Produced for the Seven Network by Eureka Productions, Australian Idol is ready to unearth a new generation of Australian artists when it premieres 7.30pm Monday, 30 January on Channel Seven and 7plus.
A global success since 2001, the Idol franchise has launched the careers of many multi-award- winning artists including Aussies Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy, Matt Corby, Ricki-Lee Coulter, Anthony Callea, Stan Walker, Casey Donovan and Courtney Act.
International music icons Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Adam Lambert also launched their careers on the Idol stage.
The Judges
Helping find the next idol will be American Idol judge, musician, singer, composer and multiple Grammy award-winning Harry Connick Jr; Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor; top-rating broadcaster Kyle Sandilands; and eight-time ARIA Award-winning singer-songwriter Amy Shark.
Idol judges: Kyle Sandilands, Meghan Trainor, Amy Shark, Harry Connick Jr
Former Australian Idol judge Marcia Hines also joins the series as a special guest judge.
The series will be hosted by multi-platinum selling, ARIA Award-nominated singer-songwriter Ricki-Lee – who was discovered on the show in 2004 – and entertainment presenter and former E! host, Scott Tweedie.
Episode Structure
The series will begin with the Australian Idol team travelling across the country searching for the best voices, wherever they might be. Aspiring artists aged between 15 and 28 will showcase their talents during the judges’ audition rounds of the competition – covering Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, the Gold Coast and regional Australia.
From the thousands of contestants who audition, those lucky enough to score a Golden Ticket from the judges will automatically claim their coveted spot in the top 50.
The top 50 will perform for the judges to secure a place in the top 24. The top 24 will perform again as the judges narrow the field to the competition’s top 12 artists. The top 12 will feature in the live performance round of the competition, with Australian audiences voting each week to decide who will be crowned the next Australian Idol.
The winner will receive a recording contract with Sony Music and $100,000 in prize money.
Sponsors
The Seven Network has announced Optus and Arnott’s Tim Tam as its major broadcast partners of the new series of Australian Idol, premiering Monday, 30 January at 7.30pm on Channel Seven and 7plus.
The sponsorships with Optus and Arnott’s Tim Tam have been strategically developed with the agencies UM (Optus) and The Neighbourhood, Publicis Groupe’s bespoke connected agency platform for Arnott’s.
The partnerships include bespoke activation packages, in-program integration, premium commercial assets on Channel Seven and 7plus across metro, regional and digital screens, social support and amplification on Seven’s new channel, 7Bravo.
See Also: Optus and Arnott’s Tim Tam take to the stage as Australian Idol sponsors
Previous Winners
2003 Winner: Guy Sebastian / Runner Up: Shannon Noll
2004 Winner: Casey Donovan / Runner Up: Anthony Callea
2005 Winner: Kate DeAraugo / Runner Up: Emily Williams
2006 Winner: Damien Leith / Runner Up: Jessica Mauboy
2007 Winner: Natalie Gauci / Runner Up: Matt Corby
2008 Winner: Wes Carr / Runner Up: Luke Dickens
2009 Winner: Stan Walker / Runner Up: Hayley Warner