Top 30 Revealed On ‘American Idol’: Hannah Harper, Jesse Findling, Braden Rumfelt, Keyla Richardson And More

Hannah Harper, Jesse Findling, Braden Rumfelt, Keyla Richardson, Lucas Leon, Bella Emry, Kutter Bradley, Bryant Thomas and more were revealed as part of the Top 30 during one of the biggest cuts in American Idol history amid Hollywood Week.

On Monday evening (Mar. 2), American Idol unveiled the contestants advancing to the next round of the competition after narrowing the field down to just 30 hopefuls. Idol judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan were tasked with cutting the 127 contestants who advanced to Hollywood Week down to 60 singers in the “golden room,” before ultimately trimming that number in half to form the Top 30.

The selected contestants will move on to the “Ohana Round” at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii, where they will perform for a chance to earn a spot in the Top 20.

Idol host Ryan Seacrest entered the golden room, where the remaining hopefuls anxiously awaited their fate.

“Give yourselves a round of applause…There are 60 of you here in this room and the judges said only 30 of you will go on to that next round. Right now, they’re actually deliberating,” Seacrest explained. Later adding, “With the task of having to cut so many hopefuls, the judges review the performances to pare it down to just 30.”

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Seacrest then warned Idol hopefuls that anything could happen once they were called back into the theater. “The remaining 60 must now be cut in half again,” Seacrest said, narrating the show for what’s next.

Idol judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan were tasked to form a Top 30 from 60 remaining contestants in the “golden room.”

“We got more bloodshed coming,” Richie admitted.

“It’s hard. There are people that are really good that we are having to send home,” Underwood said, while Bryan added, “we’ve got more decisions to make then were used to. It’s so hard having to cut this many.” Underwood continued, “It’s a big cut. Hopefully we are making the right decisions.”

After deliberating, the judges invited contestants back into The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts to learn their fate.

“It’s been a crazy Hollywood week here in Nashville. You’ve been through a lot. We’ve had to talk out your futures amongst us three, and it’s nothing that we take lightly,” Bryan told the remaining 60 Idol hopefuls, with Underwood adding, “I mean, you’re all here for a reason because you’re really good. And if a couple of you kind of occupied the same space, we definitely had to look at that.”

First, it was revealed that four contestants, Mary Jo Young, Chloe Lauren, Michael Garner and Jayson Garner, would compete in sing-offs, with only two of them advancing into the Top 30.

Underwood then announced the first group moving forward, including Braden Rumfelt, Chris Tungseth, Keyla Richardson, Lucas Leon, Madison Moon, Bella Emry, Makiyah and Jordan McCullough. “Whatever you do, do not give up on your dreams. Especially the dreams of becoming an American Idol because you’re still with us. You’re in the top 30,” Underwood told the group.

Bryan followed by revealing that Tianna, Jake Thistle, Philmon Lee, Daniel Stallworth, Kutter Bradley, Brooks Rosser, Bryant Thomas, Sheldon Riley, Jesse Findling and Julian Kalel had also secured spots.

After Lionel Richie made some cuts, Luke Bryan unveiled another group, an all-female list including Kiera Howell, Kyndal, Hannah Harper, Ruby Rae, Jackie Lee, Brenna Brigman, Rae, Genevieve Heyward, Abayomi and Brianna Yancey, all of whom advanced to the Top 30.

“Look at this group of all girls. Look down the line at each other. Sorry this is so drawn out and painful, but all you girls are going through to the next round. You’re in our top 30,” Bryan told them.

Ultimately, following the sing-offs, Michael Garner and Chloe Lauren claimed the final two spots in the Top 30 after facing off against Jayson Garner and Mary Jo Young.

To follow the Top 30’s journey, tune in to American Idol every Monday at 8/7c on ABC, or stream it the next day on Hulu.

Top 30 On American Idol