Following a very competitive “Top 30 Week” for the Top 30 contestants and “Transformation Week” for the Top 21 contestants, judges Amy Shark, Marcia Hines, and Kyle Sandilands have assembled an impressive Top 12 made up of young talent with a mix of singer-songwriters, country, pop, hip hop, and power ballad vocalists.
The Australian Idol Season 9 top 12 finalists in 2024 are; Dylan Wright, Drea Onamade, Ripley Alexander, Imogen Spendlove, Amy Reeves, Trent Richardson, Isaac McCallum, Ivana Ilic, Denvah Baker-Moller, Tyler Hammill, Kiani Smith, and TJ Zimba.
The Season 9 top 12 finalists will release a soulful rendition of “Freedom! ’90” by George Michael, the song will be available to stream or download on Friday 23 February 2024.
The top 12 finalists will then perform their rendition of “Freedom! ’90” during Tuesday’s results show on February 27.
List of Contents
Australian Idol Season 9 top 12 finalists
Below are the twelve contestants who were chosen by the Australian Idol Season 9 judges.
Dylan Wright
Dylan Wright is a 30-year-old painter, decorator, and father of two from Bangalow, New South Wales.
After making it to the Top 12, Dylan stated;
“I auditioned for Australian Idol because I grew up loving the show. It never felt like the right time, but all of a sudden, the stars have aligned. I hope to be one of the most successful Australian Idol contestants and to make my family proud. My dream is to write and perform music full time.”
Drea Onamade
Drea Onamade is a 26-year-old singer, songwriter, choir director, and paralegal from Perth, Western Australia.
After making it to the Top 12, Drea stated;
“It feels incredible to have made it this far in Australian Idol. I really set out with the hopes of doing my best and to get here is just so crazy to me. I have already received so many messages about how I’ve inspired friends and family to take the leap and do something out of their comfort zone, so that’s another amazing milestone from this. I really hope I’m doing baby Drea proud! I’m excited to see where this journey takes my career. I’ve been doing this for quite a while as a hobby and now as my main form of income. To get to this stage will hopefully open so many doors and lead me to different places. It’s been a hard slog, but it’s been so worth it!”
Ripley Alexander
Ripley Alexander is a 19-year-old singer from Brisbane, Queensland.
After advancing to the Top 12, Ripley stated;
“Two months ago, I was singing in bars in Brisbane and now I’m in the Top 12 of Australian Idol! Being my own artist is very important to me. At the end of the day, I just want to perform and reach people with my music so the chance to have a recording contract would be a dream come true.”
Imogen Spendlove
Imogen Spendlove is a 23-year-old factory worker from Melbourne, Victoria.
After making it to the Top 12, Imogen stated;
“Australian Idol has given me the chance to show Australia who I am, what I’m about, and prove to myself that I am capable of big things. I took a break from music to figure out who I was away from it, and now I’m ready to show Australia what I’ve got. It feels scary to put myself out there, but I’ve worked my whole life to develop my skills as a performer.”
Amy Reeves
Amy Reeves is a 25-year-old skincare boutique worker from Broome, Western Australia.
After advancing to the Top 12, Amy had the following to say;
“I’m excited about the prospect of connecting with fans, learning from mentors, and creating lasting memories that will shape my musical path for years to come. I want to set an example for other kids who grew up in rural areas, especially the Kimberley. I want them to look at me and see themselves. If I can have a positive influence like that, I would be happy and very proud.”
Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson is a 22-year-old camel farmer from Emu Park, Queensland.
Trent said the following after making it to the Top 12.
“I’m fresh out of the pen and never gigged or sang on a stage in my life until the Australian Idol auditions. I would love to show people that it doesn’t matter where you’re from or what your past is, you can do anything you want, and this is why I gave Australian Idol a crack in the first place. I was so scared and still am, but being in the Top 12 makes me so happy that I had the courage to audition. I can’t believe that I have a chance to win this competition and show myself I am good enough and worthy of something that I didn’t know I was capable of.”
Isaac McCallum
Isaac Mccallum is a 23-year-old supermarket worker from Burrill Lake, New South Wales.
After entering the Top 12, an excited Isaac said the following;
“I want to get out of that car park, I want to stop pushing trolleys. Australian Idol has given me the chance to live my dream of being an artist and showing the world my gift. As a self-taught musician, making it to the Top 12 means everything to me.”
Ivana Ilic
Ivana Ilic is a 20-year-old singer and burger shop worker from Mill Park, Victoria.
After securing a Top 12 spot, Ivana said the following;
“I’ve always wanted to be a part of Australian Idol. I want people to be able to see the potential I have to become something in the music industry and to be able to finally kickstart my career.”
Denvah Baker-Moller
Denvah Baker-Moller is a 23-year-old country singer and songwriter from Rockhampton, Central Queensland.
After advancing to the Top 12, Denvah said the following;
“I truly can’t believe I’ve even made it this far. Being in the Top 12 is a total dream and I’m so grateful that I even get to be doing this. I know that not everyone out there likes country music, so to let the country singer in is such an honour and one that I don’t take for granted. Country is cool now and I want to prove that in the Top 12.”
Tyler Hammill
Tyler Hammill is a 21-year-old surf lifesaver from Alexandra Headland, Queensland.
After securing a Top 12 spot, Tyler had the following to say;
“Since I was a teenager, I’ve dreamt of chasing my dreams to sing my songs to the masses. Australian Idol will only help me in getting closer to my desires. The music industry is one hard nut to crack, there are so many amazing artists out there; Idol will give me a special and unique platform to showcase who I am as an artist and can hopefully boost me to some special places.”
Kiani Smith
Kiani Smith is a 17-year-old singer and guitarist from Bribie Island, Queensland.
After advancing to the Top 12, Kiani said the following;
“I’ve been writing songs since was seven years old. I play guitar, piano, ukulele and drums. I would love to show Australia my talent, and further my career in the music industry. Being the youngest in the Top 12, I want to prove to people – especially my generation – that anything is possible, and you can achieve anything you put your mind to.”
TJ Zimba
TJ Zimba is a 24-year-old hip-hop artist from Karratha, Western Australia, who writes, records, and produces his own music.
After securing a Top 12 spot, TJ Zimba stated the following;
“This is an opportunity to launch myself in the Australian music industry and shed some light on alt-R&B, hip-hop, and Afrobeats in Australia. I just know that this is going
to open many doors, not just for myself but for a lot of people. Australian Idol is a chance for me to blossom and learn more as an artist, but more profoundly, an opportunity to let my message transcend across to a wider audience. I feel like I am representing more than just myself. I am the reality of a dream that the underdog can win. The dream is that you are worthy enough to move on from that supporter background role, and you can step onto the centre stage.”
Top 12 Live Performances
Six of the Top 12 finalists will perform live on Sunday 25 February 2024, and the other six will perform the following night on Monday 26 February 2024, in a bid to advance to the Top 10.
These two performance nights will be followed by a Live Results show on Tuesday 27 February 2024.
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