American Idol Top 20 Contestants Hawaii Performance, Elimination and Platinum Ticket

The American Idol Season 24 competition heated up in paradise as the Top 30 hopefuls took the stage at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaiʻi, for a special themed round.

With Brad Paisley and Keke Palmer serving as mentors (Keke also joining as a guest judge), and special performances from 2023 winner Iam Tongi and former contestant Thunderstorm Artis, the episode delivered emotional highs, powerhouse vocals, and the reveal of the Top 20 who advance to America’s vote.

Judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood (Season 4 winner), and Luke Bryan presided over the performances, hosted by Ryan Seacrest.

This marked the first-ever “Ohana Round,” where family tributes played a big role, and a new twist introduced three Platinum Tickets awarded by groups (contestants, family/ohana, and industry tastemakers) to guarantee spots in the Top 20. The judges then selected the remaining spots, leading to 10 eliminations.

Voting kicked off for the Top 20, shifting away from the old phone app to social media, text messaging, and AmericanIdol.com.

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Standout Performances from the Top 20 Hopefuls

Contestant	Song Performed	Original Artist	Key Highlights / Judge Comments
Makiyah	Bang Bang	Jessie J (with Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj)	Fierce raspy vocals, strong stage presence; Lionel: “That’s how you start a show off”; Carrie: “You are a performer”; crowd-pleaser despite minor breath issues.
Jake Thistle	The Power of Love	Huey Lewis & the News	Raspy voice with easy confidence and guitar; Lionel: “Sexy Jake”; Carrie: “Old soul with some Paisley moves”; felt like a party.
Genevieve Heyward	Pink Pony Club	Chappell Roan	Rock energy, soaring high notes, infectious confidence; Lionel: “Almost blew my wig off”; Carrie loved the toughened-up choice; unique vibe (Keke).
Daniel Stallworth	All Night Long (All Night)	Lionel Richie	Bold judge-song cover turned upbeat party anthem; Lionel on feet, “Made it a totally new song—release it!”; Carrie: “Insane voice”; Luke: Possibly best singer left.
Kyndal Inskeep	Call You Mom	Noah Kahan	Emotional raspy interpretation (no guitar); Platinum Ticket holder; Carrie: “Impossible to take your eyes off you”; Luke: “Big time artist”; Lionel: “Delivered the sermon.”
Kutter Bradley	It’s Not Over	Daughtry	Strong rock vocals (sans guitar), raspy twang; smart song choice; Lionel: “Very in pocket”; Carrie: “Exactly where you’re supposed to be.”
Jesse Findling	You Found Me	The Fray	Passionate with big note finish; overcame stutter nerves; Keke: “Perfection” after grabbing mic; Carrie appreciated human shaky start.
Hannah Harper	Ain’t No Grave	Bethel Music / Molly Tuttle	Moving gospel/Christian performance (no guitar); shifted to preaching; Carrie: “Voice gave me chills”; Luke’s favorite so far.
Braden Rumfelt	Love on the Brain	Rihanna	Smooth soulful flip, effortless ad-libs; Carrie: “Nailed it from the first note”; Lionel ancestry joke; Keke: “In his flow state.”
Brooks Rosser	Dancing on My Own	Robyn	Angelic unique tone, earnest feeling, sensational band-drop moment; Keke: “Magical voice—must stay”; Carrie: Growth potential; humble confidence urged.

Here are highlights from some of the most talked-about performances:

• Makiyah – “Bang Bang” by Jessie J
  Kicked off the show with fierce, raspy vocals and strong stage presence. Mentors praised her note-perfect delivery, though she was a bit out of breath while working the crowd. Lionel called it the perfect show opener, Carrie hailed her as a true performer, and Luke loved the energy.
• Jake Thistle – “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis & the News
  The bar veteran impressed with raspy confidence and guitar skills. Brad Paisley encouraged high notes and stage presence. Judges dubbed him “sexy Jake” (Lionel), an old soul with Paisley moves (Carrie), and a party starter (Keke).
• Genevieve Heyward – “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan
  Rock energy soared on high notes with infectious confidence. Lionel joked it “almost blew my wig off,” while Carrie loved the toughened-up song choice and Luke urged more of that vibe.
• Daniel Stallworth – “All Night Long” by Lionel Richie
  The elementary school teacher boldly covered a judge’s hit, turning it from ballad to upbeat party anthem. Lionel was on his feet, gushing that Daniel “made it a totally new song” and should release the cover. Carrie called his voice “insane,” and Luke suggested he might be the best singer left.
• Kyndal Inskeep – “Call You Mom” by Noah Kahan
  The Platinum Ticket recipient (from earlier) delivered an emotional, raspy interpretation without guitar, focusing on vocals and connection. Carrie said it was impossible to look away, Luke praised the cry in her voice, and Lionel called it a “sermon.”
• Kutter Bradley – “It’s Not Over” by Daughtry
  The country singer surprised with strong rock vocals sans guitar. Song choice elevated his performance; judges noted he was “in pocket” and exactly where he belongs.
• Jesse Findling – “You Found Me” by The Fray
  Overcoming a stutter, he poured passion into the aughts hit, nailing a big note. Keke called it “perfection” after initial nerves, and Carrie appreciated the human, shaky start.
• Hannah Harper – “Ain’t No Grave” by Bethel Music and Molly Tuttle (or similar Christian track)
  A moving, guitar-free gospel-inspired performance. Judges felt she shifted from singing to preaching, with chills from Carrie and Luke calling it his favorite so far.
• Braden Rumfelt – “Love on the Brain” by Rihanna
  Smooth, soulful flip of the track with effortless ad-libs. Carrie said he nailed it from the first note, Lionel joked about ancestry, and Keke loved his flow state.
• Brooks Rosser – “Dancing on My Own” by Robyn
  Angelic, unique tone with earnest feeling; a sensational a cappella moment. Keke called his voice “magical” and insisted he must stay, while Carrie noted his growth potential despite limited stage experience.

Special interludes included Iam Tongi performing “Good for My Soul” (tying into his Hawaiʻi story) and a sweet duet with Thunderstorm Artis on “Island Style” by John Cruz.

Top 20 Advancers and Eliminations

After the performances, three earned Platinum Tickets for automatic advancement (specific winners included talents like Kyndal Inskeep, Brooks Rosser, and others based on group votes).

The judges filled the rest, advancing a talented group including standout performers like Braden Rumfelt, Jake Thistle, Genevieve Heyward, Daniel Stallworth, Hannah Harper, Jesse Findling, Kutter Bradley, and more (full lists from recaps feature around 20 names such as Philmon Lee, Madison Moon, Ruby Rae, and others who impressed).

Ten contestants were eliminated, narrowing the field dramatically after the emotional Ohana-themed round. Some cuts surprised fans, sparking calls for wild cards in online discussions.

With voting now open, the Top 20 head into America’s choice phase. The Hawaiʻi setting brought family-focused emotion and tropical vibes, setting up an exciting live competition ahead. Who will rise to the top? Tune in to find out!