Entertainment Music Country Music 'American Idol' Has a New Champion! Iam Tongi Wins Season 21 The top three contestants vying to be the next American Idol were Iam Tongi, Megan Danielle and Colin Stough By Daniela Avila Daniela Avila Daniela Avila is an editorial assistant at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2021. Her work previously appeared on The Poly Post. People Editorial Guidelines and Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice Nicholas Rice is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE Magazine. He began working with the brand as an Editorial Intern in early 2020, before later transitioning to a freelance role, and then staff positions soon after. Nicholas writes and edits anywhere between 7 to 9 stories per day on average for PEOPLE, spanning across each vertical the brand covers. People Editorial Guidelines Published on May 21, 2023 11:08PM EDT After a nail-biting three-hour finale, Iam Tongi is the newest American Idol! On Sunday's season finale of the singing competition series, Tongi, 18, was crowned the winner following a stunning performance of his original song "I'll Be Seeing You." He was up against Megan Danielle and Colin Stough, who placed second and third, respectively. Iam Tongi wins American Idol. Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images After host Ryan Seacrest crowned Tongi the winner, he sang "Don't Let Go" as his family, the judges and audience members swayed along and celebrated the feat. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Ryan Seacrest and Iam Tongi. Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images Luke Bryan Hilariously Narrates Katy Perry's Pre-Show Makeup Routine: 'Cementing Her Bangline' Tongi previously brought the judges to tears during his audition, where he dedicated the song "Monsters" to his father, who died months before his audition. Ryan Seacrest, Katy Perry, Iam Tongi, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images "I was not worried about whether you were going to make it through the song, I was worried about whether we were going to make it through the song. Your daddy is very proud," said judge Lionel Richie at the time, as Katy Perry noted, "What a fantastic song to pick. You're making these grown men cry." "I cannot handle your heart breaking about your dad because my nephew lost his dad and he came to live with me and just seeing you missing your dad sucks. Gosh man, you've got a great voice. You did everything perfectly and I love you and want to see you have fun," added Luke Bryan. ABC/Eric McCandless Earlier this month, Perry, 38, opened up to PEOPLE in a group interview about how the competition was fierce — but Tongi had something special. "I think that the top three is strong, I think Megan Danielle has earned her right to be there and she's got a new beautiful confidence," she said. Perry added, "The sound in the room when Iam comes on is undeniable. He's an undeniable character. He's just kind of got this incredible magic. You almost can't explain it. It's an it factor. It's like you're born to do this, and it's undeniable."