American Idol Season 23 winner Jamal Roberts has been nominated for a Grammy Award, and this prestigious honor will save the reality competition series from becoming irrelevant. American Idol began on FOX in 2002, and gave rise to some of the most successful, popular, and beloved music artists of the modern era, including season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson and season 4 winner Carrie Underwood.
American Idol also proved that contestants didn’t have to win in order to become superstars, as evidenced by season 3’s Jennifer Hudson, season 5’s Katharine McPhee and Chris Daughtry, and season 8’s Adam Lambert. Although the show was a big hit for FOX, the network canceled it in 2016. ABC revived American Idol in 2018, but none of the contestants from the new era of the show have made much of an impact on the music industry. Until now.
Jamal Roberts Is The First ABC Era American Idol Contestant To Be Nominated For A Grammy Award
Jamal now holds the distinction of being the first ABC era American Idol contestant to be nominated for a Grammy Award. He and Jonathan McReynolds received a nomination in the Best Gospel Song/Performance category for the live rendition of their song, “Still.” Even though American Idol has aired for eight seasons on ABC, no one else has achieved this, although Benson Boone, who dropped out of the competition in season 19, was nominated for Best New Artist in 2025.
Grammy-winning American Idol artists include Kelly, Carrie, Jennifer, Fantasia Barrino (season 3 winner), Lucky Daye (season 4 contestant, then known as David Brown), and Mandisa (season 5 contestant). In addition, Chris, Adam, Ruben Studdard (season 2 winner), Jordin Sparks (season 6 winner), Danny Gokey (season 8 contestant), Tori Kelly (season 9 contestant), and Ace Young (season 5 contestant) have been nominated for Grammy Awards. However, they were all from the FOX era of the show.
American Idol Should Build On Jamal Roberts’ Success
up during American Idol’s ABC era, the show has struggled to find a superstar like it did when the show first became popular. Although season 16 third place finisher Gabby Barrett has had some success in country music, none of the winners have broken into the music industry in any significant way, including Maddie Poppe, Laine Hardy, Just Sam, Chayce Beckham, Noah Thompson, Iam Tongi, and Abi Carter.
Iam had some moderate success with singles, a Christmas EP, and recording a new version of “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” for the live action version of the film Lilo & Stitchbut none of the winners has become a household name like Kelly or Carrie. However, this could change now that Jamal has already achieved such a huge career milestone.
Jamal’s first single, “Heal,” which he performed during the show, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart. Since American Idol ended in May 2025, Jamal has opened for music superstars Brandy and Monica on their The Boy Is Mine Tour. He also released the singles, “Mississippi,” “Still” (with Jonathan McReynolds), and “Nothing Compares.” Jamal has proven that American Idol isn’t just a gimmick, but that it can still lead to the discovery of authentic music artists.
American Idol should build on Jamal’s success when it returns in January 2026. The show should invite him back to perform, and the judges–Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan–should continuously remind all of the contestants that they can achieve what Jamal did if they work hard.
Too often, the ABC version of American Idol seems to forget about its winners, but Jamal will usher in a new era, saving it from irrelevance. Jamal is an inspiration, and he has a very bright future in music ahead of him after winning American Idol.
- Release Date
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2002 – 2016-00-00
- Showrunner
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Nigel Lythgoe
- Franchise(s)
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American Idol
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