American Idol’ Runner-Ups — Pics

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March 19, 2021 10:19AM EDT

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Justin Guarini

Justin Guarini — Only one person can win every season of ‘American Idol,’ so every year, there’s a second place finisher who comes THIS close to taking the title. Of course, some of these runner-ups have had extremely successful careers of their own, too! Meanwhile, there are others who have not made much of a statement in the music industry in the years’ since their seasons aired.

On the first season of ‘American Idol,’ Justin Guarini finished behind OG winner, Kelly Clarkson, in second place. He released his debut album in 2003, followed by a second record in 2005 and an EP in 2008. Justin doesn’t do much as a recording artist anymore, but he works in the Broadway community, starring in shows like ‘Wicked’ and ‘American Idiot.’ Keep clicking through the gallery to get more updates on what’s become of the runner-ups on every season of ‘American Idol’ over the years!

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Clay Aiken

Clay Aiken — It was quite a controversial decision when Clay Aiken came in second place behind Ruben Studdard on ‘American Idol’s second season. He’s released several albums in the years since his time on the show, and has done work on Broadway and television, as well. Clay has also dabbled in politics — he ran for Congress in North Carolina’s 2nd congressional district in 2014, but was defeated by his opponent.

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Diana DeGarmo

Diana DeGarmo — Diana DeGarmo was the runner-up on season three of ‘American Idol,’ coming in second place to Fantasia Barrino. She released her debut album in 2004, but since then, she has only put out two EPs (one in 2009 and the other in 2012). She starred on ‘The Young & The Restless’ from 2011-2012, and has also done other work for television and in musical theatre. Diana is married to fellow ‘American Idol’ contestant, Ace Young.

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Bo Bice

Bo Bice — The runner-up on season four of ‘American Idol’ was Bo Bice, who came in second place to Carrie Underwood. Bo has released three albums since his time on the show, with the most recent released in 2010. He also started his own record label, Sugar Money Records. Bo has suffered a number of health complications over the years, and has mostly stepped away from his musical career.

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Katharine McPhee

Katharine McPhee — Katharine McPhee is one of the more successful ‘American Idol’ runner-ups. She came in second place behind Taylor Hicks during season five of the show, and has fairly consistently released albums in the years since. Katharine has also gotten into acting, and starred on the short-lived but beloved series ‘Smash.’ She was also the lead in Broadway’s ‘Waitress’ for a significant run in 2018. Katharine has also made headlines for her relationship with David Foster, who is 35 years her senior. In 2021, they welcomed a child together.

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Blake Lewis

Blake Lewis — Blake Lewis came in second place behind Jordin Sparks on season six of ‘American Idol.’ He released albums in 2007, 2009 and 2014, but has mostly remained out of the spotlight since then.

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David Archuleta

David Archuleta — David Archuleta was the runner-up behind David Cook on ‘American Idol’s seventh season. He’s released seven records since competing on the show, with the most recent debuting in 2018. David continues to have a fairly successful music career, and is keeping up with touring consistently.

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Adam Lambert

Adam Lambert — Adam Lambert was the season eight runner-up for ‘American Idol,’ finishing behind Kris Allen. He has had an incredibly successful career since his time on the show, most notably for performing with the famous rock band, Queen beginning in 2011. Adam has toured around the world with the band under the name Queen + Adam Lambert. He’s also made appearances in shows like ‘Glee,’ ‘Pretty Little Liars’ and ‘Project Runway.’

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Crystal Bowersox

Crystal Bowersox — Crystal Bowersox was the second place finisher on season nine of ‘American Idol,’ which was won by Lee DeWyze. Crystal released her debut album in 2010, with her sophomore album released in 2013. She was not in the spotlight much after the show ended.

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Lauren Alaina

Lauren Alaina — After coming in second place behind Scotty McCreery on season 10 of ‘American Idol,’ Lauren Alaina has made a name for herself in country music. Her first album was released in 2011, and while the second record didn’t come out until 2017, Lauren still kept herself relevant in the country music community through the years. She won the award for ACM Award for New Female Vocalist of the Year in 2018, and scored her first No. 1 song, “What Ifs,” with Kane Brown, at the end of 2017.

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Jessica Sanchez

Jessica Sanchez — Jessica Sanchez came in second place behind Phillip Phillips on season 11 of ‘American Idol.’ She’s only released one studio album, in 2013, but has put out a series of singles over the years, although they did not receive commercial success.

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Kree Harrison

Kree Harrison — Kree Harrison was the runner-up on season 12 of ‘American Idol,’ which was won by Candice Glover. She released an album in 2016, but has not had mainstream success. Kree has revealed plans to drop another album in 2019, but nothing is set in stone.

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Jena Irene

Jena Irene — Jena Irene came in second place on season 13 of ‘American Idol,’ falling short behind winner Caleb Johnson. Her EP, ‘Innocence,’ was released in 2016, but Jena has not released any music that’s become well-known in the mainstream atmosphere.

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Clark Beckham

Clark Beckham — The second place finisher for season 14 of ‘American Idol,’ behind Nick Fradiani, was Clark Beckham. Unfortunately, Clark’s music career did not take off after the show.

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La’Porsha Renae

La’Porsha Renae — La’Porsha Renae came in second place behind Trent Harmon on season 15 of ‘American Idol.’ She signed a record deal immediately after her time on ‘Idol,’ and released her debut single, “Battles,” that year. It saw some success on the US R&B/Digital charts. La’Porsha put out her debut album in 2017.

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Caleb Lee Hutchinson

Caleb Lee Hutchinson — Caleb Lee Hutchinson finished in second place on season 16 of ‘American Idol,’ behind his girlfriend, Maddie Poppe, who he’s still dating more than one year after they met on the show. His single, “Johnny Cash Heart,” came out in 2018, and he is currently getting his footing in the country music community!

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Alejandro Aranda

Alejandro Aranda — Alejandro Aranda was the second place finisher on season 17 of ‘American Idol,’ coming in second place behind Laine Hardy. He has continued to write and release original songs since being on the show and his debut album came out in Nov. 2019.

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Arthur Gunn

Arthur Gunn — Arthur Gunn won fans over with his unique voice on season 18 of ‘American Idol,’ but he fell just short of winning against Just Sam. Amidst the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Arthur continued to record music, and even released an album for his fans. Although he may not be mainstream, Arthur has maintaned a solid following since his time on the show

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