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American Idol season 23 premiered on March 2, 2025, and multiple young talents auditioned for the music reality competition. The global franchise provides the winner with a record label, and Mattie Pruitt was one of the hopefuls who also auditioned. Her name specifically raised many eyebrows, as the young star was 15 years old when she sang on the stage of American Idol.
The Eagleville, Tennessee native barely met the eligibility criteria for ABC's reality show as it has set a specific age range for all its hopefuls. People aged 15-29 are the only ones who qualify for the rigorous process of multiple auditions and then the multiple stages of the competition over time.
Over the long years of its existence, many have questioned why American Idol's creators have put such an age cap for contestants. Following is a brief look at why the reality show keeps such eligibility criteria and the thoughts of people involved with the show.
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What is the reason for the age cap on American Idol?
Over the years, the reality show has been able to produce many young talents who are still active today. The winner of season 6, Jordin Sparks, and the winner of season 10, Scotty McCreery, currently hold the record for being the youngest people to ever win American Idol. They both were 17 years old when they won their seasons in 2007 and 2011, respectively.
On the other spectrum, both Taylor Hicks and Nick Fradiani were 29 years old when they won season 5 and season 14 respectively. While the current eligibility is 15 years minimum and 29 years maximum, the age limit was previously very different.
In the earlier seasons of American Idol, the age range was even less. Seasons 1-3 had an age limit of 16 to 24, which was increased to 16-28 by the time season 4 rolled around. Soon, the minimum age was made 15 by season 9, and currently, it is 15-29. The topic of the age cap usually comes up at the time of the audition process, as many fans express their disappointment in not being eligible for it.
The age eligibility helps producers of the show in unearthing fresh talent who can build longer careers, which also helps the record labels associated. Having young faces also means being able to pull younger audiences who could relate to the artist more. Winning at such young ages could also present the artists with more time to grow and adapt to the ongoing trends in the music industry.
People associated with American Idol have put forward their own opinions regarding the matter. The long-running host of the music competition show, Ryan Seacrest, considered the possibility of including older contestants when talking to USA Today on February 17, 2024. He expressed openness to hosting a spin-off like The Golden Bachelorette did with Bachelorette.
“Never say never... I’m happy to host,” stated Ryan.
Current judge Lionel Richie also shared this perspective in the same interview, noting that some artists may reach their peak later in life. He pointed out that certain roles in Hollywood are often suited for older characters, and singing could be similar. Richie suggested that many talented individuals may be ready for their moment in their 40s and 50s, and the show might be missing out on them.
Catch the young stars of American Idol on the next episode set to air on April 7, 2025, at 8 pm ET on ABC.
