American Idol will air special 1 hour audition episode after the Oscars March 12
On Sunday, March 12, the 95th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC beginning at 8:00 p.m. in all U.S. time zones. For fans of American Idol, there’s good news: the show will follow the Oscars with a special one-hour audition episode. If you plan to watch, be prepared for a late-night start in some regions—particularly on the East Coast, where the Idol special will begin after the Oscars conclude.
American Idol follows a format of surprise auditions and standout performances, and ABC will air a condensed, one-hour episode of those auditions after the Oscars telecast. The scheduled window for the special is 11:35 p.m.–12:35 a.m. EST, with corresponding local start times listed as 9:02 p.m.–10:02 p.m. MST and 8:02 p.m.–9:02 p.m. PST. These published start times are contingent on the Oscars staying on schedule; if the ceremony runs long, the Idol special will begin later. Fans who want to catch the full hour should plan accordingly—set a DVR or be ready to stay up late.
This isn’t the first time American Idol has aired a post-Oscars special. The show did the same in season 20, and last year’s post-Oscar recap began in the early morning hours—the episode was posted after 1:00 a.m. on Monday morning when live-blog coverage noted that time as the official start. Given that precedent, viewers should expect variability in exact start times and be prepared to adjust.
2023 Oscars: Host, Performers, Presenters
This year’s Oscars will be hosted live from Los Angeles by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. The broadcast will feature several notable performances during the ceremony, including a tribute during the In Memoriam segment performed by Lenny Kravitz. Oscar-nominated songs on the program will include performances by Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava for “Naatu Naatu” from RRR; David Byrne, Stephanie Hsu and Son Lux performing “This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once; Sofia Carson and Diane Warren performing “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman; and Rihanna performing “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
A diverse group of presenters will be part of the ceremony, representing actors, musicians and filmmakers. Presenters scheduled to appear include Riz Ahmed, Emily Blunt, Glenn Close, Jennifer Connelly, Ariana DeBose, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Michael B. Jordan, Troy Kotsur, Jonathan Majors, Melissa McCarthy, Janelle Monáe, Deepika Padukone, Questlove, Zoe Saldaña and Donnie Yen.
After the awards, the American Idol special will return attention to the search for fresh singing talent. The show’s judging panel—Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie—has spent the season holding auditions in several cities, including New Orleans, Las Vegas and Nashville, seeking standout vocalists and memorable performances. Host Ryan Seacrest returns to guide the series, now in its 21st season, as contestants vie for a spot in the competition and a chance to launch their careers.
If you’re planning to watch the Idol post-Oscars episode, keep a few practical tips in mind: check local listings the day of the broadcast for any last-minute schedule changes, set a DVR if you don’t want to miss the late-night timeslot, and be ready for the possibility that the episode could begin later than the published start times if the Oscars ceremony runs over. The one-hour special offers a compact look at standout auditions, and for dedicated viewers it’s a convenient way to catch up on highlights without waiting for the regular audition episodes to air.
In short, tune in to ABC on March 12 for the Oscars at 8:00 p.m., then stay tuned—or record—to see the American Idol one-hour audition special that follows. Whether you’re watching for the Academy Awards performances and presenters or for the next potential singing sensation discovered by Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, March 12 promises a night of entertainment for music and film fans alike.