Australian Idol (season 9)Finalists Dylan Wright Winner Amy Reeves Runner-up Denvah Baker-Moller 25 March Trent Richardson 18 March Isaac McCallum 18 March Ivana Ilic 18 March Drea Onamade 11 March Kiani Smith 11 March Tyler Hammill 5 March TJ Zimba 5 March Ripley Alexander 27 February Imogen Spendlove 27 February
The ninth season of Australian Idol premiered on 29 January 2024. It is the show's second season to air on Seven Network, after the network bought the rights to the series from Network 10. The grand final was won by Dylan Wright who released his winner's single, "Paper Heart", on 25th March 2024.
Production
In July 2023, it was officially revealed that the show had been renewed by Seven Network for a ninth season, set to premiere in 2024. It was later revealed that Ricki Lee Coulter and Scott Tweedie would return as hosts, and that Kyle Sandilands and Amy Shark would be returning to their judging positions. However, Harry Connick Jr and Meghan Trainor would not return, with Trainor leaving due to family reasons. Original judge Marcia Hines returned as a main judge. Seven officially confirmed the 2024 judges at their upfronts in October 2023.
Auditions
Auditions were held in various cities around Australia. In a few cases, a single judge visited a remote location to audition contestants by themselves. For the first time on any show with the Idol format, contestants were not guaranteed a "golden ticket" if they got two or three "yes" votes from the judges. Instead, they were sent to a holding area until the end of the day, when the judges would further narrow down the contestants they saw, potentially have some contestants sing again, and decide who made the Top 30, down from 50 in the previous season.
Singer did not receive a golden ticket
Auditions 1 (29 January)
+ Singers that received a golden ticket Singer AgeHometown Song Dylan Wright 30 Bangalow, New South Wales "Better Be Home Soon" by Crowded House Ivana Ilic 20 Mill Park, Victoria "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys Ripley Alexander 19 Brisbane, Queensland "Mamma Mia" by ABBA Billy Menhennet 20 Smythes Creek, Victoria "Something in the Orange" by Zach Bryan
Auditions 2 (30 January)
+ Singers that received a golden ticket Singer AgeHometown Song Amy Reeves 24 Broome, Western Australia "A Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin Trent Richardson 22 Emu Park, Queensland "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts Tyler Hammill 21 Alexandra Headland, Queensland "Lonely Boy" by The Black Keys Natasha Rose 19 Burpengary, Queensland "Hands to Myself" by Selena Gomez Cynthia Negash 19 Kurunjang, Victoria "Something's Got a Hold on Me" by Etta James
Auditions 3 (31 January)
+ Singers that received a golden ticket Singer AgeHometown Song Drea Onamade 25 Perth, Western Australia "American Boy" by Estelle Jake Carlson 20 Mernda, Victoria "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz Saoirse Harding 19 Gold Coast, Queensland "I Love You" by Billie Eilish Jonathan Wells 28 Melbourne, Victoria "SexyBack" by Justin Timberlake
Auditions 4 (4 February)
+ Singers that received a golden ticket Singer AgeHometown Song Isaac McCallum 23 Burrill Lake, New South Wales "Bruises" by Lewis Capaldi Jet Cameron 16 Fig Tree Pocket, Queensland "This City" by Sam Fischer Bethany Byrne 28 Mooroolbark, Victoria "Afterglow" by Ed Sheeran Kym Miaco 28 Lightsview, South Australia "P.Y.T." by Michael Jackson Jesse Lazaroo 18 Perth, Western Australia "Talking to the Moon" by Bruno Mars
Auditions 5 (5 February)
+ Singers that received a golden ticket Singer AgeHometown Song Denvah Baker-Moller 23 Rockhampton, Queensland "Pony" by Kasey Chambers Gab Hester 18 Rye, Victoria "Down Under" by Men at Work Jackson Smith 25 Melbourne, Victoria "Eyes Closed" by Ed Sheeran Jess Chalmers 24 Melbourne, Victoria "Domino" by Jessie J
Auditions 6 (6 February)
+ Singers that received a golden ticket Singer AgeHometown Song Prayer Corby 23 Humpty Doo, Northern Territory "Big Jet Plane" by Angus & Julia Stone Kiani Smith 17 Bribie Island, Queensland "2002" by Anne-Marie Kobe White 24 Keysborough, Victoria "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars Olivia Britton 23 Wodonga, Victoria "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry Eli Parr 20 Loganholme, Queensland "Story of My Life" by One Direction
Auditions 7 (7 February)
+ Singers that received a golden ticket Singer AgeHometown Song TJ Zimba 24 Karratha, Western Australia "Location" by Khalid Imogen Spendlove 23 Melbourne, Victoria "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston Chenai Boucher 26 Seaford, Victoria "River" by Bishop Briggs
Top 30
Top 30 Part 1 (11 February)
Singers did not make it Singers got put On Notice Round 1 – Chorus Line Group Song Singer Result Group 1 "Always Remember Us This Way" Amy Reeves Advanced Dylan Wright Advanced Kiani Smith Advanced Bethany Byrne On Notice Jake Carlson Advanced Group 2 "Castle on the Hill" Trent Richardson Advanced Denvah Baker-Moller Advanced Billy Menhennet Eliminated Jesse Lazaroo Advanced Tyler Hammill Advanced Group 3 "Addicted to You " Cynthia Negash Eliminated Natasha Rose Advanced Drea Onamade Advanced Olivia Britton Advanced Ivana Ilic Advanced Group 4 "Grenade" Prayer Corby Advanced Jet Cameron On Notice Isaac McCallum Advanced Saoirse Harding Advanced Kym Miaco Advanced Group 5 "Blinding Lights" Jess Chalmers On Notice Kobe White Advanced TJ Zimba Advanced Imogen Spendlove Advanced Jonathan Wells Advanced Group 6 "Radioactive " Eli Parr Eliminated Ripley Alexander Advanced Chenai Boucher Advanced Jackson Smith Advanced Gab Hester Advanced
Top 30 Part 2 (12 February) Singers did not make it Singers got put On Notice Round 2 – Group Challenge Group Song Singer Result Group 1 "Killing Me Softly with His Song" Kym Miaco Advanced Ivana Ilic Advanced Jonathan Wells On Notice Group 2 "Torn" Kobe White Advanced Amy Reeves Advanced Dylan Wright Advanced Group 3 "One Call Away" Trent Richardson Advanced Ripley Alexander Advanced Saoirse Harding Advanced Group 4 "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart" Olivia Britton Advanced Jet Cameron Eliminated Imogen Spendlove Advanced Group 5 "Counting Stars" Jesse Lazaroo Advanced Jake Carlson Advanced Natasha Rose Advanced Group 6 "Teenage Dream "Gab Hester Eliminated Chenai Boucher On Notice TJ Zimba On Notice Group 7 "Circles" Jess Chalmers Advanced Jackson Smith Advanced Drea Onamade Advanced Group 8 "Stand by Me " Kiani Smith On Notice Tyler Hamill Advanced Prayer Corby Eliminated Group 9 "Perfect " Isaac McCallum On Notice Bethany Byrne Advanced Denvah Baker-Moller Advanced
Top 30 Part 3 (13 & 14 February ) Singers did not make it Singers got put On Notice 24 contestants reached this round. Each contestant sang a song solo in front of a live audience. The judges then decided who would progress to the final 21. Singer Order Song Result Drea Onamade 1 "That's What I Like " Advanced Trent Richardson 2 "Stay " Advanced Amy Reeves 3 "Clarity " Advanced Kiani Smith 4 "You're the One That I Want" On Notice Imogen Spendlove 5 "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" Advanced TJ Zimba 6 "Airplanes" Advanced Chenai Boucher 7 "Kryptonite " Advanced Denvah Baker-Moller 8 "Yellow" Advanced Jake Carlson 9 "Wish You the Best" Advanced Natasha Rose 10 "Bad Romance" Advanced Kobe White 11 "You're Still the One" AdvancedJonathan Wells 12 "Attention" Eliminated Jess Chalmers 13 "Break Free" Eliminated Isaac McCallum 14 "7 Years" On Notice Tyler Hamill 15 "Budapest" Advanced Ivana Ilic 16 "Came Here for Love" Advanced Ripley Alexander 17 "Heart of Glass" Advanced Olivia Britton 18 "Genie in a Bottle" On Notice Bethany Byrne 19 "Kiss Me "On Notice Jackson Smith 20 "You Broke Me First" On Notice Kym Miaco 21 "Touch" Advanced Saoirse Harding 22 "Jealous" Advanced Jesse Lazaroo 23 "Say Something "Eliminated Dylan Wright 24 "Sorrento Moon (I Remember)" Advanced
Top 21
Over three rounds, seven singers will perform in front of a live audience, by the end of each round four singers will make it through to the top 12. The judges will also each be given one ‘FastPass’ which, whilst not exactly a Touchdown, works like a Golden Buzzer, automatically sending someone into the Top 12.
Singer received a "FastPass" and advanced to the Top 12 Singer did not make the Top 12
Top 21 Part 1 (18 February) + Singers Top 21 result Singer Order Song Result Dylan Wright 1 "Walking in Memphis" Advanced Drea Onamade 2 "New Rules" Advanced Ripley Alexander 3 "Back for Good" Advanced Imogen Spendlove 4 "From This Moment On" Advanced ("FastPass" given by Marcia) Bethany Byrne 5 "Used to Be Young" Eliminated Kobe White 6 "When I Was Your Man" Eliminated Chenai Boucher 7 "Zombie" Eliminated
Top 21 Part 2 (19 February) + Singers Top 21 result Singer Order Song Result Amy Reeves 1 "Think " Advanced Trent Richardson 2 "Heaven" Advanced Natasha Rose 3 "Part of Me" Eliminated Isaac McCallum 4 "Say You Won't Let Go" Advanced ("FastPass" given by Amy) Ivana Ilic 5 "Remember" Advanced Jackson Smith 6 "Hero" Eliminated Saoirse Harding 7 "Scars to Your Beautiful" Eliminated
Top 21 Part 3 (20 February) + Singers Top 21 result Singer Order Song Result Jake Carlson 1 "Take Me Back" Eliminated Denvah Baker-Moller 2 "Perfect" Advanced Kym Miaco 3 "Mamma Knows Best" Eliminated Tyler Hammill 4 "Waves " Advanced ("FastPass" given by Kyle) Olivia Britton 5 "Greedy" Eliminated Kiani Smith 6 "Rhiannon" Advanced TJ Zimba 7 "Peaches" Advanced
Top 12 finalists
Dylan Wright
Dylan Wright, born on , is from Bangalow, New South Wales. He became the ninth winner of Australian Idol on 25 March 2024.
Audition: "Better Be Home Soon" (Crowded House) Top 30 Part 1: "Always Remember Us This Way" (Lady Gaga) Top 30 Part 2: "Torn" (Natalie Imbruglia) Top 30 Part 3: "Sorrento Moon (I Remember)" (Tina Arena) Top 21: "Walking in Memphis" (Marc Cohn) Top 12: "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" (The Proclaimers) ~ Judges’ Choice Top 10: "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" (Creedence Clearwater Revival) <-- song picked by Judge: Amy Shark Top 8: "End of the Road" (Boyz II Men) Top 8-Bottom 4: "Use Somebody" (Kings of Leon) Top 6: "How Deep Is Your Love" (Bee Gees) Top 6: Head-to-head: "Ordinary People" (John Legend) Grand Finale-Top 3: "Never Tear Us Apart" (INXS) Grand Finale-Top 3: "What About Me?" (Moving Pictures/Shannon Noll) Grand Finale-Top 3: "Tiny Dancer" (Elton John) Grand Finale-Top 2: "Better Be Home Soon" (Crowded House) Grand Finale-Top 2: "Paper Heart" (winners single) - Winner
Wright's debut album Half a World Away, debuted at number 12 on the ARIA Australian Artist Chart on 4 November 2024.
Amy Reeves
Amy Reeves, born on , is from Broome, Western Australia. She finished as the runner-up on 25 March 2024.
Audition: "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Aretha Franklin) Top 30 Part 1: "Always Remember Us This Way" (Lady Gaga) Top 30 Part 2: "Torn" (Natalie Imbruglia) Top 30 Part 3: "Clarity" (Zedd ft. Foxes) Top 21: "Think" (Aretha Franklin) Top 12: "Ain't No Other Man" (Christina Aguilera) Top 10: "Can I Get a Moment?" (Jessica Mauboy) <-- song picked by Judge: Amy Shark ~ Judges’ Choice Top 8: "What Was I Made For?" (Billie Eilish) Top 6: "I'll Be There" (The Jackson 5) Top 6: Head-to-head: "Gravity" (Sara Bareilles) Grand Finale – Top 3: "Chains" (Tina Arena) Grand Finale – Top 3: "Firestone" (Kygo ft. Conrad Sewell) Grand Finale – Top 3: "Bang Bang" (Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj) Grand Finale – Top 2: "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Aretha Franklin) – Eliminated – Runner-up
Denvah Baker-Moller
Denvah Baker-Moller, born on , is from Rockhampton, Queensland. She reached the Grand Finale on 25 March 2024, but was eliminated prior to the final round of performances.
Audition: "Pony" (Kasey Chambers) Top 30 Part 1: "Castle on the Hill" (Ed Sheeran) Top 30 Part 2: "Perfect" (P!nk) Top 30 Part 3: "Yellow" (Coldplay) Top 21: "Perfect" (Ed Sheeran) Top 12: "9 to 5" (Dolly Parton) ~ Judges’ Choice Top 10: "Call Me Maybe" (Carly Rae Jepsen) <-- song picked by Judge: Marcia Hines