Mua thi thu tam cua American Idol chinh thuc phat song tu ngay 13 thang 1, 2009. Cac giam khao Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul va Randy Jackson van tiep tuc đam nhan vai tro cu, cung voi Ryan Seacrest. Theo phat bieu cua nha sang lap Simon Fuller, chuong trinh nam nay co nhieu đoi moi, đau tien la viec Kara DioGuardi đa đuoc chon lam giam khao thu tu trong hoi đong giam khao. Đong thoi ong cung keu goi cac phien ban Pop Idol tren toan cau tang them mot giam khao tren ban giam khao, nham tang tinh hap dan cho chuong trinh.
Tai Viet Nam, chuong trinh đuoc phat lan đau tren kenh STAR World tu ngay 14 thang 1 (chenh lech khoang 6 tieng so voi gio đia phuong). Vong chung ket đuoc kenh truyen hinh HTV2 mua ban quyen phat song tu ngay 14 thang 3.
Qua hon 100.000.000 luot binh chon, Kris Allen đen tu Conway, Arkansas voi so phieu nhieu hon đa vuot qua Adam Lambert đe tro thanh nguoi chien thang nam 2009.


Khac biet so voi Mua 7 Kevin Reilly - Chu tich cua Fox Entertainment - tuyen bo mua thi nam nay se loai bot nhung thi sinh giong "hinh-mau-William Hung" va nhung man thu giong "nho nhang"; trong giai đoan đau chi đe tap trung gioi thieu va tim kiem nhung ca si tiem nang. Nhip đo cua mua thi nay cung se đuoc tang len, buoi cong bo ket qua binh chon va loai thi sinh chi dien ra trong 30 phut, giong voi đinh dang chuong trinh tu mua thi đau đen mua thi thu 5.
Cuoc thi Idol đong thoi đa chon them mot nha san xuat moi vi Nigel Lythgoe khang đinh se roi bo phien ban Idol va chuyen đen lam giam khao chinh cua chuong trinh So You Think You Can Dance va chuong trinh moi cua Simon Fuller - Superstars of Dance.
Mot thay đoi khac o hoi đong giam khao, lan đau tien, American Idol (phien ban đau tien trong he thong Pop Idol) chieu mo them giam khao thu tu, nhac si va nha san xuat am nhac Kara DioGuardi. Co tung cong tac voi cac ca si noi tieng nhu Celine Dion, Hilary Duff, Enrique Iglesias, Leona Lewis va Christina Aguilera. Nhieu bai hat do co viet đa lot vao top 40 cua My. Kara cung tung viet ca khuc cho cac cuu thi sinh cua Idol, co the ke đen Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, David Archuleta va David Cook.
Đoi voi mua thi nam nay, chuong trinh tu thien Idol Gives Back se khong đuoc to chuc nhu thuong le vi theo nha to chuc trong tinh hinh khung hoang kinh te nhu hien nay viec ra loi keu goi quyen gop tu khan gia co the la rat kho va tham chi co the bi phan đoi kich liet.
Cac thi sinh vong ban ket đa bi loai co them co hoi vao vong WildCard, mot vong thi xuat hien lan đau sau 4 mua thi lien tiep. Sau khi khan gia binh chon ra 3 trong so 12 guong mat cua tuan. Hoi đong giam khao se chon tiep 8 trong so 27 thi sinh con lai va cho ho them co hoi tranh tai trong đem Wild Card ngay 05 thang 3. Khan gia tiep tuc binh chon nhan vat minh yeu thich đe ho co co hoi chinh thuc buoc vao vong chung ket. Va đa co bon nguoi đuoc chon, nang tong so thi sinh len con so 13. 13 thi sinh vong chung ket la so luong lon nhat trong lich su chuong trinh nay; sau khi cong bo ten cua 12 thi sinh, hoi đong giam khao đa thay đoi quet đinh vao phut cuoi va cho rang 13 thi sinh nam nay la hop ly. Nguoi cuoi cung lot vao vong chung ket la Anoop Desai.
Mot thay đoi khac đuoc he mo trong đem cong bo ket qua tuan đau, hoi đong giam khao co quyen cuu tro mot thi sinh bi loai do co so luong binh chon thap. Quyen cuu tro chi đuoc su dung đe giai cuu cho duy nhat mot thi sinh trong suot mua giai. Thi sinh bi loai phai the hien ca khuc minh cho la tot nhat lan cuoi trong luc hoi đong giam khao thao luan. Quyet đinh cua hoi đong giam khao đuoc cong bo ngay sau man trinh dien cua thi sinh bi loai, va phai la quyet đinh dua tren su đong thuan cua cac giam khao. Neu thi sinh bi loai nhan đuoc quyen giai thoat cua giam khao, thi trong đem cong bo ket qua cua tuan thi ke tiep se co hai thi sinh bi loai. Su can thiep cua hoi đong giam khao nham tao them co hoi cho thi sinh chi co hieu luc đen Tuan thi cua top 5.


Giai đoan đau = Vong thu giong khu vuc =


 Đia phuong  Vong thu giong đa dien ra tai cac thanh pho đuoc liet ke duoi đay:

Đieu kien du thi yeu cau cac thi sinh co đo tuoi tu 16-28 (tinh tu ngay 15 thang 7, 2008) va co đu quyen lam viec tai My. Nhung truong hop khong hop le bao gom cac thi sinh cu (đa vao top 40 cua cac mua thi truoc; tru top 50 cua mua 7 neu đu tieu chuan), va nhung truong hop co hop đong thu am, hop đong voi cac cong ty quan ly hoac khong phai la cong dan My, dan nhap cu (nhu dan tam cu, nguoi lao đong co thoi han).


Bai hat va Thi sinh the hien = Top 13 - Michael Jackson =
Lil Rounds - "The Way You Make Me Feel" (Michael Jackson)
Scott MacIntyre - "Keep the Faith" (Michael Jackson)
Danny Gokey - "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" (Michael Jackson)
Michael Sarver - "You Are Not Alone" (Michael Jackson)
Jasmine Murray - "I'll Be There" (The Jackson 5)
Kris Allen - "Remember the Time" (Michael Jackson)
Allison Iraheta - "Give In to Me" (Michael Jackson)
Anoop Desai - "Beat It" (Michael Jackson)
Jorge Nunez - "Never Can Say Goodbye" (The Jackson 5)
Megan Joy - "Rockin' Robin" (Michael Jackson)
Adam Lambert - "Black or White" (Michael Jackson)
Matt Giraud - "Human Nature" (Michael Jackson)
Alexis Grace - "Dirty Diana" (Michael Jackson)
Bi loai: Jasmine Murray va Jorge Nunez
Cac giam khao khong đong thuan tao them co hoi cho Jasmine va Jorge.


= Top 11 - Grand Ole Opry =
Nguoi huong dan: Randy Travis

Michael Sarver - "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)" (Garth Brooks)
Allison Iraheta - "Blame It on Your Heart" (Patty Loveless)
Kris Allen - "To Make You Feel My Love" (Garth Brooks)
Lil Rounds - "Independence Day" (Martina McBride)
Adam Lambert - "Ring of Fire" (Johnny Cash)
Scott MacIntyre - "Wild Angels" (Martina McBride)
Alexis Grace - "Jolene" (Dolly Parton)
Danny Gokey - "Jesus, Take the Wheel" (Carrie Underwood)
Anoop Desai - "Always on My Mind" (Brenda Lee)
Megan Joy - "Walkin' After Midnight" (Patsy Cline)
Matt Giraud - "So Small" (Carrie Underwood)
Nhom 3 khong an toan: Allison Iraheta, Michael Sarver va Alexis Grace
Nhom 2 khong an toan: Michael Sarver va Alexis Grace
Bi loai: Alexis Grace
Giam khao khong đong y giai cuu Alexis, Simon noi rang "Nhin chung hay... nhung chua đu hay" ("It was good...but not good enough").


= Top 10 - Ki niem 50 nam thanh lap Motown =
Huong dan: Smokey Robinson

Matt Giraud - "Let's Get It On" (Marvin Gaye)
Kris Allen - "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" (Marvin Gaye)
Scott MacIntyre - "You Can't Hurry Love" (The Supremes)
Megan Joy - "For Once in My Life" (Stevie Wonder)
Anoop Desai - "Ooo Baby Baby" (The Miracles)
Michael Sarver - "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (The Temptations)
Lil Rounds - "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave" (Martha va the Vandellas)
Adam Lambert - "The Tracks of My Tears" (The Miracles)
Danny Gokey - "Get Ready" (The Temptations)
Allison Iraheta - "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (The Temptations)
Nhom 3 khong an toan: Matt Giraud, Michael Sarver, va Scott MacIntyre
Nhom 2 khong an toan: Matt Giraud va Michael Sarver
Bi loai: Michael Sarver
Giam khao khong cuu tro Michael.


= Top 9 - Nhung bai hat đuoc tai nhieu nhat =
Anoop Desai - "Caught Up" (Usher)
Megan Joy - "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (Bob Marley)
Danny Gokey - "What Hurts the Most" (Rascal Flatts)
Allison Iraheta - "Don't Speak" (No Doubt)
Scott MacIntyre - "Just the Way You Are" (Billy Joel)
Matt Giraud - "You Found Me" (The Fray)
Lil Rounds - "I Surrender" (Celine Dion)
Adam Lambert - "Play That Funky Music" (Wild Cherry)
Kris Allen - "Ain't No Sunshine" (Bill Withers)
Nhom 3 khong an toan: Megan Joy, Allison Iraheta, va Anoop Desai
Nhom 2 khong an toan: Megan Joy va Anoop Desai
Bi loai: Megan Joy
Simon nhan manh rang khong can phai xem xet giai cuu co, "Khi ban noi ban khong lo lang, chung toi cung vay. Toi se khong co gia vo rang chung toi no luc giai cuu ban". ("When you say you don't care, nor are we. I'm not going to even pretend we're going to contemplate saving you."


= Top 8 - Bai hat cung nam sinh =
Danny Gokey - "Stand by Me" (Ben E. King)
Kris Allen - "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" (Don Henley)
Lil Rounds - "What's Love Got to Do With It" (Tina Turner)
Anoop Desai - "True Colors" (Cyndi Lauper)
Scott MacIntyre - "The Search Is Over" (Survivor)
Allison Iraheta - "I Can't Make You Love Me" (Bonnie Raitt)
Matt Giraud - "Part-Time Lover" (Stevie Wonder)
Adam Lambert - "Mad World" (Tears for Fears)
Nhom 3 khong an toan: Anoop Desai, Scott MacIntyre, va Lil Rounds
Nhom 2 khong an toan: Anoop Desai va Scott MacIntyre
Bi loai: Scott MacIntyre
Paula va Kara đong y giai cuu Scott, nhung Simon va Randy thi khong.


= Top 7 (tuan đau) - Bai hat trong phim =
Nguoi huong dan: Quentin Tarantino

Allison Iraheta - "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (Aerosmith) from Armageddon
Anoop Desai - "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (Bryan Adams) from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Adam Lambert - "Born to Be Wild" (Steppenwolf) from Easy Rider
Matt Giraud - "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" (Bryan Adams) from Don Juan DeMarco
Danny Gokey - "Endless Love" (Lionel Richie va Diana Ross) from Endless Love
Kris Allen - "Falling Slowly" (Glen Hansard va Marketa Irglova) from Once
Lil Rounds - "The Rose" (Bette Midler) from The Rose
Nhom 3 khong an toan: Anoop Desai, Lil Rounds, va Matt Giraud
Nhom 2 khong an toan: Matt Giraud va Lil Rounds
Phieu bau thap nhat: Matt Giraud
Bi loai: Khong ai*
*Matt Giraud co so phieu binh chon thap nhat nhung khong bi loai do nhan đuoc su tro giup cua cac giam khao.


= Top 7 (tuan hai) - Nhac disco =
Lil Rounds - "I'm Every Woman" (Chaka Khan)
Kris Allen - "She Works Hard for the Money" (Donna Summer)
Danny Gokey - "September" (Earth, Wind & Fire)
Allison Iraheta - "Hot Stuff (Donna Summer)
Adam Lambert - "If I Can't Have You" (Yvonne Elliman)
Matt Giraud - "Stayin' Alive" (Bee Gees)
Anoop Desai - "Dim All the Lights" (Donna Summer)
Nhom 3 khong an toan: Anoop Desai, Allison Iraheta, va Lil Rounds
Bi loai: Lil Rounds va Anoop Desai
Do tuan thi truoc khong co thi sinh bi loai, nen tuan nay hai nguoi co so phieu binh chon thap nhat phai chia tay cuoc choi.


= Top 5 - Rat Pack Standards =
Nguoi huong dan: Jamie Foxx

Kris Allen - "The Way You Look Tonight"
Allison Iraheta - "Someone to Watch Over Me
Matt Giraud - "My Funny Valentine"
Danny Gokey - "Come Rain or Come Shine"
Adam Lambert - "Feeling Good"
Nhom 3 khong an toan: Matt Giraud, Kris Allen, Adam Lambert.
Nhom 2 khong an toan: Matt Giraud, Adam Lambert.
Bi loai: Matt Giraud
Đa đuoc cuu o vong Top 7, Matt khong đuoc cuu o vong nay.


= Top 4 - Nhac rock =
Nguoi huong dan: Slash
Cac thi sinh hat đon ca mot ca khuc, sau đo song ca cung thi sinh khac

Adam Lambert - "Whole Lotta Love" (Led Zeppelin)
Allison Iraheta - "Cry Baby" (Janis Joplin)
Kris Allen & Danny Gokey - "Renegade" (Styx)
Kris Allen - "Come Together" (The Beatles)
Danny Gokey - "Dream On" (Aerosmith)
Allison Iraheta & Adam Lambert - "Slow Ride" (Foghat)
Bi loai: Allison Iraheta


= Top 3 - Bai hat thu thach/ Bai hat cua thi sinh =
Moi thi sinh se hat hai ca khuc

Danny Gokey - "Dance Little Sister" (Terence Trent D'Arby) (bai hat cua Paula Abdul)
Kris Allen - "Apologize" (OneRepublic) (Randy Jackson va Kara DioGuardi chon bai)
Adam Lambert - "One" (U2) (Simon Cowell lua chon)
Danny Gokey - "You Are So Beautiful" (Joe Cocker)
Kris Allen - "Heartless" (Kanye West)
Adam Lambert - "Cryin'" (Aerosmith)
Bi loai: Danny Gokey


= Top 2 - So thich cua thi sinh/ Thu thach cua Simon Fuller/ Bai ca chien thang =
Cac thi sinh se the hien ba bai hat. Do chien thang trong tro choi tung đong xu nen Kris co quyen lua chon thu tu trinh dien va anh chon trinh dien sau Adam

Adam Lambert - "Mad World" (Tears for Fears) - Contestant's favorite
Kris Allen - "Ain't No Sunshine" (Bill Withers) - Contestant's favorite
Adam Lambert - "A Change Is Gonna Come" (Sam Cooke) - Thu thach cua Simon Fuller
Kris Allen - "What's Going On" (Marvin Gaye) - Thu thach cua Simon Fuller
Adam Lambert - "No Boundaries" - Bai hat cua nguoi chien thang
Kris Allen - "No Boundaries" - Bai hat cua nguoi chien thang
Chien thang: Kris Allen
Ve nhi: Adam Lambert


Đem cong bo ket qua Vong chung ket mua thi 2009 su dung ca khuc "Home Sweet Home" do Carrie Underwood trinh bay nhu bai hat chia tay thi sinh bi loai.


= Bai hat tap the =
Top 36/Nhom 1: "I'm Yours" cua Jason Mraz
Top 36/Nhom 2: "Closer" cua Ne-Yo
Top 36/Nhom 3: "Hot N Cold" cua Katy Perry
Top 13: "I Want You Back/ABC Medley" cua The Jackson 5
Top 11: "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" cua Travis Tritt
Top 10: "Motown" Medley: "You Keep Me Hangin' On" cua The Supremes/"You're All I Need to Get By" cua Marvin Gaye va Tammi Terrell/"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" cua Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Top 9: "Don't Stop Believing" cua Journey
Top 8: "Can't Get You out of My Head" cua Kylie Minogue
Top 7 (tuan 1): "Maniac" cua Michael Sembello trong chuong trinh Flashdance
Top 7 (tuan 2): "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" cua The Jackson 5; bien đao: Paula Abdul
Top 5: "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" va "I Got Rhythm"
Top 4: "School's Out" cua Alice Cooper
Top 3: khong hat thanh nhom
Top 2: "So What" cua Pink


= Khac =
Trong đem cong bo ket qua, ban to chuc va nha san xuat co moi mot so ca si va nhan vat noi tieng đen trinh dien vua đe khuay đong bau khong khi vua quang ba cho ca khuc moi cua chinh nhan vat đo hoac đon thuan la gioi thieu ho. Nhung ca khuc nay nam trong Hot 100 va Hot Digital Songs.


Thu tu bi loai 1Vi ngay thu ba 24 thang 2 2009, Tong thong Barack Obama đoc bai phat bieu truoc Quoc hoi Hoa Ky, nen buoi trinh dien đuoc doi sang hom sau va buoi cong bo ket qua đuoc doi sang thu nam 26 thang 2.
2Cuoi ngay thi Wild Card, ban giam khao tuyen bo Anoop Desai la thi sinh đac biet (thu 13) đuoc buoc vao vong chung ket.
3 Ngay 10 thang 3, Simon tuyen bo tuan thi đau tien se co hai thi sinh bi loai. Ngay 11 thang 3, đem cong bo ket qua dien ra voi hai luot loai thi sinh: Luot đau gom Megan va Jasmine roi vao nhom khong an toan; Luot hai gom Anoop va Jorge. Ket qua, Jasmine Murray va Jorge Nunez bi loai.
4Thu ba 24 thang 3, tai Nha Trang dien ra phien hop khan. Vi the đem trinh dien doi vao ngay thu tu va đem cong bo ket qua chuyen sang thu sau 26.
5Tai đem cong bo ket qua binh chon cua tuan 6, hoi đong giam khao nhat tri su dung quyen cuu tro đe tao cho Matt Giraud them co hoi the hien. Va do đo đem cong bo ket qua tuan sau (22/04) phai co hai thi sinh bi loai.


Tranh luan Joanna Pacitti, mot thi sinh đuoc chon vao vong ban ket, đa gay tranh cai lon vi truoc đay co tung ky hop đong voi hang A&M va Geffen Records. Tiep đo, co đuoc phat hien co "moi quan he ca nhan" voi 19 Management. Ket qua co bi truat quyen du thi vong ke, nguoi thay the la Felicia Barton.
Trong top 11, so đien thoai binh chon cua thi sinh Alexis Grace, IDOLS-07, khong do chuong trinh American Idol so huu, thay vao đo la cong ty Intimate Encounters. Cong ty nay đa dung lam so đien thoai cho đuong day mai dam. Du nguoi dan chuong trinh Ryan Seacrest đa lon tieng thong bao ve viec thay đoi so đien thoai sang IDOLS-36, nhung nhieu nguoi cho rang viec lon xon so đien thoai co the lam cho Alexis bi loai khoi cuoc choi.


Chu thich Lien ket ngoai Website chinh thuc cua American Idol
American Idol tren trang MTV Luu tru ngay 15 thang 5 nam 2008 tai Wayback Machine