American Idol season 24: Major changes including Mondays only, Nashville Takeover, reconfigured Hawai’i round and more
American Idol returns for Season 24 on Monday, January 26 on ABC, with episodes streaming the next day on Hulu. This season introduces several notable format changes and production shifts — including a move away from Sunday broadcasts, a consolidated Music City production hub, a new Hawai‘i ’Ohana Round, and an expanded voting model designed to meet viewers on social platforms.
Auditions and part of the post-audition rounds were filmed at Belmont University in Franklin, Tennessee, using the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. Belmont has a history with the show: alumni from the school include Walker Burroughs (Top 8, Season 17), Rayvon Owen (fourth place, Season 14), Melinda Doolittle (third-place finalist, Season 6) and Kimberly Locke (third place, Season 2). Selecting Belmont highlights the show’s closer ties this year with Nashville’s music community.
Hollywood Week moved to Nashville
For Season 24, the traditional Hollywood Week has been relocated to Nashville, branded as a Music City takeover. Executive Producer Megan Michaels Wolflick explained that Nashville’s music industry is as vibrant and influential as Los Angeles, calling the city “a hub and a dream for people to go to.” Taping Nashville Week immediately after auditions at Belmont helped consolidate production logistics, reducing travel and expenses while placing contestants in direct proximity to industry professionals and songwriters based in the city.
Shifting Hollywood Week to Nashville also gives contestants more opportunities to connect with country, pop and Americana influences that thrive in Music City. It allows the series to lean into a broader range of musical mentorship and collaboration while keeping multiple rounds within a single, music-focused environment.
New ‘Ohana Round in Hawai’i will cut the Top 30 down to a Top 20 when voting will begin
After the Nashville Takeover, surviving contestants will travel to Hawai‘i for a brand-new stage of the competition called the ’Ohana Round. According to the audience booker, the Hawai‘i tapings were scheduled for January 29 and January 30. The new round will be filmed at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina and is presented as a three-episode arc following Hollywood Week.
ABC describes the ’Ohana Round as “the ultimate focus group,” blending peer respect, emotional support and professional feedback before the broadcast voting phase begins. In this format, the Top 30 performers will sing for a curated group of industry tastemakers, together with family members, peers and friends. By the end of the ’Ohana Round, the field will be reduced to a Top 20 — the point at which public voting officially begins.
The industry panel for the ’Ohana Round includes an array of creators, coaches and media voices whose combined followings reach a large online audience. Names involved include Kaniyia Brown and Terry McCaskill (social media personalities), Anthony Gargiula (artist and music creator), Loren Gray (singer and actress), Shirley Halperin (co-editor-in-chief of Rolling Stone), Evan Ross Katz (writer and cultural commentator), Cheryl Porter (singer and vocal coach), and Kelly Sutton (country music personality and Grand Ole Opry announcer). Their insights, alongside feedback from peers and family members, will help determine which contestants advance to the televised voting stage.
American Idol to introduce ‘Social Voting’
When voting opens at the Top 20, American Idol will add a social voting element designed to make participation easier and more immediate. Wolflick noted the need to “meet the audience where they are,” referencing how earlier seasons embraced texting and how the show must now accommodate second-screen behavior and social platforms. The goal is to broaden engagement — particularly among younger viewers such as Gen Z and Gen Alpha — by offering voting options that fit modern habits.
Details of the social voting mechanics are still being finalized. Traditional text and phone voting will remain available, while additional social-based options are expected to complement them. Viewers should watch for official instructions once voting opens; in the meantime, the official American Idol phone app currently displays that it is not available.
Returning to the judges’ panel for Season 24 are Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, while Ryan Seacrest returns as host for his 24th season. With the combination of a Nashville production base, the Hawai‘i ’Ohana Round, and new voting technology, Season 24 aims to refresh the format while keeping the core of what has made American Idol a longstanding platform for discovering new vocal talent.