaked program detailing the show order for Trump's big day ... TMZ has also obtained a copy of the program, and we've confirmed it's the real deal.

Smooshed inside this handsome fella is an Atlanta, Georgia native who grew up with a microphone in his hand -- putting on shows for his family and friends. Given the clues, put your celeb knowledge on the line and see if you can guess the mashed-up star!

He started radio hosting when he was just a teen and to this day he has built a radio empire (amongst many other successful ventures)! He found big stardom in the early 2000s hosting a popular music competition show!

12:42 PM PT -- Nigel Lythgoe tells TMZ ... “We live in a troubling time where a person is now automatically assumed to be guilty until proven innocent, a process that can take years. That is why, like Paula, I am glad to be able to put this behind me. I know the truth and that gives me great comfort.”

Paula Abdul says her sexual assault case against Nigel Lythgoe has ended, and "successfully" so -- the 2 former "American Idol" coworkers have reached a settlement.

According to court docs, they settled the case earlier this week and filed notice with L.A. County Superior Court. Their next step will be filing to dismiss the matter ... which had been scheduled to go to trial next year.

Caleb Kennedy's working on new tracks ahead of his upcoming 8-year prison sentence ... and, his lawyer says he's hopeful the 20-year-old will still be able to pursue a career in music when he gets out.

We spoke with attorney Ryan Beasley, who tells us his client's been writing songs over the last few years ... adding that -- when all of this is behind him -- he's hopeful Caleb will find success in the industry.

As we told you ... Caleb was sentenced to 8 years -- 5 years in prison, 3 years of home detention -- followed by 5 years' probation. He will also have to go to counseling and fulfill other requirements as well.

Caleb Kennedy -- the former "American Idol" finalist who was arrested after a fatal DUI crash in 2022 -- has been sentenced to 8 years ... TMZ has confirmed.

Kennedy, who appeared on season 19 of the hit singing show, pled guilty to a felony driving under the influence where death results charge earlier this week. He'll also pay a fine of just more than $15K.

The 20-year-old singer will serve 5 years behind bars before serving the next 3 years in home detention. He's also required to serve 5 years of probation after his release, attend mental health and substance abuse counseling, and undergo random drug and alcohol testing.

Sundance Head -- the country singer who won "The Voice" back in 2016 -- is out of the hospital ... and, it seems the shooting was a complete accident and not an act of violence.

The star's wife, Misty, shared an update on her husband's condition Saturday morning ... confirming the singer was in stable condition -- and, doctors released him late Friday night.

She says he's back home now ... though the ride from the hospital to their ranch wasn't comfortable -- 'cause his meds were wearing off and he was bleeding heavily through his wrappings.

Benjamin Glaze -- an "American Idol" contestant who went viral after Katy Perry kissed him during his audition -- has been arrested for allegedly possessing child porn, TMZ has learned.

According to a Tulsa PD Facebook post, Glaze was arrested after the force's Sexual Predator/Digital Evidence Recovery Unit allegedly received info that he was in possession of child sexual abuse material.

Cops say they executed a warrant and claim they found more than 700 images and videos of sexual abuse material of minors on his smartphone.

Hold on tight as you walk up to these two pretty pics of Jordin Sparks! 'One step at a time', see if you've got what it takes to follow the singer's lead and track down the discreet changes  ... 'there's no need to rush!'

Earlier this week, the "American Idol" star popped by Fox 29's "Good Day" in Philly and paired her strong sneaker game with a breezy green top and a pair of ripped denim, however, there appears to be an alteration mishap.

Can you find the switch-ups?

American songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi was in her late 30s when she was a judge on the popular singing competition show "American Idol" back in 2010 -- and made headlines when she flashed her bikini bod during the season 8 finale.

Sitting smack-dab in the middle of Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul ... DioGuardi's time on "American Idol" came to an end after season 9, but she continued to make moves ... like signing Jason Derulo and landing herself as head judge on Bravo's singing competition show "Platinum Hit" in 2011.

Katy Perry’s out at "American Idol" -- and Carrie Underwood is very close to filling in her seat ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Carrie and her team are in the final stages of locking her into a contract to appear on the hit ABC show -- and if all goes smoothly, the former 'Idol' winner will soon join Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie as the new judge.

What's also interesting about this news ... Carrie actually has an appearance scheduled on 'GMA' this upcoming Friday -- for their summer concert series -- but of course ... an official announcement could come that day as well. As you know ... ABC is the parent company.

"American Idol" fan-favorites are proving the show must go on in any circumstance ... as they handled a sudden change to their recent gig like total pros.

Check it out ... half of the top 10 finalists from 'Idol' -- including Jack Blocker, McKenna Breinholt, Kaibrienne, Mia Matthews and Kayko -- stopped by Nashville's 2nd Annual Franklin Summer Bash to serenade their dedicated fans. However, just as the show came near its end, a storm rolled into town -- resulting in a lightning strike hitting a transformer and causing power to go out at the venue.

The blackout happened in the middle of McKenna's performance of Hillsong's 'Oceans' ... but it didn't prevent her from finishing her set. Watch the vid, after a brief pause, McKenna continues to belt out her song, with the crowd handling the lighting by turning on the flashlights on their phones.

Jordin Sparks isn't feeling great about her chances to replace Katy Perry as a judge on "American Idol" ... but she's still open to a call, and even has a sense of how she'd do it.

We caught up with the 'Idol' alum in L.A., where she confirmed she was totally serious when she pitched herself as the new judge for season 23 -- and while she believes that fell on deaf ears ... she also says she'd still love to return to her 'Idol' roots.

Jordin says hiring someone like her to fill in for Katy makes sense in her mind -- 'cause she's been on the show and has the experience ... but of course, it ain't really her call.

"American Idol" alum and Grammy-winning singer Mandisa died earlier this year -- and now, we know how ... as we've obtained her autopsy report.

TMZ obtained a copy of the document which lists Mandisa's official cause of death as "complications of class III obesity," with the medical examiner noting she weighed 488 pounds at the time of her death.

Per the report, the singer's friends found her in a state of decomposition in her residence on April 18. Emergency medical services arrived at the scene, where she was pronounced dead.

Simon Cowell is ready to get back into the boy band game ... and is already on the hunt for his next One Direction-esque success story.

Almost 15 years after making magic by bringing together Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik as a group on "X Factor," the record executive is searching for "future megastars" who are ready to put in the work to achieve international fame.

Simon announced his new project Tuesday, dropping recruitment billboards across London, which read ... "Simon needs you! Future megastars wanted for new boyband. No timewasters."

Katy Perry got a sweet sendoff on the TV show she's been on for 7 years -- with "American Idol" paying tribute to her by having the remaining contestants sing a bunch of her songs.

The pop star showed up on 'Idol' Sunday night for the season finale ... and before they announced the winner (Abi Carter), Ryan Seacrest and co. gave KP her own special moment in the broadcast ... and of course, it included music.

The 'Idol' producers brought back the Top 12 girls -- several of whom had already been eliminated, but only appeared for this highlight -- to belt out a medley of Katy's biggest songs ... including "Teenage Dream," "Dark Horse" and "California Girls."

Will Moseley's getting some support from a fellow hunter ... claiming the "American Idol" star was totally justified to sick dogs on a hog he hunted -- he says it's just the way hunters live.

Cameron Hanes -- an author and hunter whose goal is to become the "Ultimate Predator" -- spoke with TMZ ... and, he's defending Will Moseley's hunting methods.

CH tells TMZ ... hogs are an invasive species, and hunters need to take them down. Cam adds the best way to hunt them is with dogs, so he's got no issue with Hanes using them in the vid he posted a couple years back.