‘American Idol’ has recently announced an online audition date for Southern singers who may be unable to make it in person.
On Sept. 29, show producers will host Zoom auditions for Alabama and Mississippi contestants, according to the American Idol website.
“AMERICAN IDOL Audition Producers are looking for the next singing superstar!” the sign-up form reads.
“Will you be at least 15 years old by February 15, 2026, and believe you have what it takes? They want to hear what you’ve got!”
Audition signups are available at AmericanIdol.com/Auditions.
Alabama has produced two American Idol winners since the show first aired in 2002.
The first was Birmingham’s Ruben Studdard, who took the crown for the show’s second season in 2003.
In the decades since, Studdard, otherwise known as the “Velvet Teddy Bear” has enjoyed a successful R&B career, even earning a Grammy nomination in 2003.
He is currently on tour in the U.S. and welcomed his second child last year with his wife Kristin, according to his social media.
Country-soul singer and Hoover native Taylor Hicks won the show three years later in 2006 and became the first Idol winner to secure a long-term residency at a Las Vegas casino in 2012.
Hicks also recently threw his hat into political arena for the first time, endorsing Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville for Alabama governor in 2026.
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