Did Iam Tongi graduate high school? Contestant crowned as the winner of American Idol season 21

Iam Tongi, a native of Hawaii, has been declared the winner of American Idol season 21. The announcement came on May 21 during a three-hour finale of the singing competition after the 18-year-old personality gave a stunning performance as he sang his original creation, I'll Be Seeing You.

Iam was pitted against two other contestants, Megan Danielle and Colin Stough, who bagged the second and third positions respectively.

Before announcing the winner, host Ryan Seacrest said:

“Iam and Megan have fought all season long to make it to this point and now one of them will be named the next American Idol.”

Post this, Seacrest crowned Iam Tongi the winner of the competition series, and he sang Don't Let Go to celebrate his win.

After receiving guidance from popular country music singer Keith Urban, Tongi, Danielle, and Stough, performed on the American Idol stage for the last time. Urban presided as a judge during seasons 12 through 15 from 2012 to 2016.

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Iam Tongi graduated from Kahuku High School

As per Kauai Now News, after being selected as one of American Idol's top three contestants, Tongi visited his birthplace on the North Shore and was given an honorary graduation from Kahuku High School, Kahuku. Principal Donna Lindsey, an Honoka'a High School alumna from the Big Island, handed him his diploma.

The pictures were shared by the Former Hawai'i County Council Chairwoman, Valerie Poindexter, on her Facebook handle, where Lindsey can be seen handing the diploma to Iam Tongi.

As per news outlet Khon2, friends and family of Iam Tongi were overjoyed after he won the popular singing competition. They reportedly took to Kamehameha Highway with their celebratory signs and flags to commemorate the win.

In a statement, Tongi's aunty, Cassandra Tongi-Kaumavae, said:

“I’m just so proud of our son over here who made us all proud this whole community.”

The native of Kahuku immediately won over the judges and audience with his audition song Monsters, dedicated to his late father Rodney, who died a few months before the show's premiere. According to Tongi's family, Rodney always assured Iam that he would be on American Idol someday, and now that day has come.

Tongi's manager Verona Tuifui said:

"This is his dad’s dream and if [Rodney] was here, he would’ve been so happy for Iam. This is what he wanted for him and this is what he wanted the world to see, is his son on that big stage and sharing his talent with the world.”

His victory was also celebrated by the Mayor of Honolulu Rick Blangiardi, who said:

"It is a proud day for Hawaii, and all of the residents of Kahuku especially. For Iam and his family, this is a very special life-changing event that he has proven he deserves with his tremendous talent and even bigger heart! Mahalo Iam… you have made us all so very proud!"

Iam Tongi has always taken music seriously. Back in November 2020, he shared his four-minute track, Dreams, on streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify and received heaps of praise from fans.