Door County’s Genevieve Heyward American Idol audition teaser

On January 1st, Genevieve Heyward, a former Door County musician now living in Nashville, announced on Instagram that she will be appearing on Season 24 of “American Idol.” She expressed her excitement, mentioning that auditioning for the show had been a dream of hers since she was a young child singing with her karaoke machine. You can catch her performance for judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan on January 26th on ABC or stream it on Hulu.

After graduating from Badger High School in Lake Geneva in 2017, Heyward quickly immersed herself in the Door County music scene. She credits her involvement in the Steel Bridge Songfest collaborative for shaping her into a full-time musician. In fact, her EP “The River,” released in 2019, was co-written with Wisconsin native pat mAcdonald, a co-founder of Steel Bridge and former Timbuk 3 leader.

Despite now being a touring musician based in Nashville, Heyward still frequents Wisconsin, with recent performances in Egg Harbor, Fish Creek, and other cities. Her “Sprinkles” EP, released in September, was supported by a series of Wisconsin shows in the fall.

Auditions for the upcoming season of “American Idol” were filmed at Belmont University in Nashville last fall. The show, premiering on January 26th on ABC, will feature Ryan Seacrest as the host, along with judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood. The winner will be determined through fan voting.

So mark your calendars and tune in to support Heyward as she takes on “American Idol” in Season 24. It’s exciting to see local talent making waves on a national stage!