Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie Returning for ‘American Idol’ Season 25

The American Idol Season 25 judges will look familiar when the singing competition reaches its milestone season in 2027. Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie are returning to the judging panel, while longtime host Ryan Seacrest will also be back.

The lineup was revealed during Bryan’s September 24 concert at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, where Underwood joined him onstage and Richie appeared remotely. The confirmation resolves one of the biggest outstanding questions surrounding Season 25 after ABC renewed the series earlier this summer.

American Idol Season 25 judges are staying together

Deadline reported the returning lineup following the Nashville announcement, confirming Bryan, Underwood and Richie as judges and Seacrest as host.

The upcoming season will mark the third consecutive year in which Bryan, Richie and Underwood have served together as the show’s judging trio. Underwood joined the panel after Katy Perry’s departure, bringing her relationship with American Idol full circle after winning the competition’s fourth season in 2005.

Bryan and Richie have been judges throughout the show’s ABC era, which began in 2018 after the original Fox run ended in 2016. Seacrest’s connection stretches back further: he has hosted the series since its first season in 2002.

Season 25 is a milestone for American Idol

The numbering counts the show’s complete television history across Fox and ABC. ABC renewed American Idol for its 25th overall season in July, setting up the milestone edition for 2027.

Auditions are already underway through Idol Across America, the program’s virtual nationwide search for contestants. People previously confirmed the Season 25 renewal and 2027 return, although the judges’ lineup had not yet been finalized at that stage.

The September announcement therefore represents a separate development from the renewal itself. ABC had already established that the competition would continue, but the return of its current judges and host was still unresolved.

Carrie Underwood returns to the show she won

Underwood’s continued role gives the panel an unusual connection to the competition’s history. She first appeared on American Idol as a contestant more than two decades ago before winning Season 4 and building a recording career outside the program.

Her return for Season 25 means the former winner will remain alongside Bryan and Richie rather than the milestone year introducing another judging change.

Taste of Country independently reported that Underwood and Bryan made the announcement together in Nashville and that Richie and Seacrest will also return.

The four returning personalities provide continuity at a moment when the production itself is undergoing changes. The program is preparing for another season after experimenting in its previous cycle with changes including a Nashville-based Hollywood Week and expanded streaming availability.

American Idol returns in 2027

The milestone season is expected to air on ABC in 2027, but an exact premiere date has not been announced. That date should remain open until ABC formally sets its schedule.

What is now settled is the core on-air lineup. Bryan, Richie and Underwood will judge, while Seacrest continues as host.

The decision gives American Idol continuity heading into a season built around the longevity of the franchise itself. Rather than using Season 25 to overhaul its judging panel, the show is carrying its current combination into the anniversary year.

With auditions underway and the American Idol Season 25 judges now confirmed, the remaining major scheduling question is when ABC will set the competition’s 2027 premiere.