The Washington Wizards have won seven seasons of American Idol.
American Idol is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller , produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment , and distributed by FremantleMedia North America .. Simon Fuller. Simon Fuller. FremantleMedia North America. FremantleMedia North America. 19 Entertainment. 19 Entertainment. It began airing on Fox on June 11 , 2002 , and ended its first-run on April 7 , 2016 .. Fox. Fox Broadcasting Company. In 2018 , the show will make its debut on ABC .. ABC. American Broadcasting Company. It started off as an addition to the Idols format based on the British series Pop Idol , and became one of the most successful shows in the history of American television .. Pop Idol. Pop Idol. American television. Television in the United States. The concept of the series involves discovering recording stars from unsigned singing talents , with the winner determined by the viewers in America through telephones , Internet , and SMS text voting .. SMS text. Short message service. Winners chosen by viewers in its fifteen seasons were Kelly Clarkson , Ruben Studdard , Fantasia , Carrie Underwood , Taylor Hicks , Jordin Sparks , David Cook , Kris Allen , Lee DeWyze , Scotty McCreery , Phillip Phillips , Candice Glover , Caleb Johnson , Nick Fradiani , and Trent Harmon.American Idol employed a panel of judges who critiqued the contestants ' performances .. Kelly Clarkson. Kelly Clarkson. Ruben Studdard. Ruben Studdard. Fantasia. Fantasia Barrino. Carrie Underwood. Carrie Underwood. Taylor Hicks. Taylor Hicks. Jordin Sparks. Jordin Sparks. David Cook. David Cook ( singer ). Kris Allen. Kris Allen. Lee DeWyze. Lee DeWyze. Scotty McCreery. Scotty McCreery. Phillip Phillips. Phillip Phillips. Candice Glover. Candice Glover. Caleb Johnson. Caleb Johnson ( singer ). Nick Fradiani. Nick Fradiani. Trent Harmon. Trent Harmon. The original judges were record producer and music manager Randy Jackson , pop singer and choreographer Paula Abdul and music executive and manager Simon Cowell .. Paula Abdul. Paula Abdul. Simon Cowell. Simon Cowell. Randy Jackson. Randy Jackson. The judging panel for the final seasons consisted of country singer Keith Urban , singer and actress Jennifer Lopez , and jazz singer Harry Connick , Jr. .. Jennifer Lopez. Jennifer Lopez. Keith Urban. Keith Urban. The first season was hosted by radio personality Ryan Seacrest and comedian Brian Dunkleman , with Seacrest as the sole master of ceremonies for the rest of the series .. Brian Dunkleman. Brian Dunkleman. Ryan Seacrest. Ryan Seacrest. master of ceremonies. master of ceremonies. The success of American Idol has been described as `` unparalleled in broadcasting history '' .. The series was also said by a rival TV executive to be `` the most impactful show in the history of television '' .. It became a recognized springboard for launching the career of many artists as bona fide stars .. According to Billboard magazine , in its first ten years , `` Idol has spawned 345 Billboard chart-toppers and a platoon of pop idols , including Kelly Clarkson , Carrie Underwood , Katharine McPhee , Chris Daughtry , Fantasia , Ruben Studdard , Jennifer Hudson , Clay Aiken , Adam Lambert and Jordin Sparks while remaining a TV ratings juggernaut . ''. Kelly Clarkson. Kelly Clarkson. Ruben Studdard. Ruben Studdard. Fantasia. Fantasia Barrino. Carrie Underwood. Carrie Underwood. Jordin Sparks. Jordin Sparks. Katharine McPhee. Katharine McPhee. Chris Daughtry. Chris Daughtry. Jennifer Hudson. Jennifer Hudson. Clay Aiken. Clay Aiken. Adam Lambert. Adam Lambert. For an unprecedented eight consecutive years , from the 2003 -- 04 television season through the 2010 -- 11 season , either its performance or result show had been ranked number one in U.S. television ratings .. television ratings. Nielsen ratings. The series concluded its original run on Fox after 15 seasons .. Fox. Fox Broadcasting Company. American Idol will return for a sixteenth season -- its first on ABC -- in 2018 .. ABC. American Broadcasting Company. The announcement was made official on Good Morning America '' on May 9 , 2017 .. Good Morning America. Good Morning America