# American Idol season 15

The fifteenth season of American Idol, also branded as American Idol: The Farewell Season, premiered on the Fox television network on January 6, 2016. Ryan Seacrest continued as host, while Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez, and Keith Urban returned as judges. Scott Borchetta also returned as the in-house mentor. On April 7, 2016, Trent Harmon was announced as this season's winner, while La'Porsha Renae was the runner-up.
It was the series' final season to air on Fox. Despite the announcement that the series would be ending, ABC announced in May 2017 that they would revive American Idol.

## Changes from previous seasons

For the first time, performances by the top 24 were judged solely by the show's judges and producers, who determined which contestants were eliminated. From each group of twelve, seven were advanced and five were eliminated, resulting in a top 14 for the third week of the semifinals.
The voting limit for this season was set at ten votes per contestant per voting method, half of what it had been the previous season.

## Regional auditions

The American Idol "Audition Bus Tour" visited the following cities: Seattle, Washington; Providence, Rhode Island; Baltimore, Maryland; San Diego, California; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Tucson, Arizona; Indianapolis, Indiana; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Athens, Georgia; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Oxford, Mississippi; and Wilmington, North Carolina. American Idol also partnered with two technology companies to allow people to audition using video recording kiosks and mobile apps in Culver City, California, and Nashville, Tennessee.
Auditions took place in:
American Idol (season 15) – regional auditions :
| City | Preliminary date | Preliminary venue | Filming date(s) | Filming venue |
| Various cities | July 9–21, 2015 | Varied | Unknown | Unknown |
| Denver, Colorado | July 10, 2015 | Denver Coliseum | September 26–27, 2015 | Colorado Convention Center |
| Savannah, Georgia | July 22, 2015 | Martin Luther King Jr. Arena | September 13–14, 2015 | W Midtown Hotel (Atlanta) |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | August 2, 2015 | Liacouras Center | August 15–16, 2015 | Pennsylvania Convention Center |
| Little Rock, Arkansas | August 8, 2015 | Verizon Arena | August 22–23, 2015 | Statehouse Convention Center |
| San Francisco, California | September 15, 2015 | Cow Palace | October 10–11, 2015 | Westin St. Francis |

## Semifinals

The top 24 semifinalists were split into two groups of twelve, and were filmed at The Vibiana in Los Angeles, California. Each round consisted of back-to-back performances: each contestant sang one solo in the episode that aired on Wednesday, and one duet with an American Idol alumnus in the episode that aired on Thursday.
Color key:

### Top 24 (Group 1)

Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Group 1 (February 10 & 11) :
| Contestant | Order (2/10) | Solo song | Order (2/11) | Duet song | Result |
| Stephany Negrete | 1 | "Mamma Knows Best" | 3 | "Superstar" (with Ruben Studdard) | Eliminated |
| MacKenzie Bourg | 2 | "Say Something" | 7 | "I Hope You Dance" (with Lauren Alaina) | Wild Card |
| Jeneve Rose Mitchell | 3 | "Angel" | 11 | "Gone" (with Scotty McCreery) | Wild Card |
| Jenna Renae | 4 | "My Church" | 5 | "See You Tonight" (with Scotty McCreery) | Eliminated |
| James VIII | 5 | "Love Lockdown" | 10 | "Gimme Shelter" (with Caleb Johnson) | Eliminated |
| Sonika Vaid | 6 | "Safe & Sound" | 4 | "Skyfall" (with Caleb Johnson) | Wild Card |
| Gianna Isabella | 7 | "I Put a Spell on You" | 8 | "Beautiful Life" (with Nick Fradiani) | Wild Card |
| Emily Brooke | 8 | "I Am Invincible" | 1 | "Flat on the Floor" (with Lauren Alaina) | Eliminated |
| Avalon Young | 9 | "Love Yourself" | 9 | "Flying Without Wings" (with Ruben Studdard) | Wild Card |
| Jordan Sasser | 10 | "All by Myself" | 12 | "I Believe" (with Fantasia) | Eliminated |
| Thomas Stringfellow | 11 | "Creep" | 2 | "Man in the Mirror" (with Nick Fradiani) | Wild Card |
| La'Porsha Renae | 12 | "Proud Mary" | 6 | "Summertime" (with Fantasia) | Advanced |

### Top 24 (Group 2)

Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Group 2 (February 17 & 18) :
| Contestant | Order (2/17) | Solo song | Order (2/18) | Duet song | Result |
| Shelbie Z | 1 | "Work Hard, Play Harder" | 12 | "Bohemian Rhapsody" (with Constantine Maroulis) | Eliminated |
| Manny Torres | 2 | "Adventure of a Lifetime" | 5 | "No Air" (with Jordin Sparks) | Wild Card |
| Kory Wheeler | 3 | "Let It Go" | 2 | "Bennie and the Jets" (with Haley Reinhart) | Eliminated |
| Amelia Eisenhauer | 4 | "Wake Me Up" | 1 | "Suds in the Bucket" (with Kellie Pickler) | Eliminated |
| Jenn Blosil | 5 | "Sorry" | 6 | "My Funny Valentine" (with Constantine Maroulis) | Wild Card |
| C. J. Johnson | 6 | "I'll Be" | 4 | "The World I Know" (with David Cook) | Eliminated |
| Lee Jean | 7 | "Runaway" | 3 | "Home" (with Chris Daughtry) | Wild Card |
| Trent Harmon | 8 | "What Are You Listening To" | 11 | "To Love Somebody" (with Jordin Sparks) | Advanced |
| Tristan McIntosh | 9 | "Good Girl" | 7 | "Best Days of Your Life" (with Kellie Pickler) | Wild Card |
| Adam Lasher | 10 | "Black and Gold" | 9 | "Can't Help Falling in Love" (with Haley Reinhart) | Eliminated |
| Dalton Rapattoni | 11 | "Rebel Yell" | 10 | "Higher Ground" (with Chris Daughtry) | Advanced |
| Olivia Rox | 12 | "Confident" | 8 | "Light On" (with David Cook) | Advanced |

### Wild Card round

Following the judges' selection of four contestants to advance to the Finals, the remaining ten semifinalists competed for the viewers' votes. Six of them advanced to complete the final group of ten. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Wild Card round (February 24) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Manny Torres | "Master Blaster (Jammin')" | Eliminated |
| Gianna Isabella | "I Put a Spell on You" | Advanced |
| Thomas Stringfellow | "Story of My Life" | Eliminated |
| Tristan McIntosh | "What Hurts the Most" | Advanced |
| Avalon Young | "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" | Advanced |
| Jenn Blosil | "True Colors" | Eliminated |
| Lee Jean | "Make It Rain" | Advanced |
| Sonika Vaid | "I Surrender" | Advanced |
| Jeneve Rose Mitchell | "Ring of Fire" | Eliminated |
| MacKenzie Bourg | "Roses" | Advanced |

## Top 10 finalists

* Trent Harmon (born October 8, 1990) was from Amory, Mississippi. He auditioned in Little Rock, singing "Unaware" by Allen Stone. When Harmon suffered mononucleosis during Hollywood Week, he continued by singing Sam Smith's "Lay Me Down" as his first solo. In the group round, he was not able to perform with the other contestants due to his illness, and the producers allowed him to perform a solo to advance. He earned a spot in the top 24 during Showcase Week after performing Elton John's "Tiny Dancer."
* La'Porsha Renae (born August 1, 1993) was from McComb, Mississippi. She had previously auditioned during the eighth season. She auditioned in Little Rock with Radiohead's "Creep." In Hollywood, she performed Katy Perry's "Roar" as her first solo. She advanced to the top 24 after she sang "The House of the Rising Sun" during Showcase Week.
* Dalton Rapattoni (born February 6, 1996) was from Sunnyvale, Texas. He auditioned in Little Rock, with "The Phantom of the Opera." As his first solo in Hollywood, he sang "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas & the Papas. He sang Olivia Newton-John's "Hopelessly Devoted to You" as his final solo. He advanced to the Top 24 after he sang "It's Gonna Be Me" by NSYNC during Showcase Week.
* MacKenzie Bourg (born September 11, 1992) was from Lafayette, Louisiana. He auditioned at Atlanta by performing a medley of songs by the judges. He sang his original song, "Roses," as his final solo to advance to the Showcase round. He advanced to the top 24 after he performed "Can't Help Falling in Love".
* Sonika Vaid (born August 4, 1995) was originally from Weston, Massachusetts, but moved to Martha's Vineyard. She sang "Look at Me" by Carrie Underwood at her audition in Denver, and received high praise from the judges. She then progressed to the first round in Hollywood, where she sang "Almost Is Never Enough." As her final solo in Hollywood, she performed "One Last Time" by Ariana Grande. In the Showcase round, she performed "I Surrender" by Celine Dion and advanced to the Top 24.
* Tristan McIntosh (born April 25, 2000) was from Nashville, Tennessee. She auditioned in Little Rock, performing "Why Baby Why" by Mickey Guyton. In Hollywood, she sang "Something in the Water" by Carrie Underwood as her first solo. She advanced to the Showcase round after performing her final solo, "What Hurts the Most." She advanced to the top 24 after singing "Stronger" by Faith Hill.
* Lee Jean (born September 10, 1999) was from Bluffton, South Carolina. He auditioned in Atlanta, where he sang Ed Sheeran's "I See Fire." He sang "Stitches" by Shawn Mendes as his final solo. During Showcase week, he sang "Make It Rain" and earned a spot in the top 24.
* Avalon Young (born July 16, 1994) was from San Diego, California. She auditioned in San Francisco by performing an acoustic version of "XO" by Beyoncé. During the final round in Hollywood, she sang Ariana Grande's "One Last Time" and advanced in the Showcase Round. She sang "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" by Chris Brown and advanced to the top 24 semifinals.
* Gianna Isabella (born March 30, 2000) was from Jackson, New Jersey. She auditioned in Philadelphia, where she sang "The House of the Rising Sun." She sang "One Night Only" as her first solo in Hollywood. She sang her mother's hit single. "I Still Believe," during Showcase Week and advanced to the top 24.
* Olivia Rox (born January 16, 1999) was from Agoura Hills, California. She auditioned in San Francisco, where she performed "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars. She advanced in the first round in Hollywood by performing "Genie in a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera. She sang one of her original songs and advanced to Showcase Week. She advanced to the top 24 after she sang Maroon 5's "Love Somebody."

## Finals

There were seven weeks of finals with ten contestants competing. For the first three weeks, the judges had the ability to save one contestant amongst the bottom three or two, that resulted from America's votes based upon the previous week's performances. As of the Top 5, the results reverted back entirely to America's vote.
Color key:

### Top 10 – Songs from 2002–present

Kelly Clarkson served as a guest judge this week. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Olivia Rox | "Unconditionally" | Eliminated |
| Gianna Isabella | "Listen" | Eliminated |
| Lee Jean | "Skinny Love" | Safe |
| Avalon Young | "Stitches" | Saved by the judges |
| Dalton Rapattoni | "Hey There Delilah" | Safe |
| Tristan McIntosh | "Nothin' Like You" | Safe |
| MacKenzie Bourg | "I See Fire" | Safe |
| La'Porsha Renae | "Diamonds" | Safe |
| Sonika Vaid | "Bring Me to Life" | Safe |
| Trent Harmon | "Like I Can" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Kelly Clarkson | "Piece by Piece" |

### Top 8 – Grammy hits

Avalon Young, Olivia Rox, and Gianna Isabella were in the Bottom 3 based on America's votes from the previous week's episode. Rox performed "Trouble" while Isabella performed "If I Ain't Got You". However, Young's performance of "Earned It" earned the judges' save amongst the three, and consequently, the other two were eliminated. Young's performance was nevertheless up for America's vote along with the other seven. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Dalton Rapattoni | "Radioactive" | Safe |
| Lee Jean | "Use Somebody" | Eliminated |
| Sonika Vaid | "Since U Been Gone" | Saved by the judges |
| MacKenzie Bourg | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Safe |
| La'Porsha Renae | "Halo" | Safe |
| Trent Harmon | "When a Man Loves a Woman" | Safe |
| Tristan McIntosh | "Go Rest High on That Mountain" | Safe |
| Avalon Young | "Earned It" | Eliminated |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 8 with Demi Lovato | "Confident" |
| Demi Lovato | "Stone Cold" |
| Harry Connick Jr. | "(I Do) Like We Do" |

### Top 6 – Popular songs of all time

Contestants performed two songs each: one duet with a fellow contestant, and one solo. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Avalon Young, Lee Jean, and Sonika Vaid were in the Bottom 3 based on America's votes from the previous week's episode. Duets were done before revealing the results from the previous week. Young performed "P.Y.T." while Jean performed "Let It Be". However, Vaid's performance of "I Have Nothing" earned the judges' save amongst the three, and consequently, the other two were eliminated. Vaid's performance was nevertheless up for America's vote along with the other five. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Trent Harmon & La'Porsha Renae | 1 | "See You Again" | |
| Sonika Vaid & Avalon Young | 2 | "Rise Up" | |
| MacKenzie Bourg & Dalton Rapattoni | 3 | "I Want It That Way" | |
| Lee Jean & Tristan McIntosh | 4 | "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" | |
| La'Porsha Renae | 5 | "Come Together" | Safe |
| MacKenzie Bourg | 6 | "You Are So Beautiful" | Safe |
| Trent Harmon | 7 | "Stand by Me" | Safe |
| Tristan McIntosh | 8 | "A Broken Wing" | Eliminated |
| Dalton Rapattoni | 9 | "Eleanor Rigby" | Safe |
| Sonika Vaid | 10 | "I Have Nothing" | Saved by the judges |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Nick Fradiani | "Get You Home" |

### Top 5 – America's song choice

Contestants performed two songs each, one of which was chosen by the voters on Twitter. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Tristan McIntosh and Sonika Vaid were in the Bottom 2 based on America's votes from the previous week's episode. McIntosh performed "Independence Day". However, Vaid's performance of "Let It Go" earned the judges' final opportunity to rescue a contestant, and consequently, McIntosh was eliminated midway through the show, prior to singing a second song. Vaid's performances were nevertheless up for America's vote along with the other four.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Trent Harmon | 1 | "Counting Stars" | Safe |
| Trent Harmon | 8 | "Simple Man" | Safe |
| Dalton Rapattoni | 2 | "Numb" | Bottom two |
| Dalton Rapattoni | 6 | "The Sound of Silence" | Bottom two |
| La'Porsha Renae | 3 | "Ready for Love" | Safe |
| La'Porsha Renae | 10 | "No More Drama" | Safe |
| MacKenzie Bourg | 4 | "Wild World" | Safe |
| MacKenzie Bourg | 7 | "Billie Jean" | Safe |
| Sonika Vaid | 5 | "Let It Go" | Eliminated |
| Sonika Vaid | 9 | "Clarity" | Eliminated |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Adam Lambert | "Mad World" |
| Jussie Smollett & Yazz The Greatest | "Never Let It Die" |
| Adam Lambert, featuring Laleh | "Welcome to the Show" |
* 1 2 3 4 5 Song chosen by the voters on Twitter.

### Top 4 – Classic rock & Sia

Sia and Stevie Van Zandt served as guest mentors this week. Contestants performed two songs: a classic rock song and a song from Sia's discography. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
In a deviation from other weeks, Sonika Vaid did not perform before she was eliminated, based on the previous week's votes.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| La'Porsha Renae | 1 | "Wanted Dead or Alive" | Bottom two |
| La'Porsha Renae | 5 | "Elastic Heart" | Bottom two |
| MacKenzie Bourg | 2 | "I Want You to Want Me" | Eliminated |
| MacKenzie Bourg | 6 | "Titanium" | Eliminated |
| Trent Harmon | 3 | "Sharp Dressed Man" | Safe |
| Trent Harmon | 7 | "Chandelier" | Safe |
| Dalton Rapattoni | 4 | "God Only Knows" | Safe |
| Dalton Rapattoni | 8 | "Bird Set Free" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| David Cook | "Heartbeat" |
| Katharine McPhee | "Over the Rainbow" |
| Sia | "Cheap Thrills" |

### Top 3

Each contestant performed three songs: one dedicated to the finalists' hometowns, one chosen by mentor Scott Borchetta, and one chosen by the judges. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
MacKenzie Bourg performed "Hallelujah," but was eliminated based on the previous week's votes.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Dalton Rapattoni | 1 | "Calling You" | Eliminated |
| Dalton Rapattoni | 4 | "Dancing in the Dark" | Eliminated |
| Dalton Rapattoni | 7 | "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" | Eliminated |
| Trent Harmon | 2 | "Tennessee Whiskey" | Safe |
| Trent Harmon | 6 | "Drink You Away" | Safe |
| Trent Harmon | 9 | "Waiting Game" | Safe |
| La'Porsha Renae | 3 | "Glory" | Safe |
| La'Porsha Renae | 5 | "Stay with Me" | Safe |
| La'Porsha Renae | 8 | "Hello" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Keith Urban | "Wasted Time" |
* 1 2 3 Song chosen by Scott Borchetta.

### Top 2 – Finale

Each contestant performed three songs, one of which was chosen by producer Simon Fuller, and are listed in the order they performed.
Dalton Rapattoni performed "Strike A Match," but was eliminated based on the previous week's votes.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Trent Harmon | 1 | "Falling" | Winner |
| Trent Harmon | 3 | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | Winner |
| Trent Harmon | 5 | "Chandelier" | Winner |
| La'Porsha Renae | 2 | "Battles" | Runner-up |
| La'Porsha Renae | 4 | "A House Is Not a Home" | Runner-up |
| La'Porsha Renae | 6 | "Diamonds" | Runner-up |
* 1 2 Song chosen by Simon Fuller.
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 10 | "Stole the Show" |
| Top 10 with American Idol alumni | "One Voice" |
| Trent Harmon & La'Porsha Renae | "It Takes Two" |
| Kara DioGuardi with Tamyra Gray & Jordin Sparks | "Sober" |
| Colton Dixon | "Through All of It" |
| Jordin Sparks & Justin Guarini | "No Air" |
| Kimberley Locke with Allison Iraheta & Jordin Sparks | "8th World Wonder" |
| Tamyra Gray with Allison Iraheta, Justin Guarini & Jordin Sparks | "Girl Crush" |
| Allison Iraheta & Larry Platt with Tamyra Gray, Kimberley Locke, Jordin Sparks & Pia Toscano | "No" "Pants on the Ground" |
| Pia Toscano with Colton Dixon, Tamyra Gray, Justin Guarini, Allison Iraheta, Kimberley Locke & Jordin Sparks | "All by Myself" |
| Kelly Clarkson | "Miss Independent" "Breakaway" "Since U Been Gone" "Because of You" "Behind These Hazel Eyes" "My Life Would Suck Without You" "Don't You Wanna Stay" "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" "Heartbeat Song" "Invincible" "A Moment Like This" |
| Bo Bice with James Durbin, Caleb Johnson & Constantine Maroulis | "Vehicle" |
| James Durbin, Caleb Johnson & Constantine Maroulis | "Hard to Handle" |
| Chris Daughtry with Bo Bice, James Durbin, Caleb Johnson & Constantine Maroulis | "Torches" |
| Bo Bice, Chris Daughtry, James Durbin, Caleb Johnson & Constantine Maroulis | "Tobacco Road" |
| Carrie Underwood & Keith Urban | "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" |
| Diana DeGarmo, Kree Harrison & Skylar Laine with Bucky Covington, Constantine Maroulis & Ace Young | "You Belong with Me" |
| Bucky Covington, Constantine Maroulis & Ace Young with Diana DeGarmo, Kree Harrison & Skylar Laine | "Storm Warning" |
| Lauren Alaina & Kellie Pickler with Bucky Covington, Diana DeGarmo, Kree Harrison, Skylar Laine, Constantine Maroulis & Ace Young | "Done" |
| Scotty McCreery with Lauren Alaina, Bucky Covington, Diana DeGarmo, Kree Harrison, Skylar Laine, Constantine Maroulis, Kellie Pickler & Ace Young | "Papa Loved Mama" |
| Lauren Alaina, Bucky Covington, Diana DeGarmo, Kree Harrison, Skylar Laine, Constantine Maroulis, Scotty McCreery, Kellie Pickler & Ace Young | "Pavement Ends" |
| Harry Connick Jr. & Marley Fletcher | "What a Wonderful World" |
| Casey James & Katharine McPhee | "Need You Now" |
| Carly Smithson | "Here You Come Again" |
| Clay Aiken | "Annie's Song" |
| Amber Holcomb & Ruben Studdard | "Here, There and Everywhere" |
| Jessica Sanchez | "The Prayer" |
| Jennifer Lopez | "Ain't Your Mama" "Let's Get Loud" |
| Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson & LaToya London | "Bridge over Troubled Water" |
| Jennifer Hudson | "Remember the Music" |
| Clark Beckham, Danny Gokey, George Huff, Brandon Rogers & Elliott Yamin | "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" |
| Fantasia | "Ugly" |
| Taylor Hicks & LaToya London with Clark Beckham, Melinda Doolittle, Candice Glover, Mikalah Gordon, Danny Gokey, George Huff, Joshua Ledet, Brandon Rogers & Elliott Yamin | "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" |
| Joshua Ledet | "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" |
| Melinda Doolittle & Candice Glover with Clark Beckham, James Durbin, Danny Gokey, Mikalah Gordon, Taylor Hicks, George Huff, Joshua Ledet, Blake Lewis, Kimberley Locke, Brandon Rogers, Jordin Sparks, Elliott Yamin & American Idol Top 10 | "Joy to the World" |
| Kris Allen, David Cook, Lee DeWyze, Nick Fradiani, & Phillip Phillips | "Starman" "Rebel Rebel" "The Jean Genie" |
| William Hung | "She Bangs" |
| Carrie Underwood | "Something in the Water" |
| Trent Harmon | "Falling" |

## Elimination chart

Color key:
American Idol (season 15) - Eliminations :
| Contestant | Pl. | Semifinals | Semifinals | Wild Card | Top 10 | Top 8 | Top 6 | Top 5 | Top 4 | Top 3 | Finale |
| Contestant | Pl. | 2/11 | 2/18 | 2/25 | 3/3 | 3/10 | 3/17 | 3/24 | 3/31 | 4/6 | 4/7 |
| Trent Harmon | 1 | N/A | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Winner |
| La'Porsha Renae | 2 | Safe | N/A | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Runner-up |
| Dalton Rapattoni | 3 | N/A | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Eliminated | |
| MacKenzie Bourg | 4 | Wild Card | N/A | Saved | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | |
| Sonika Vaid | 5 | Wild Card | N/A | Saved | Safe | Saved | Saved | Eliminated | | | |
| Tristan McIntosh | 6 | N/A | Wild Card | Saved | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | |
| Lee Jean | 7 | N/A | Wild Card | Saved | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | |
| Avalon Young | 7 | N/A | Wild Card | Saved | Saved | Eliminated | | | | | |
| Gianna Isabella | 9 | Wild Card | N/A | Saved | Eliminated | | | | | | |
| Olivia Rox | 9 | N/A | Safe | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | |
| Jenn Blosil | | N/A | Wild Card | Eliminated | | | | | | | |
| Jeneve Rose Mitchell | | Wild Card | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | |
| Thomas Stringfellow | | Wild Card | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | |
| Manny Torres | | N/A | Wild Card | Eliminated | | | | | | | |
| Amelia Eisenhauer | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | |
| C.J. Johnson | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | |
| Adam Lasher | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | |
| Kory Wheeler | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | |
| Shelbie Z | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | |
| James VIII | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | |
| Emily Brooke | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | |
| Stephany Negrete | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | |
| Jenna Renae | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | |
| Jordan Sasser | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | |

## Reception
### U.S. Nielsen ratings

Live + same day ratings
The fifteenth season premiered to 10.96 million viewers, the second lowest since the series premiere. It received an all-time-low 3.0/9 18–49 rating, down 9% from last season. The season finale however had 13.30 million viewers, 5 million more than the fourteenth season finale.
| No. | Episode | Air date | Timeslot | Rating/Share (18–49) | Rating/Share (18–49) | Viewers (millions) | Nightly rank | Weekly rank |
| 1 | "Denver & Atlanta Auditions" | January 6, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 3.0 | 9 | 10.96 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | "Little Rock & San Francisco Auditions" | January 7, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.7 | 9 | 10.21 | 2 | 7 |
| 3 | "Philadelphia Auditions" | January 13, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.5 | 8 | 9.77 | 2 | 5 |
| 4 | "Denver & Little Rock Auditions" | January 14, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.2 | 7 | 8.72 | 2 | 6 |
| 5 | "Atlanta, Little Rock, Philadelphia and San Francisco Auditions" | January 20, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.4 | 8 | 9.22 | 1 | 4 |
| 6 | "Atlanta, Philadelphia and San Francisco Auditions" | January 21, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.4 | 8 | 9.36 | 1 | 4 |
| 7 | "Hollywood Week: Lines of Ten" | January 27, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.5 | 8 | 9.63 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | "Hollywood Week: Group Rounds" | January 28, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.3 | 8 | 8.77 | 1 | 5 |
| 9 | "Hollywood Week: Solo Round" | February 3, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.3 | 8 | 9.18 | 1 | 7 |
| 10 | "Final Judgement" | February 4, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.2 | 7 | 8.94 | 2 | 9 |
| 11 | "Semi-Final #1: 1st 12 Solo Performances" | February 10, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.2 | 7 | 9.16 | 1 | 7 |
| 12 | "Semi-Final #2: 1st 12 Duets & Judges' Vote" | February 11, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.1 | 7 | 8.96 | 3 | 9 |
| 13 | "Semi-Final #3: 2nd 12 Solo Performances" | February 17, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.0 | 7 | 8.29 | 2 | 9 |
| 14 | "Semi-Final #4: 2nd 12 Duets & Judges' Vote" | February 18, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.0 | 7 | 8.19 | 4 | 9 |
| 15 | "Wild Card Night" | February 24, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.1 | 7 | 8.92 | 2 | 10 |
| 16 | "Top 10 Perform: Contestants' Choice" | February 25, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.1 | 7 | 8.72 | 2 | 10 |
| 17 | "Top 8 Perform: Grammy Hits" | March 3, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.0 | 7 | 8.74 | 2 | 8 |
| 18 | "Top 6 Perform: American Idol Songbook" | March 10, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 1.8 | 6 | 8.06 | 3 | 11 |
| 19 | "Top 5 Perform: America's Choice" | March 17, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 1.7 | 6 | 8.22 | 2 | 17 |
| 20 | "Top 4 Perform: Sia & classic rock songs" | March 24, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 1.7 | 6 | 8.02 | 3 | 18 |
| 21 | "Top 3 Perform: Hometown Dedication" | March 31, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 2.1 | 7 | 9.11 | 3 | 7 |
| 22 | "American Dream" | April 5, 2016 | Tuesday 8:00 p.m. | 1.4 | 5 | 5.98 | 4 | 23 |
| 23 | "Top 2 Perform" | April 6, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 2.2 | 8 | 9.70 | 3 | 6 |
| 24 | "Series Finale" | April 7, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 3.0 | 10 | 13.30 | 2 | 3 |
Live + 7 day (DVR) ratings
| No. | Episode | Air date | Timeslot | DVR 18–49 | DVR viewers (millions) | Total 18–49 | Total viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "Denver & Atlanta Auditions" | January 6, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.28 | 3.7 | 13.25 |
| 2 | "Little Rock & San Francisco Auditions" | January 7, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.8 | 2.24 | 3.5 | 12.45 |
| 3 | "Philadelphia Auditions" | January 13, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 1.84 | 3.2 | 11.61 |
| 4 | "Denver & Little Rock Auditions" | January 14, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.05 | 2.9 | 10.77 |
| 5 | "Auditions No. 5" | January 20, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 1.51 | 3.1 | 10.73 |
| 6 | "Auditions No. 6" | January 21, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.05 | 3.1 | 11.42 |
| 7 | "Hollywood Week: Lines of Ten" | January 27, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.6 | 1.88 | 3.1 | 11.50 |
| 8 | "Hollywood Week: Group Rounds" | January 28, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.23 | 3.0 | 11.01 |
| 9 | "Hollywood Week: Solo Round" | February 3, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.04 | 3.0 | 11.21 |
| 10 | "Final Judgement" | February 4, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.7 | 2.04 | 2.9 | 10.98 |
| 11 | "Semi-Final #1: 1st 12 Performances" | February 10, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.55 | 2.7 | 10.71 |
| 12 | "Semi-Final #2: Judge's Vote" | February 11, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.48 | 2.5 | 10.44 |
| 13 | "Semi-Final #3: 2nd 12 Performances" | February 17, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.47 | 2.5 | 9.76 |
| 14 | "Semi-Final #4: Judge's Vote" | February 18, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.57 | 2.4 | 9.76 |
| 15 | "Top 10 Wild Card Round" | February 24, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.30 | 2.6 | 10.22 |
| 16 | "Top 10 Perform" | February 25, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.73 | 2.6 | 10.45 |
| 17 | "Top 8 Perform: Grammy Hits" | March 3, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.63 | 2.4 | 10.37 |
| 18 | "Top 6 Perform: American Idol Songbook" | March 10, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 2.02 | 2.3 | 10.08 |
| 19 | "Top 5 Perform: America's Choice" | March 17, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.66 | 2.2 | 9.89 |
| 20 | "Top 4 Perform: Sia & classic rock songs" | March 24, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.24 | 2.1 | 9.26 |
| 21 | "Top 3 Perform: Hometown Dedication" | March 31, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.50 | 2.5 | 10.61 |
| 22 | "American Dream" | April 5, 2016 | Tuesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | — | 1.8 | — |
| 23 | "Top 2 Perform" | April 6, 2016 | Wednesday 8:00 p.m. | 0.4 | 1.53 | 2.6 | 11.23 |
| 24 | "Series Finale" | April 7, 2016 | Thursday 8:00 p.m. | 0.5 | 1.57 | 3.5 | 14.87 |