American Idol Winner Predictions Show a Clear Two-Way Race Emerging as the Competition Moves Into Its Final High-Stakes Stage

CHRIS TUNGSETH, BRADEN RUMFELT, HANNAH HARPER, KEYLA RICHARDSON, JORDAN MCCULLOUGH

There are just two episodes left until the American Idol finale. Following the April 27 episode, just five artists are left. Brooks Rosser and Daniel Stallworth were eliminated after the Top 7 performed, and now the pressure is on the Top 5 to make the finale.

The decision about which two singers get sent home and which three make the Finals is in America’s hands. Viewers have been voting for their favorites via text, the American Idol website, and on social media since the Live Shows began on March 30. Each week, the contestants with the lowest amount of votes are sent home, and this will continue in the final two episodes.

While it’s impossible to know exactly how viewers will vote, there are some indicators that can help us predict who will likely make it past the next round (and maybe even win) the competition.

How to Vote on 'American Idol' 2026: Online, Text and Social Media Voting  Guide

For years, all of the contestants’ performances have been uploaded to the official American Idol YouTube account after each episode airs, and those that rack up more views tend to line up with the singers who receive a lot of votes and continue to move forward. Artists with more of a presence on social media (i.e. more Instagram followers) are also likely to pull in more votes. Of course, this isn’t always the case, as was seen with Kyndal Inskeep’s recent elimination.

However, based on information from performance views and social media, which can obviously change throughout the week, we’ve rounded up our predictions for the Top 5, including who seems most likely to win at this time. Scroll down to check out our ranking of the remaining artists and hop into the comments section to let us know who you’re rooting for to win!

American Idol, Season 24, Mondays, 8/7c, ABC

BRADEN RUMFELT
Disney/Eric McCandless

5. Braden Rumfelt

Braden Rumfelt has 31,100 Instagram followers, the lowest of the Top 5. His Top 7 YouTube views are on the lower end compared to the rest of the cast, too, with 16,000 and 29,000.

Chris Tungseth
Disney/Eric McCandless

4. Chris Tungseth

Jordan McCullough
Disney/Eric McCandless

3. Jordan McCullough

Jordan McCullough has proven to be a favorite amid his peers, winning the platinum ticket in the Ohana Round. His Top 7 performances are up to 30,000 and 35,000 on YouTube, and he’s racked up 37,800 followers on Instagram.

HANNAH HARPER
Disney/Eric McCandless

2. Hannah Harper

Ever since Hannah Harper’s audition went viral, it was no secret that she was going to be a threat in this competition. One of her Top 7 performances has the most of anyone’s so far (53,000), while the other has an impressive 35,000. She also has the most impressive following on Instagram (388,000) by a landslide.

Keyla Richardson
Disney/Eric McCandless

1. Keyla Richardson

For the first time, Keyla Richardson moves into the No. 1 spot. Although she has less Instagram followers than Hannah (104,000), she racked up 45,000 and 42,000 YouTube views on her Top 7 performances so far and has been an overwhelming fan favorite amid the live audience in recent weeks.

Source: tvinsider.com

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