<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> <Ul> <Li> ◀ </Li> <Li> 2018 </Li> <Li> ▶ </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> ◀ </Li> <Li> 2018 </Li> <Li> ▶ </Li> </Ul> <P> The sixteenth season of American Idol premiered on March 11, 2018, on the ABC television network . It is the show's first season to air on ABC, after 15 years on Fox . Ryan Seacrest continued his role as the show's host, while Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie joined as judges . Maddie Poppe from Clarksville, Iowa won the season on May 21, 2018, while her boyfriend Caleb Lee Hutchinson was runner - up . Poppe was the first female winner since Candice Glover in season twelve . </P> <P> In early 2017, Variety reported that FremantleMedia was in talks to revive the show for NBC or for its original network, Fox . A dispute between Fremantle and Core Media Group derailed these plans . </P>

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