American Idol Top 12 Unveiled After 19 Million Votes and Rock & Roll Performances — Find Out Who’s Leading the Charge to the Top 10

The competition continued in the Sunday, April 27, episode of American Idol, where only 14 contestants remained. The artists performed live renditions of songs by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legends, and it was up to viewers to vote for their favorites to secure a spot in the Top 12. Judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie provided their feedback, while mentor James Taylor offered valuable advice to the contestants.

Who was eliminated? At the end of the episode, two artists were eliminated after the viewer votes were tallied. Ryan Seacrest revealed that Amanda Barise and Desmond Roberts had the lowest votes, meaning they would leave the competition.

The remaining contestants moved forward to the next stage, with the Top 12 set to take the stage for more live performances in the Monday, April 28 episode. The Top 12 artists are: Canaan James Hill, Gabby Samone, Mattie Pruitt, Thunderstorm Artis, Slater Nalley, Breanna Nix, John Foster, Filo, Kolbi Jordan, Josh King, Jamal Roberts, and Ché.

READ MORE: Carrie Underwood praises John Foster as the “young Dwight” following his energetic “Jailhouse Rock” performance.

TOP 12 ALL PERFORMANCES

• Filo kicked off the night with “With a Little Help From My Friends” by The Beatles, and the judges were impressed, with Richie calling it a “killer” performance.

• Mattie Pruitt took on Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart,” earning praise from Underwood and the judges for her emotional delivery, though they encouraged her to bring more sass to her stage presence.

• John Foster wowed with a unique performance of Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock,” earning high praise from the judges for making the song his own.

• Desmond Roberts impressed the judges with his performance of Lionel Richie’s “Jesus Is Love,” with Richie noting Desmond’s ability to hit notes he had never sung.

• Jamal Roberts gave a show-stopping performance of The Isley Brothers’ “Shout,” with Underwood praising his progression and stage presence.

• Amanda Barise performed Michael Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It,” and Bryan called her performance “pro” with impressive stage presence.

• Canaan James Hill received a standing ovation for his rendition of “Mary Don’t You Weep,” with Richie commenting, “That was unbelievable!”

• Josh King sang Billy Joel’s “The Longest Time,” with Underwood and Bryan praising his charm and performance, while Richie urged him to push himself further.

• Thunderstorm Artis gave a unique spin to James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain,” with the judges praising his creativity and originality.

• Gabby Samone took on Whitney Houston’s “Saving All My Love for You,” with Richie calling it “phenomenal” and urging America to vote for her.

• Breanna Nix sang Journey’s “Open Arms,” and while the judges noted some nerves, they were impressed by her voice.

• Kolbi Jordan wowed with “You’re All I Need to Get By,” impressing the judges with her confident stage presence.

• Ché performed “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” with a unique twist, earning praise for his bold performance.

• Slater Nalley closed the night with a heartfelt rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song,” earning accolades for his emotional depth and maturity.