Australian Idol season 9

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.

Top 30 Part 1 (11 February)

 * Singers did not make it
 * Singers got put On Notice

Top 30 Part 2 (12 February)

 * Singers did not make it
 * Singers got put On Notice

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.

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

Dylan Wright
Dylan Wright, born on February 22, 1993, 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

Amy Reeves
Amy Reeves, born on January 8, 1999, 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 September 5, 2000, 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
 * Top 8: "God Only Knows" (The Beach Boys)
 * Top 8-Bottom 4: "Hold Back the River" (James Bay)
 * Top 6: "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" (Cyndi Lauper)
 * Top 6: Head-to-head: "The Best" (Tina Turner)
 * Grand Finale-Top 3: "Days Go By" (Keith Urban)
 * Grand Finale-Top 3: "Thank God She's a Country Girl" (Morgan Evans)
 * Grand Finale-Top 3: "Landslide" (Fleetwood Mac) - Eliminated on 25 March

Trent Richardson

 * Audition: "Bless the Broken Road" (Rascal Flatts)
 * Top 30 Part 1: "Castle on the Hill" (Ed Sheeran)
 * Top 30 Part 2: "One Call Away" (Charlie Puth)
 * Top 30 Part 3: "Stay " (Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko)
 * Top 21: "Heaven" (Bryan Adams)
 * Top 12: "Shut Up and Dance" (Walk the Moon)
 * Top 10: "3AM" (Matchbox Twenty) <-- song picked by Judge: Kyle Sandilands
 * Top 8: "She Looks So Perfect" (5 Seconds of Summer)
 * Top 6: "Home" (Michael Bublé)
 * Top 6: Head-to-head: "Fire and the Flood" (Vance Joy) - Eliminated on 18 March

Isaac McCallum

 * Audition: "Bruises" (Lewis Capaldi)
 * Top 30 Part 1: "Grenade" (Bruno Mars)
 * Top 30 Part 2: "Perfect" (P!nk)
 * Top 30 Part 3: "7 Years" (Lukas Graham)
 * Top 21: "Say You Won't Let Go" (James Arthur) ~ FastPass from Amy Shark
 * Top 12: "Wake Me Up" (Avicii)
 * Top 10: "I See Fire" (Ed Sheeran) <-- song picked by Judge: Marcia Hines
 * Top 8: "Wonder" (Shawn Mendes)
 * Top 6: "Little Bit of Love" (Tom Grennan)
 * Top 6: Head-to-head: "Before You Go" (Lewis Capaldi) - Eliminated on 18 March

Ivana Ilic

 * Audition: "If I Ain't Got You" (Alicia Keys)
 * Top 30 Part 1: "Addicted to You" (Avicii)
 * Top 30 Part 2: "Killing Me Softly with His Song" (Fugees)
 * Top 30 Part 3: "Came Here for Love" (Sigala ft. Ella Eyre)
 * Top 21: "Remember" (Becky Hill ft. David Guetta)
 * Top 12: "Waiting All Night" (Rudimental)
 * Top 12-Bottom 2: "Where Have You Been" (Rihanna)
 * Top 10: "I'm Outta Love" (Anastacia) <-- song picked by Judge: Marcia Hines
 * Top 10-Bottom 2: "Bleeding Love" (Leona Lewis)
 * Top 8: "Midnight Sky" (Miley Cyrus) ~ Judges’ Choice
 * Top 6: "Diamonds" (Rihanna)
 * Top 6: Head-to-head: "Rather Be" (Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne) - Eliminated on 18 March

Drea Onamade

 * Audition: "American Boy" (Estelle ft. Kanye West)
 * Top 30 Part 1: "Addicted To You" (Avicii)
 * Top 30 Part 2: "Circles" (Post Malone)
 * Top 30 Part 3: "That's What I Like" (Bruno Mars)
 * Top 21: "New Rules" (Dua Lipa)
 * Top 12: "Lil Boo Thang" (Paul Russell)
 * Top 10: "Battle Scars" by (Guy Sebastian ft.Lupe Fiasco) <-- song picked by Judge: Kyle Sandilands ~ Judges’ Choice
 * Top 8: "No Tears Left to Cry" (Ariana Grande)
 * Top 8-Bottom 4: "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (Kylie Minogue) - Eliminated on 11 March

Kiani Smith
Kiani Smith, born on 8 April 2006 (age 18) https://www.instagram.com/p/C5fh66cvs_W/?utm_source=ig_web_copy
 * Audition: "2002" (Anne-Marie)
 * Top 30 Part 1: "Always Remember Us This Way" (Lady Gaga)
 * Top 30 Part 2: "Stand by Me" (Ben E. King)
 * Top 30 Part 3: "You're the One That I Want" (John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John)
 * Top 21: "Rhiannon" (Fleetwood Mac)
 * Top 12: "Cheap Thrills" (Sia)
 * Top 10: "Tainted Love" (Soft Cell) <-- song picked by Judge: Amy Shark
 * Top 10-Bottom 2: "Riptide" (Vance Joy)
 * Top 8: "A Thousand Miles" (Vanessa Carlton)
 * Top 8-Bottom 4: "Feeling Good" (Nina Simone) - Eliminated on 11 March

Tyler Hammill

 * Audition: "Lonely Boy" (The Black Keys)
 * Top 30 Part 1: "Castle on the Hill" (Ed Sheeran)
 * Top 30 Part 2: "Stand by Me" (Ben E. King)
 * Top 30 Part 3: "Budapest" (George Ezra)
 * Top 21: "Waves" (Dean Lewis) ~ FastPass from Kyle Sandilands
 * Top 12: "Pompeii" (Bastile)
 * Top 10: "Chemical" (Post Malone) <-- song picked by Judge: Kyle Sandilands
 * Top 10-Bottom 2: "Let It Go" (James Bay) - Eliminated on 5 March

TJ Zimba

 * Audition: "Location" (Khalid)
 * Top 30 Part 1: "Blinding Lights" (The Weeknd)
 * Top 30 Part 2: "Teenage Dream" (Katy Perry)
 * Top 30 Part 3: "Airplanes" (B.o.B ft. Hayley Williams)
 * Top 21: "Peaches" (Justin Bieber ft Daniel Caesar & Giveon)
 * Top 12: "Party Rock Anthem" (LMFAO ft. Lauren Bennett and GoonRock)
 * Top 12-Bottom 2: "bad guy" (Billie Eilish)
 * Top 10: "You're the Voice" (John Farnham) <-- song picked by Judge: Amy Shark
 * Top 10-Bottom 2: "Hotline Bling" (Drake) - Eliminated on 5 March

Ripley Alexander

 * Audition: "Mamma Mia" (ABBA)
 * Top 30 Part 1: "Radioactive" (Imagine Dragons)
 * Top 30 Part 2: "One Call Away" (Charlie Puth)
 * Top 30 Part 3: "Heart of Glass" (Blondie)
 * Top 21: "Back for Good" (Take That)
 * Top 12: "Uptown Girl" (Billy Joel)
 * Top 12-Bottom 2: "Mercy" (Shawn Mendes) – Eliminated on 27 February

Imogen Spendlove

 * Audition: "I Have Nothing" (Whitney Houston)
 * Top 30 Part 1: "Blinding Lights" (The Weeknd)
 * Top 30 Part 2: "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart" (Mark Ronson ft. Miley Cyrus)
 * Top 30 Part 3: "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Phil Collins)
 * Top 21: "From This Moment On" (Shania Twain) ~ FastPass from Marcia Hines
 * Top 12: "Finally" (CeCe Peniston)
 * Top 12-Bottom 2: "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" (Celine Dion) – Eliminated on 27 February

Live performances
During each round of the live performances, each contestant sings a song with a given theme. After all contestants have sung, the judges choose one contestant to directly advance to the next stage; then, the public is given approximately 24 hours to vote for their favourite singers. During the results night, after voting has closed, the four contestants with the fewest votes sing again—in pairs. The singer with the lowest number of votes, per each pair, is eliminated from the competition.

Top 12 (25-27 February)

 * Singer received immunity and advanced to the next stage
 * Singer was in the bottom two/four
 * Singer was eliminated

Top 6 (17-18 March)
Each contestant performed a song on live performance night. The judges opted not to put any singer directly into the Grand Finale, meaning that all results would be decided by the public vote. On results night, after voting had closed, the contestants each sang again. After each pair of contestants had sung, the results were announced for those two singers: one eliminated, and one was put through to the Grand Finale, three in total.

Performance night

 * Guy Sebastian filled in for Marcia Hines, who was unavailable on March 24, for health reasons.

Results night

 * Wright performed the coronation single, "Paper Heart", upon winning.

Ratings
On 28 January 2024, OzTAM’s rating data recording system changed. Viewership data will now focus on National reach and National total ratings instead of the 5 metro centres and overnight shares.