Jamal Roberts was crowned the season 23 winner of American Idol. His road to victory was, of course, nowhere near easy, but he wowed the judges during his audition when he sang Rick James’ “Mary Jane.” After Ryan Seacrest announced his name as the victor, Jamal celebrated with runner-up John Foster and his other Idol friends.
“I’m still trying to process this … God is so good,” Jamal captioned an Instagram post during the May 2025 season finale. “From my first step on that stage to this unbelievable moment, I never dreamed a kid from my hometown would one day be called American Idol. This journey has been bigger than me, and I’m so grateful for every person who believed in me when I was just chasing a dream.”
Jamal also shouted out his three daughters in his caption, writing, “Most of all, I hope my girls see this and know that with faith, hard work, and heart, anything is possible.”
“To my city, my family, and everyone out there grinding for something greater, this is our victory,” the singer-songwriter added. “Now, I get to make music with the best in the world and share my story. But this isn’t the end… it’s just the beginning. From the bottom of my heart…. THANK YOU! None of this happens without y’all.”
Below, News47.us has five facts about Jamal, our latest American Idol!
Jamal is from a small town called Meridian, Mississippi.
The music artist became the first Black man to win the show since Ruben Studdard during season 2 in 2003.
