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American Idol winner Jamal Roberts reaches new career milestone ahead of Season 24 premiere
Summary
Jamal Roberts sang the National Anthem at the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship on January 19, 2026, in a performance the article says was viewed by at least 20 million people; the article also reports he is nominated for a 2026 Grammy for Best Gospel Song/Performance.
Content
Jamal Roberts, who won American Idol season 23 in 2025, has marked a recent career milestone that the article connects to renewed attention on the show. The performance and subsequent industry recognition are presented as part of his rapid post‑Idol progress. The article notes that this momentum has come in the year since his win and ahead of American Idol season 24’s premiere.
Key facts:
- The article reports Jamal Roberts sang the National Anthem at the College Football Playoff National Championship on January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
- The performance used an arrangement by Adam Blackstone and was described in the article as reaching at least 20 million viewers.
- The article says Jamal posted on Instagram thanking fans and announcing a forthcoming single titled "Head Up."
- The article reports he is nominated for a 2026 Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song/Performance for a live rendition of "Still" with Jonathan McReynolds, and notes this is the first Grammy nomination for an ABC‑era American Idol contestant after eight seasons on the network.
- The article lists recent career milestones including his single "Heal" debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart, opening for Brandy and Monica on The Boy Is Mine Tour, and releasing other singles such as "Mississippi," "Still," and "Nothing Compares."
Summary:
The article frames Roberts’s national anthem performance and Grammy nomination as part of a string of accomplishments since his 2025 American Idol win, and presents these events as drawing renewed attention to the show. American Idol season 24 is scheduled to premiere on Monday, January 26, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
