American Idol Season 9 Introduces New ‘Ohana Round

The upcoming ninth season of “American Idol” is set to introduce an exciting new element called the ’Ohana Round. This unique competition will take place at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai‘i, adding a fresh twist to the show. The ’Ohana Round, part of a three-episode arc following Hollywood Week, aims to provide contestants with valuable feedback and support before America’s Vote kicks in.

During the ’Ohana Round, the top 30 contestants will have the opportunity to perform in front of a panel of industry tastemakers with a combined audience of nearly 149 million followers. This panel includes Kaniyia Brown & Terry McCaskill, social media personalities, Anthony Gargiula, an artist and music creator, Loren Gray, a singer and actress, Shirley Halperin, co-editor-in-chief of Rolling Stone, Evan Ross Katz, a writer and cultural commentator, Cheryl Porter, a singer and vocal coach, and Kelly Sutton, a country music personality and Grand Ole Opry announcer. Alongside these industry experts, contestants will also have the support of their peers, family, and friends during the performances. After the ’Ohana Round, only 20 contestants will move forward in the competition.

“American Idol” season 9 premieres on Monday, January 26, on ABC, with episodes available for streaming on Hulu the next day. For more information on the industry expert bios, social channels, and headshots related to the ’Ohana Round, you can click here.

“American Idol” is produced by Fremantle and 19 Entertainment, part of Sony Pictures Television. The executive producers of the show include Megan Wolflick, who also serves as showrunner, as well as Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman. Fremantle is responsible for distributing the series globally.

If you’re a fan of “American Idol,” make sure to follow (#AmericanIdol) the show on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Threads, and TikTok to stay up to date with all the latest updates and behind-the-scenes content.