Iam Tongi, a high school student from Hawaii, has been crowned the winner of the 21st season of ‘American Idol’ after an intense finale on Sunday night. The 18-year old was one of the three contestants that performed during the live broadcast of the final show, together with Colin Stough and Megan Danielle.

Iam has repeatedly moved the judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan to tears over the course of the show; and the finale was no exception. His rendition of James Blunt’s “Monsters”—the song Tongi started his ‘American Idol’ journey with—performed with Blunt himself, left Katy teary-eyed and Iam seemingly overtaken by emotion as well. But that was only one of many powerful performances the viewers got to enjoy that night, as all three contestants put up a good fight for the title of American Idol.

‘American Idol’ announces the winner of Season 21 after an intense battle between the three finalists

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The final contestants Colin Stough, Megan Danielle, and Iam Tongi provided viewers with a spectacular show

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Iam Tongi met Megan Danielle in the final two, where he was announced to be the winner

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The finale provided viewers with strong performances from all three contestants

With Tongan and Samoan heritage, Tongi comes from Kahuku in Hawaii, where, as he told the Kent Reporter, “everyone knew everyone”. He added that back at home they “used to walk around, chasing wild chickens”, which is one of the reasons for the culture shock he felt after moving to Federal Way in the US. During his audition, one of the judges, Lionel Richie, asked the participant why on Earth would he leave Hawaii, to which he replied “Priced out of paradise.”

The audition was also when Tongi opened up to the judges about losing his father just a couple of months prior; Iam said that his dad was the person who got him into music. He shared with Kent Reporter that because he was singing with his dad for so long, he can still hear the harmonies he’d provide. “I can hear how he would sing to it,” Iam said. “I think that’s why I love it so much now.”

Iam chose James Blunt’s “Monsters” for his audition, and moved the judges to tears nearly instantly. He managed to repeat it again during the final leg of the show, where he could no longer hold back tears himself, singing together with James Blunt. During the finale, the participant also performed “Making Memories Of Us” by Keith Urban, the guest mentor on the show. The Daily Mail emphasized that the song choice wasn’t accidental, as Iam’s late father was a fan of Keith’s music, and his parents would dance around in the kitchen to “Making Memories Of Us”.

“Monsters” and “Making Memories Of Us” were just a couple of songs on the three-hour live broadcast on Sunday night. USA Today pointed out that all three finalists had two songs each, one by Keith Urban and another one paying tribute to their hometowns. The runner-up, Megan Danielle, performed Keith’s “God Whispered Your Name” and came back later with her rendition of Journey’s “Faithfully,” dedicated to her hometown of Douglasville, Georgia. The third place winner, Colin Stough chose “Stupid Boy” from Keith’s repertoire and Chris Stapleton’s “Either Way” to pay tribute to his hometown of Amory, Mississippi. And the winner of the show honored his hometown of Kahuku in Hawaii with Kolohe Kai’s song “Cool Down”.

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The contestants performed songs by Keith Urban, the guest mentor for the season finale

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Iam Tongi joins the list of winners of American Idol after an amazing run on Season 21 of the show

Based on Simon Fuller’s ‘Pop Idol’ shown on British television, ‘American Idol’ was first introduced to the US audience back in 2002. It became a way for aspiring singers to try their luck at fame and fortune by competing for a cash prize and a record deal, hopefully allowing them to make it in the music industry.

In order to win the title, the contestants have to win over the hearts of the viewers at home as well as the judges, consisting of several lions of the industry. Judging and encouraging the performers over the course of the 21st Season were a trio of singers and songwriters, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan. They’ve been the judging panel since the show’s revival on ABC in 2018, following a hiatus of a couple years after it stopped airing on Fox in the spring of 2016.

The judges help narrow down the list of participants, however, when it comes to determining the winner, it all falls on the shoulders of the viewers. They can support their favorite in one of three possible ways: using an online website, the “American Idol” app, or via a text message. Each person is allowed to cast 10 votes per method, 30 of them in total.

The audience has crowned quite a few talented people over the years. The list of previous winners includes Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze, Scotty McCreery, Phillip Phillips, Candice Glover, Caleb Johnson, Nick Fradiani, Trent Harmon, Maddie Poppe, Laine Hardy, Just Sam, Chayce Bechkam, and Noah Thompson. Previous American Idol prize winners have now been joined by Iam Tongi.

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Tongi performed James Blunt’s “Monsters”—the song he auditioned with—together with the singer himself

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The winner of the show has dedicated several touching performances to his dad over the course of the season

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People in the comments applauded the participants and showed support for their favorites

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