On This Day in 2002: Kelly Clarkson Became the First ‘American Idol’ Winner

This year marks the 22nd season of reality TV’s pinnacle—American Idol. Known for producing hit stars such as Carrie Underwood, Jordan Sparks, and Scotty McCreery. The show’s most famous star is the first-ever American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson. Today marks the 22nd anniversary of Clarkson’s win and the start of her illustrious career.

Hailing from Fort Worth, Texas, Clarkson won the show when she was only a 20-year-old kid with a dream to sing. Well, thanks to the folks on American Idol and the voting Americans, that dream came true for Clarkson. Now she is a household name and one of the biggest personalities in American pop culture.

Season 1, Episode 24

Titled “El Finale!” episode 24 of American Idol’s inaugural season marks the moment where everything changed for Clarkson. In the final episode, Clarkson sang her original song “A Moment Like This” to prove herself as the winner to both the public and judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul.

The moment didn’t necessarily take America by surprise, as Clarkson was an enormous talent. However, thanks to Clarkson’s booming voice and the show’s massive success in its debut season, America went crazy for her. Consequently, Kelly Clarkson became not only the face of American Idol but also the face of aspiring singers everywhere.

Kelly Clarkson’s Immediate Success

Despite Clarkson being a celebrity for her participation in various mediums, her illustrious career is founded upon her music. Just two weeks after her win on American Idol, Clarkson went on to release “A Moment Like This.” The single reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the best-selling single of 2002.

Given the single’s success, Clarkson released her debut album, Thankful, in April 2003. After that, well, the rest is history. Clarkson has won three Grammies, two ACM awards, one CMA award, and eight Daytime Emmy Awards for The Kelly Clarkson Show. She is surely one of the most decorated celebrities in the game.

Thanking American Idol

Since making constant appearances in the public eye, Clarkson has always been humble, gracious, and kind. Clarkson showed off these attributes when she took to Instagram to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her American Idol win in 2022.

She wrote in the post, “That moment was the door that opened up so much access and opportunity, and creative partnerships that I will be grateful for all of my days.” As well as, “Thank you so much to every single person that voted 20 years ago!”

Photo by Kevin Winter/ImageDirect.