Singers from Hawaiʻi can audition virtually on Tuesday for a chance to be on ‘American Idol’

Before “American Idol” hopefuls get a chance to showcase their pipes for celebrity judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood this upcoming season of the TV singing competition, they must first impress the show’s producers.

Auditions called “Idol Across America” have begun for season 24, which is set to premiere in the spring on ABC. And on Tuesday, singers in Hawai‘i can appear on Zoom to audition for a coveted slot on the show and have face-to-face interactions with producers.

It is not too late to register for the Hawaiʻi virtual audition. And hopefuls from Hawaiʻi also can register on the day of the virtual audition via a registration link that will be posted on the American Idol mobile app and official Twitter/X and Instagram accounts: @americanidol.

All online registration information and documents must be completed before being admitted into the virtual audition waiting room.

Patrick Lynn, who has been part of the process since the inception of American Idol, will be among the producers watching auditions on Tuesday.

Lynn anticipates viewing around 700 to 1,000 tryouts for eight hours. He will be watching the auditions from his home desk setup that he describes as the interior of Star Wars’ most notorious spaceship, the Millennium Falcon.

With a 32-inch monitor, a 16-inch laptop, three keyboards, an iPad, his phone and some good speakers, Lynn will be able to interact with Hawai‘i contestants in real time as well as communicate with his fellow producers.

“It’s a little bit overkill, but I like it,” Lynn said with a laugh during an interview with Big Island Now.

This is the sixth year in a row that “Idol Across America” has conducted a live virtual nationwide search via Zoom in all 50 states. While people can sign up day of the audition, Lynn, a senior supervising producer, always suggests signing up early.

There are two ways to audition for Idol. Contestants can upload a video or perform virtually through Zoom.

“Producers prefer Zoom because you can get a sense of who the person is,” Lynn said. “It’s not just about your voice, it’s about your personality.”

One of the best examples of a perfect audition, Lynn said, is Hawaiʻi’s Iam Tongi, winner of the 2023 American Idol.

In memory of his dad, who passed away a few months before the audition, Tongi sang “Monsters” by James Blunt. He wiped away his own tears after he finished it. He also brought the judges to tears.

“We weren’t worried about whether you would make it through the song,” celebrity judge Lionel Richie said. “We were worried about whether we would make it through the song. Your daddy is very proud.”

Tongi’s audition was uploaded on YouTube on Feb. 19, 2023 and has garnered 41 million views.

Lynn said he shows Tongi’s audition to contestants across the country.

“Your story doesn’t have to be sad or tragic, but it’s the same feeling we want to get,” Lynn said. “Pick a song that means something to you.”

Lynn knows what to say to put singers at ease.

“One of my favorite lines is ‘everyone does it for the first time once,'” Lynn said. “If you’re nervous, that’s good. It means you care. If you’re awkward, be awkward. It’s supposed to be fun.”

While Lynn will have his cats, Apollo and Nico, to keep him company during the auditions, he said he misses the in-person nationwide searches.

Back in the day, when auditions happened in person at large auditoriums in towns and cities across the country, Lynn said there were lines of people waiting for their chance to shine.

“There are people singing outside, or next to each other,” Lynn said. “It was chaotic. I miss walking up and down the line and sitting down and talking to someone. I miss that human interaction.”

Those who pass the first round of auditions will move on to perform for the executive producers. If they make it through that process, contestants will get their chance in front of the judges.

The exact number of contestants for American Idol 2026 has not been finalized, however, the live shows typically start with the top 20 auditions.

Before Tongi, other Hawai‘i contestants who made it into the show were Jasmine Trias of Mililani, O‘ahu. She made it to the top three in season 3. Camile Velasco, from Maui, also part of season 3, made to the top nine.

Jason Segundo was the first singer from Hawai‘i to make it into the top 32 during season 2 of the show.