 |
For current information on this topic, see Australian Idol (season 7). |
| Australian Idol | |
|---|---|
 Australian Idol title card |
|
| Format | Interactive reality game show |
| Created by |  Simon Fuller |
| Presented by | Andrew G 2003 - Present  Ricki-Lee Coulter2008 - Present  James Mathison2003 - 2008 |
| Judges |  Marcia Hines2003 - Present Ian 'Dicko' Dickson2003 - 2004 & 2007 - Present JayDee Springbett2009 - Present Kyle Sandilands2005 - 2009 Mark Holden2003 - 2007 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Greg Beness Suzanne Mitchell |
| Location(s) | Fox Studios, Sydney (2007–Present) Global Television Studios, Sydney (2003–06) Sydney Opera House (finale) |
| Running time | "Two Hour Weekly Shows (Includes Commercials) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Channel Ten |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
| Audio format | Dolby Digital 5.1 |
| Original run | 27 July 2003 – Present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on 27 July 2003. Part of the Idol franchise, it originated from the reality program Pop Idol created by British entertainment executive Simon Fuller. Australian Idol is televised on Channel 10, and was broadcasted Austereo Radio Network between 2005 and 2007.
Contents |
The Show
The program seeks to discover the most commercial young singer in the country through a series of nationwide auditions. The outcomes of the later stages of this competition are determined by public voting by phone. The format features three judges who give critiques of the contestants' performances in order to facilitate the voting: former record executive Ian Dickson, singer Marcia Hines and a recently announced Sony talent scout Jay Dee Springbett. The show is hosted by Andrew G and former contestant Ricki-Lee Coulter as a backstage presenter.
Winners and Runner-ups of Idol
In its seven seasons, the winners and runners-up have been:
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Guy Sebastian | Shannon Noll |
| 2004 | Casey Donovan | Anthony Callea |
| 2005 | Kate DeAraugo | Emily Williams |
| 2006 | Damien Leith | Jessica Mauboy |
| 2007 | Natalie Gauci | Matt Corby |
| 2008 | Wes Carr | Luke Dickens |
| 2009 | Stan Walker | Hayley Warner |
Rules
Auditions
Auditions are held in major cities around Australia to find each season's contestants. These auditions help find the top 100.
Top 100
Around 100 people make it to Sydney to compete in the Top 100. The first task in the Top 100 is the 'chorus line' where 10 people are chosen randomly to perform in front of the judges. Each singing a short piece from a song of their choice. After all 10 have performed the judges choose which contestants are eliminated. In the next phase, the Top 100 contestants are randomly put into groups of four and the groups choose a song from a short list of pop songs and they are given all night to rehearse so they are able to perform it next morning. These group performances are generally criticised by the judges but with few exceptions. The next day each contestant performs an a capella of a song of their choice in front of the judges and all the remaining contestants. That night contestants are informed individually whether they make it to the semi final round, the Top 24.
Semi-finals
The semifinal format has varied season to season. The formats for the different seasons are:
Season 1
The semi-finals for the first season consists of 40 contestants, which were then split into 5 groups of 8. The 2 contestants with the highest number of votes then advanced into the finals. At the end of the last group results, A special wild card round was held, where in 10 previously rejected contestants where given a second chance to make it to the finals. In this special show, another 2 would advance in the finals. One public choice, and one Judge's Choice. However, a contestant by the name of Daniel Wakefield withdrew from the competition, leaving one vacant slot in the final 12. Because of this, instead of only one public choice, the contestant with the next highest number of votes was also declared a finalist.
Seasons 2 and 3
The number of semi-finalists were cut down to 30. The top 30 were then divided into 3 groups of 10, the top 3 vote-getters of each group advancing in to the final 12. The wild card show format changed slightly as it were the judges who selected 2 to advance and the public only choosing one. The wild card episode in the 3rd season had a little twist, wherein the judges announces a third person, namely, Roxanne Lebrasse, who was also had the 2nd highest number of votes,to move on in the finals, making it a Top 13.
Season 4
The semis now consists of 24 finalists, with 12 males and 12 females. The contestans would then be split into groups of six, with each group of contestants consisting of the same gender. The top 2 from each group would then advance into the finals. After all 4 groups have performed, 8 contestants would then be brought back for a wild card show. The judges select three while the public chooses one.
Season 5 maintained a similar format to that of the previous season, but there was a slight change in the wild card show, wherein the top 2 voted would advance, and the judges would select only two, instead of three.
Season 6
The season still maintained a top 24, but instead of all groups consisting of the same gender, each group now consists of 3 males and 3 females, still with the top 2 advancing in the finals. The wild card show then used the same format as that of Season 4, wherein the judges select three to advance in the finals, and the public would choose one.
Contestants who had previously made the top 24 in the past seasons but unfortunately did not continue on to the top 12 were ineligible to audition for Australian Idol again, however, it was announced that from 2008 season onwards previous top 24 contestants are now eligible for another chance and could audition; this is similar to the concept on Canadian Idol.
Finals
As the number of performers reaches 12 the contestants are given the task of choosing a song, in accordance with a weekly theme, to perform live on national television. Viewers then telephone (or SMS) their vote(s) in relation to who they want to stay another week.
At the beginning of an elimination show the remaining idols also take part in a group performance that relates to the previous night's theme. Then the contestants with the three lowest amounts of votes are taken into the 'bottom three', before being told first who is safe for another week and finally who has been eliminated. The eliminated competitor then presents a final song - usually the number they sang the previous night.
Grand Finale
The Grand Finale is held at the Sydney Opera House. Featuring fireworks, an outdoor concert with many past Idol stars and other Australian musicians. It has been the highest rating episode of each season. The top 12 are celebrated and at the end of the night the winner is announced inside the Opera House. The season six finale however was held outside during the whole broadcast with the producers wanting a different approach.
After the first season, the top 12 went on a national tour, it stopped for later seasons. However, there was a "Winner's Journey Tour" involving the winner with some guest performances from the Top 12 for Season 4 and 5.
Touchdowns
A "touchdown" is awarded by judge Mark Holden when, in his own opinion, a contestant's performance is particularly good. Holden awarded his first ever "touchdown" to Cosima De Vito for her rendition of Cold Chisel's When the War Is Over in the Top 8 on Australian Made night in Season 1. De Vito also received a touchdown for her rendition of RESPECT, a classic heat by Aretha Franklin. Season 4 winner, Damien Leith and Season 2 winner, Casey Donovan have the record for the highest number of touchdowns at four apiece. Emily Williams, season 3 Runner-up, holds the record of having 3 touchdowns but not winning. Matt Corby, season 5 Runner-Up, shares this record with Emily. In 2004, Top 8 contestants choice night, he awarded his only ever 'Grand Royal' Touchdown when Anthony Callea performed his performance of The Prayer. Another one of Holdens most rememerable was awarded to Guy Sebastian for his breath-taking rendition of "Climb Every Mountain" on the Top 3 show in Season 1. His last touchdown went to Natalie Gauci in the Top 4 on Big Band night during Season 5.
During Season 6, due to Holden's departure from the judging panel, the other judges have been awarding "touchdowns" themselves. The first "touchdown" was delivered by Kyle Sandilands to Chrislyn Hamilton on top 12 night. She later received another on Motown night by guest judge and first series winner, Guy Sebastian. Thanh Bui received one from Marcia Hines during ABBA night and Mark Spano was also delivered one by Ian "Dicko" Dickson during Top 6 Rolling Stones night. Eventual winner, Wes Carr was awarded two; one by Hines and guest judge Jermaine Jackson on Michael Jackson night and another on Top 3 night by Dickson.
Season Synopsis
Season 1
When Network Ten paid $15 million for the first season of Australian Idol they anticipated it to be a critical and financial success like it had been in other countries such as the UK and the USA. When the show aired for the first time in the August of 2003 it was a ratings bonanza attracting diverse ranges of viewers, from people wanting the crazy auditions to people who wanted to hear great voices. The audition process went through several major cities in Australia including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Darwin. Sooner or later Australian Idol became the most popular TV show in the country with more ratings than major events such as the AFL Grand Final. The Grand Final at the Sydney Opera House attracted more than 3 million viewers. It was listed as the ninth highest rating TV show in Australia in the past century in 2007. The eventual winner of the competition was Guy Sebastian with Shannon Noll finished in 2nd place.
Guy Sebastian has released five albums. The first four reached top 4 on the ARIA charts, and include a #1 and #2, and all gained platinum or multi platinum accreditation. His most recent album Like It Like That was released on 23 October 2009 and debuted at #6 on the ARIA chart and achieved gold accreditation in its third week.[1][2] His first album Just As I Am was accredited 6x platinum and sold in excess of 480,000 units. It remains the highest selling album ever released by an Australian Idol contestant.[3][4] His second and third albums Beautiful Life and Closer to the Sun were both platinum sellers.[5][6] His fourth album was the double platinum The Memphis Album.[7] Just As I Am, Beautiful Life and The Memphis Album were all nominated for highest selling album at the annual ARIA Awards.[8][9][10] He has also released nine top 15 singles, four of which reached #1 on the ARIA charts.[1] His debut single Angels Brought Me Here was the highest selling single in Australia in 2003, reaching 4x platinum accreditation and winning the ARIA for highest seller at the 2004 ARIA Awards.[11][12][13] His most recent #1 was in September 2009 when "Like it Like That" the title track from his 5th album spent twelve weeks in the ARIA top 10 including two weeks at #1, and gained double platinum accreditation.[14][15]In total he has been awarded ten platinum and one gold accreditation for albums, and eight platinum and two gold accreditations for singles in Australia.[16][2][15] Sebastian's first single reached #1 in Malaysia, Singapore, The Philippines, Indonesia and New Zealand, with his debut album also reaching #3 on the NZ charts.[17][18] "Angels Brought Me Here" gained platinum and Just As I Am 2x platinum accreditation in NZ.[19]
Shannon Noll has released four top 10 albums.[20] His debut album That's What I'm Talking About gained 5x platinum accreditation and his second album Lift reached 3x platinum, both debuting at #1 on the ARIA charts.[5][21] His third album Turn It Up peaked at #3 and achieved platinum accreditation,[22] His fourth album No Turning Back: The Story So Far reached #7 and has not as yet gained accreditation. Noll has also released ten top 10 singles including three #1's and is the only Australian artist to have achieved 10 consecutive top 10 singles.[23][24]"What About Me" was the highest selling single in Australia in 2004 and he received ARIA nominations for highest seller for it and his debut album at the 2004 Aria Awards.[13][25] He also received nominations for best pop release for his second album Lift and a highest selling single nomination for its lead single "Shine" in 2006.[26] "Don't Give Up" a duet with Natalie Bassingthwaighte was nominated for highest selling single at the 2007 ARIA Awards.[27] He has a total of nine platinum accreditations for albums and eight platinum and two gold accreditations for singles.[28] Noll's first single "What About Me" also reached #2 in Ireland and #10 in New Zealand, with his debut album peaking at #31 in NZ.[24][29]
The other top 5 contestants in season one were Cosima De Vito who came 3rd, Paulini Curuenavuli 4th & Rob Mills who finished in 5th place. After Idol it was these five, the Final 5, who were the most successful out of the Top 12. Other Idol contestants from Season 1 to release music were Levi Kereama, Rebekah LaVauney, Peter Ryan and Courtney Act. All of these independent acts achieved limited success.
| Date | Theme | Bottom Three | ||
| 22 September | 1970s | Matthew Chadwick | Peter Ryan | Kelly Cavuoto |
| 29 September | Number Ones | Cle | Lauren Buckley | Kelly Cavuoto (2) |
| 6 October | Australian Hits | Kelly Cavuoto (3) | Rebekah LaVauney | Levi Kereama |
| 13 October | 1980s | Levi Kereama (2) | Paulini Curuenavuli | Shannon Noll |
| 20 October | R&B/Soul | Rob Mills | Cosima De Vito | |
| 27 October | Big Band | Paulini Curuenavuli (2) | Guy Sebastian | |
| 3 November | 1960s | Cosima de Vito (2)1 | ||
| 19 November | Finale | Shannon Noll (2) | Guy Sebastian (2) | |
1 Cosima de Vito withdrew from the competition due to polyps on her vocal chords, keeping original eliminee Shannon Noll in the competition.
Season 2
As well as the five larger cities, the judges also visited Canberra, Hobart, Darwin and Tamworth this year. Of the twelve finalists, three were from Sydney, two were from Melbourne, and one each from Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Hobart, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide and Bega.
The winner was Casey Donovan. The runners up (in descending order) were Anthony Callea, Courtney Murphy , Hayley Jensen & Chanel Cole. The final two, as well as Ricki-Lee Coulter (7th), were the only contestants from the Top 12 to score hits, with Callea the highest seller of the three, now holding the record of the highest and fast selling single by an Australian artist ever with his first release of "The Prayer". Chanel Cole and Daniel Belle teamed up under the name Spook to release an album in October 2005; a bootleg album for Chanel was also released in November 2005. Top 30 contestants Ngaiire Joseph and Marty Worrall each released a single in late 2005, and Hayley Jensen an album in September 2007. Daniel O'Connor, another of the Top 12, gained a role on Neighbours.
The Grand finale of this series remains the highest rated show out of all broadcast over the five seasons.
On a darker note, Telstra, a major sponsor of the series, made an embarrassing error when they issued a series of half-page advertisements in major newspapers congratulating Donovan on her victory, with a reference to her website. However, the address was incorrect, leading to a website about gay porn star Casey Donovan, rather than the singer's. The company issued a prompt apology upon realising their mistake.[30]
After this season, judge Ian Dickson left the series, later to appear in the Seven Network reality TV shows My Restaurant Rules, Dancing with the Stars and most recently, Australian Celebrity Survivor. The 2004 season was also notable for an Asian contestant named "Flynn", who sang the Freestylers song "Push Up" after being found from a terrible audition, in the same vein as William Hung.
| Date | Theme | Bottom Three | ||
| 6 September | Australian Made | Angeline Narayan | Emelia Rusciano | Amali Ward |
| 13 September | Pop | Dan O'Connor | Hayley Jensen | Marty Worrall |
| 20 September | 1960s | Amali Ward (2) | Hayley Jensen (2) | Marty Worrall (2) |
| 27 September | Disco | Emelia Rusciano (2) | Marty Worrall (3) | Casey Donovan |
| 4 October | Contestant's Choice | Daniel Belle | Chanel Cole | Hayley Jensen (3) |
| 11 October | The Beatles | Ricki-Lee Coulter | Chanel Cole (2) | Marty Worrall (4) |
| 18 October | 1980s | Marty Worrall (5) | Casey Donovan (2) | Hayley Jensen (4) |
| 25 October | R&B | Chanel Cole (3) | Courtney Murphy | |
| 1 November | Big Band | Hayley Jensen (6) | Casey Donovan (3) | |
| 8 November | 1970s | Courtney Murphy (2) | ||
| 21 November | Finale | Anthony Callea | Casey Donovan (3) | |
Season 3
For the first time in 'Australian Idol' history there were 13 finalists. This came about during the Wildcard Verdict show on 5 September 2005. The judges initially chose James Kannis and Emily Williams to go through to the final. This left one spot which was chosen by the Australian public. Out of the remaining contestants the two that received the highest votes were Daniel Spillane and Roxane Lebrasse. With only 1% between them, Dan was announced as the final member of the Top 12. This meant Roxane had missed out yet again. The judges decided however that Roxane was too good to be left out of the Top 12 so they made it a Top 13. The catch was that two contestants were eliminated in the first round of the finals.
On 21 November 2005 the winner was announced and it was Kate DeAraugo. Kate was an outside chance to win throughout the whole season and after the show had ended Kate released a #1 single, a platinum selling album and a further Top 10 hit single through Sony BMG. Kate is currently working with all girl group Young Divas which is madeup of past Idol contestants which include Paulini Curuenavuli, Jessica Mauboy and Emily Williams. Runner up Emily Williams lost by 1% in the closest percentage ever in an Idol finale. She was originally signed to Sony BMG as a solo artist, but the agreement fell through. She is also a member of Young Divas and has had much success with them. Lee Harding finished in third position and was signed to Sony BMG and released a # 1 single and a platinum selling album. His second single from his debut album proved to be less successful and in mid 2006 Harding was released from his contract with the label. He is currently touring and performing with Bedrock. Dan England came 4th and didn't score a recording contract with a major label but recorded several independent releases and has toured with Season 2 winner Casey Donovan and Season 1 Runner Up Shannon Noll. Anne Robertson who finished in sixth position was negotiating a deal with Sony BMG, but it was rumoured that Sony BMG was reluctant in signing her as they believed she was too similar to Season 1 contestant Paulini Curuenavuli who had been signed to the label for several years. Other Idol contestants from Season 3 have released numerous independent material and have toured and performed with several bands and music groups.
Although averaging around the 1.5 million viewer mark, ratings were down by up to 40% on average during the third season compared to the first two seasons, which regularly drew more than 2.5 million viewers during the latter half of the competition. This created a serious situation for Ten, which was airing three Australian Idol shows every week at the time, and forced them to give away free commercial airtime to program sponsors expecting higher ratings. Commentators has theorised over the reasons why this has occurred, ranging from the viewing public being tired of the format due to Sandilands replacing the popular Dickson. This caused a major Idol revamp for Season 4 which meant Season 4 being one of the highest rating seasons yet.
| Date | Theme | Bottom Three | ||
| 12 September | Australian Artists | Tarni Stephens | Chris Luder | Milly Edwards |
| 19 September | 1960s | Natalie Zahra | Laura Gissara | James Kannis |
| 26 September | Rock Supergroups | Laura Gissara (2) | James Kannis (2) | Daniel Spillane |
| 3 October | Contestant's Choice | Roxane LeBrasse | Milly Edwards (2) | Daniel Spillane (2) |
| 10 October | Big Band | Milly Edwards (3) | Dan England | James Kannis (3) |
| 17 October | 1980's | James Kannis (4) | Emily Williams | Daniel Spillane (3) |
| 24 October | Motown | Anne Robertson | Daniel Spillane (4) | Dan England (2) |
| 31 October | 1970's | Daniel Spillane (5) | Lee Harding | |
| 7 November | Elvis Presley | Dan England (3) | Lee Harding (2) | |
| 14 November | Number Ones | Lee Harding (3) | ||
| 21 November | Finale | Emily Williams (2) | Kate DeAraugo | |
Season 4
Changes for the fourth season of Australian Idol included the cancellation of "Inside Idol"; a "streamlined" semi-finals (replaced with a variant of the 12 females, 12 males format popularized by American Idol); and the contestants will be able to bring instruments with them on stage for at least one of the final shows. Also, the fourth season's television promos promised a change in the viewer's role in the show, revealed to be an SMS service called 199-JUDGE which allows viewers to SMS their opinions on the judges' reactions.
Damien Leith was named the winner of Australian Idol 2006 on November 26, beating Jessica Mauboy for the title. Leith is the third most successful selling Australian Idol contestant with 385,000 units, behind Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll. He has achieved two #1 selling albums, The Winner's Journey which sold 4x Platinum and Where We Land which gained Platinum certification. His third studio album Catch the Wind: Songs of a Generation peaked at #2, reaching gold status. His first single, Night of My Life stayed at #1 for four consecutive weeks and was certified Platinum after one week of sales. It was the fastest selling debut single for 2006, and was the most added song to radio. Leith won 4 ARIA #1 Chart Awards and the 2007 ARIA Award for Highest Selling Album. He has also released a novel titled One More Time and hosted Network Ten's heart-warming television series "Saving Kids". His most recent album Remember June released on 9 October 2009 debuted at #25 on the ARIA Charts. Third place getter Dean Geyer later released his debut album 'Rush' and top ten single 'If You Don't Mean It' and currently stars on the Australian long-time running soap Neighbours. Jessica Mauboy went on to join ex-Idol girl group Young Divas, after member from season 2, Ricki-Lee Coulter, left the group. Jessica Mauboy has since gained much success as a solo artist. Her album Been Waiting has peaked at #11, spent 50 weeks on the charts to date and achieved Platinum status since its debut on the ARIA Albums Chart. Mauboy has also continues to enjoy success with her singles "Running Back" which was certified 2x Platinum, second single "Burn" reached #1 and achieved Platinum status, third single "Been Waiting" achieved Gold peaking at #12, fourth single "Because" peaking at #9 and achieving Gold status, and latest single Up/Down peaking at #11, achieving Gold status and still charting.
| Date | Theme | Bottom Three | ||
| 11 September | Contestant's Choice | Joseph Gatehau | Lavina Williams | Reigan Derry |
| 18 September | Rock | Reigan Derry (2) | Ricky Muscat | Guy Mutton |
| 25 September | Number Ones | Klancie Keough | Dean Geyer | Lavina Williams (2) |
| 2 October | Birth Year | Guy Mutton (2) | Lisa Mitchell | Jessica Mauboy |
| 9 October | Disco | Lavina Williams (3) | Chris Murphy | Ricky Muscat (2) |
| 16 October | Acoustic | Bobby Flynn | Lisa Mitchell (2) | Ricky Muscat (3) |
| 23 October | Rock Swings | Lisa Mitchell (3) | Dean Geyer (2) | Ricky Muscat (4) |
| 30 October | ARIA Hall of Fame | Ricky Muscat (5) | Dean Geyer (3) | |
| 6 November | Audience Choice | Chris Murphy (2) | Dean Geyer (4) | |
| 13 November | Judge's Choice | Dean Geyer (5) | ||
| 26 November | Finale* | Jessica Mauboy (2) | Damien Leith | |
Season 5
Ian "Dicko" Dickson rejoined the show as one of the judges, along with Mark Holden, Marcia Hines and Kyle Sandilands from 2006. The series is again hosted by Andrew G and James Mathison. The show continued with the format from Season 4 where contestants could use instruments throughout the show and for their audition they could perform original material rather than covering other artist's work. Natalie Gauci went on to win the series, beating Matt Corby for the title. Natalie released her debut platinum selling album "The Winner's Journey". After the winner's single "Here I Am" debuted at #2 on the ARIA Charts, and the album debuted at #11, Natalie has plans to release a new album later in 2009. Carl Riseley, who finished third in the contest went on to release a swing-style album titled "The Rise", debuting at #5 on the ARIA Charts. Runner-up Matt Corby however, is yet to sign a deal with record company SonyBMG, but has "had talks" about his future with the company. Natalie Gauci next album release is June 2009.
| Date | Theme | Bottom Three | ||
| 9 September | Contestant's Choice | Holly Weinert | Lana Krost | Brianna Carpenter |
| 16 September | Rock | Brianna Carpenter | Marty Simpson | Jacob Butler |
| 23 September | Disco | Lana Krost | Tarisai Vushe | Daniel Mifsud |
| 30 September | Acoustic | Mark Da Costa | Jacob Butler (2) | Daniel Mifsud (2) |
| 7 October | Brit Pop | Jacob Butler (3) | Carl Riseley | Daniel Mifsud (3) |
| 14 October | Birth Year | Ben McKenzie | Matt Corby | Marty Simpson (2) |
| 21 October | Judge's Choice/Contestant's Choice | Daniel Mifsud (4) | Tarisai Vushe (2) | Marty Simpson (3) |
| 28 October | Australian Made | Tarisai Vushe (3) | Natalie Gauci | |
| 4 November | Big Band | Marty Simpson (4) | Carl Riseley (2) | |
| 11 November | Audience Choice/Contestant's Choice | Carl Riseley (3) | ||
| 25 November | Finale | Matt Corby (2) | Natalie Gauci (2) | |
Season 6
Changes to the Australian Idol format for season 6 include judge Mark Holden[31] leaving the show and temporary absence of host Andrew G, and auditions held for the first time in the United Kingdom[32]. This was also the first season where the Top 4 contestants were all male, and the second time with two male grand finalists, after Season 1 Finale with Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll. On November 23, Wes Carr was announced as Australian Idol for 2008, beating Luke Dickens.
| Date | Theme | Bottom Three | ||
| 14 September | Idols' Idols | Jonny Taylor | Teale Jakubenko | Sophie Paterson |
| 21 September | '80s Music | Brooke Addamo | Sophie Paterson (2) | Thanh Bui |
| 28 September | Aussie Hits | Tom Williams | Teale Jakubenko (2) | Madam Parker |
| 5 October | ABBA | Madam Parker (2) | Chrislyn Hamilton | Roshani Priddis |
| 12 October | Rock | Thanh Bui (2) | Teale Jakubenko (3) | Sophie Paterson (3) |
| 19 October | Motown | Sophie Paterson (4) | Mark Spano | Teale Jakubenko (4) |
| 26 October | The Rolling Stones | Roshani Priddis (2) | Luke Dickens | Teale Jakubenko (5) |
| 2 November | Michael Jackson | Chrislyn Hamilton (2) | Mark Spano (2) | |
| 9 November | American Hits | Teale Jakubenko (6) | Wes Carr | |
| 16 November | Contestants Choice | Mark Spano (3) | ||
| 23 November | Finale | Luke Dickens (2) | Wes Carr (2) | |
Season 7
On 10 November 2008, it was announced that a seventh season of Australian Idol will be produced and aired in late 2009.[33]
James Mathison announced on 31 March 2009 that he was leaving the show after six seasons. Andrew G will continue hosting along with Ricki-Lee Coulter who will once again co-host. Following James' departure, Andrew G in conjunction with the producers of Australian Idol trademarked the "T-shirt, Jeans and Suit jacket" look, which effectively halted rival networks emulating this trend.[citation needed]
The promotional commercial for the season featured various "Legends". It featured impersonators of Elvis, Madonna, Michael Jackson, the Supremes, Christina Aguilera, and Mariah Carey among others. Also, the Australian Idol hopefuls were featured covering Mariah Carey's "Emotions" as the soundtrack to this commercial.[34]
On 1 June 2009, musical director John Foreman announced that he was also leaving the show after six seasons. Foreman's right-hand man, David Pritchard-Blunt, has been announced as his replacement.
On 3 August, Kyle Sandilands was let go as a judge on Australian Idol, while the future of his radio job remains uncertain after an on-air stunt went wrong. "Australian Idol is very much a family program and its appeal is very much right across the board, and we'd like to think that all families can enjoy the program in front of the TV," Idol Executive David Mott stated on the daily news. It was announced on 3 August 2009, via a press statement from Network Ten that Sandilands had been sacked from Australian Idol due to this incident. He was replaced by Jay Dee Springbett, a Sony music executive.
A Network Ten spokeman said of Sandilands' firing:
"Idol has remained a family-focused show, even more so this year with the 6.30pm Sunday timeslot. His radio persona has taken on a more controversial position . . . which is not in the interest of the show." [35]
Of being fired from Australia Idol, Sandilands said in a statement that "I'm disappointed at Channel 10's decision to remove me from Australian Idol. I have truly loved being a part of the show." Network Ten had held crisis talks with advertisers in the days prior to his firing amid concerns Sandilands would damage their brands. Idol creator Simon Fuller reportedly gave Ten his blessing to fire Sandilands. It was believed Sandilands earns $1 million of his estimated annual $2.8 million income from Idol.[35]
The 7th season began on 9 August at 6.30 pm. This is the first year that previously rejected contestants can return to audition again. The only ineligible contestants are those who made Top 12/13. Semi-finalists (Top 24/30) have the option to return to the show.
This season will also be broadcast in New Zealand, five days after the initial airing in Australia.[36] This marks the return of the show to New Zealand after a five-year hiatus since vanishing after the end of season two in 2004.
| Date | Theme | Bottom Three | ||
| 6 September | Rock | Ashleigh Toole | Casey Barnes | Tim Johnston |
| 13 September | Top 10 Hits | Casey Barnes (2) | Sabrina Batshon | Kim Cooper |
| 20 September | 80's | Sabrina Batshon (2) | Kim Cooper (2) | Nathan Brake |
| 27 September | Pink | Tim Johnston (2) | Scott Newnham | James Johnston |
| 4 October | Big Band | Scott Newnham (2) | James Johnston (2) | Nathan Brake (2) |
| 11 October | Movie/Theatre | Kim Cooper (3) | Hayley Warner | Kate Cook |
| 18 October | Contestant's Choice | Kate Cook (2) | Stan Walker | James Johnston (3) |
| 25 October | Noughties Week | Toby Moulton* | James Johnston (4) | Nathan Brake (3) |
| 1 November | Power Anthems | Nathan Brake (4) | Hayley Warner (2) | |
| 15 November | Contestant's Choice & Winner's Single | James Johnston (5) | ||
| 22 November | Finale | Hayley Warner (3) | Stan Walker (2) | |
* Toby Moulton withdrew hence keeping original eliminee James Johnston in the competition.
Criticism
Loss of major advertisers
It is unsure as to the future of Australian Idol, because two of its top sponsors (Telstra, and Procter & Gamble) have dropped, amid fears it cannot rebound the decrease of 19% in ratings from last year, which has resulted in a decrease of $482 million off Ten's market value[37], considering Channel Ten refused to air American Idol[38].
Lack of ongoing Recording Industry support
Australian Idol and its performers are often criticized by the Australian media and entertainers [39]. Some winners and runners-up from the show have failed to maintain popularity past the airing of their respective series of the show. Critics have also lamented the associated record companies claiming high record sales but instead measuring the number of copies shipped to music stores in sale or return.[40] This trend is more noticeable with the female winners, as Casey Donovan,Kate DeAraugo and Natalie Gauci only enjoyed moderate and short-lived successes. Other idol graduates such as Guy Sebastian, Shannon Noll, Anthony Callea, and Damien Leith on the other hand, have established themselves in the Australian music market and continue to enjoy success. It should be noted however, that some female contestants have too made an impact in the industry including Jessica Mauboy, Lisa Mitchell, and Ricki-Lee Coulter.
The criticism of idol sales fails to take into account the fact that while accreditations are based on distribution, the ARIA weekly and end of year charts and also sales nominations at the Annual ARIA Awards are based on actual real sales and do not use distribution in their calculations to determine position. There are some Idol contestants who have achieved strong sales for their first releases, with a few having sustained success over a number of years going on chart performance,[41][42] position on the ARIA end of year charts [43] and also sales nominations at the Annual ARIA Awards.[44] Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll received highest selling nominations both for singles and albums at the 2004 ARIA Awards, with Sebastian winning the highest selling singles category.[45] Sebastian also received nominations for highest selling album in 2005[46] and 2008[10] making it three out of his five albums being one of the five highest selling Australian albums in those years. Noll was also nominated in the singles category in 2006 [47] and 2007.[48] Casey Donovon and Anthony Callea were nominated in both single and album categories in 2005 with Anthony Callea winning the ARIA for highest selling single.[46] Damien Leith was nominated for highest selling single and album in 2007, winning the album category.[48] Several other contestants have received nominations for singles in various years. In more recent history Sebastian and Mauboy both achieved #1 singles in 2009, with Sebastian reaching double platinum accreditation for his single "Like It Like That" which spent twelve weeks in the top 10.[49][15][50] Jessica Mauboy has received a nomination for highest selling album and has two songs in the singles category this year and also four nominations in industry voted categories.[51]
Hillsong sponsorship claims
 |
The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (March 2009) |
In October 2007, criticism was leveled at the fairness of the program's telephone voting system, where 50% of the remaining contestants were stated by the media to be members of the Hillsong Church. The 50% of remaining contestants dispute was put to rest- when Daniel and Ben both said they did not have any affiliations with the Assemblies of God.[52][53], and raising concerns of vote-stacking by the church congregation. Since the members associated with the Assemblies of God were voted week by week, some media analysts also claim discrimination against those who admit being Christian, noting it being out of line with the "family-friendly" product placement[54].
Revenue generation
In November, reporter Neil Wooldridge stated that although the producers are coy about how much is being made from SMS promotions that "some commentators estimate Telstra and Network Ten, partners in the 'Australian Idol' program, made up to $900,000 profit each episode."
In 2003 it is estimated that viewers cast 20 million votes for their favourite Australian Idol contestant. At 55 cents for each telephone call or text message, that equates to $11 million even before advertising revenue. In Season 2 it is estimated that 29 million votes were cast making $16 million. Season 3 saw a slight drop with 18 million votes cast making $10 million. In Season 4 26 million were cast making $14.3 million and in Season 5, 22 million were cast making $12.2 million. Network Ten pay around $13 million for each season.[55]
See also
References
- ^ a b "australiancharts.com Guy Sebastian". Australian Charts. http://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Guy+Sebastian australiancharts.com. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ a b "ariacharts.com.au ARIA Top 50 album Chart". ARIA. 16 November 2009. http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display_album.asp?chart=1G50 ariacharts.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2003 Albums". ARIA. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-albums-2003.htm. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ Quinn, Karl (21 November 2004). "Everyone's A Winner". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/news/Music/Everyones-a-winner/2004/11/19/1100748195505.html. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ a b "aria.com.au ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2004 Albums". ARIA. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-albums-2004.htm aria.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ "aria.com.au ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2006". ARIA. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/ARIACharts-Accreditations-2006Albums.htm aria.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ "aria.com.au ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2008 Albums". ARIA. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/httpwww.aria.com.aupageshttpwww.aria.com.aupagesARIACharts-Accreditations-2008Albums.htm aria.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ "ariaawards.com.au 2004: 18th Annual ARIA Awards / Event highlights". ARIA. 2004. http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-year.php?year=2004 ariaawards.com.au. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ "2005:19th Annual ARIA Awards / Event highlights". ARIA. http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-year.php?year=2005. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ a b "2008: 22nd Annual ARIA Awards / Event highlights". ARIA. http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-year.php?year=2008. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ ARIA Charts Top 100 Singles 2003 Retrieved October 13, 2009
- ^ Australian Recording Industry Association Accreditation - 2003 singles Retrieved October 13, 2009
- ^ a b ariaawards.com.au 2004:18th Annual ARIA Awards Event highlights Retrieved August 28, 2009
- ^ australiancharts.com Retrieved October 13, 2009
- ^ a b c Aria.com.au ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart Retrieved November 22, 2009
- ^ aria.com.au Accreditations - albums and singles Retrieved October 13, 2009
- ^ 6degreesmanagement.com.au Artist Information: Guy Sebastian Retrieved October 15, 2009
- ^ Charts.org.nz Guy Sebastian in New Zealand Charts Retrieved October 13, 2009
- ^ RIANZ New Zealand Music Charts Retrieved October 13, 2009
- ^ australian-charts.com Shannon Noll Albums in Australian Charts Retrieved October 13, 2009
- ^ Australian Recording Industry Association Accreditations - 2006 Albums Retrieved October 13, 2009
- ^ aria.com.au ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2007 Albums Retrieved October 13, 2009
- ^ australian-charts.com Shannon Noll Singles in Australian Charts Retrieved October 13, 2009
- ^ a b shannonnoll.com.au Biography Retrieved October 13, 2009
- ^ ARIA Charts Top 100 Singles 2004 Retrieved October 13, 2009
- ^ ariaawards.com.au 2006:20th Annual ARIA Awards Event highlights October 13, 2009
- ^ ariaawards.com.au 2007:21st Annual ARIA Awards Event highlights Retrieved October 13, 2009
- ^ aria.com.au Accreditations - albums and singles Retrieved October 13, 2009
- ^ newzealandcharts.com Shannon Noll in the New Zealand Charts Retrieved October 13, 2009
- ^ "Porn apology over Idol win". Sydney Morning Herald. 22 November 2004. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/11/22/1100972298598.html.
- ^ "Mark Holden Quits Idol". http://www.yourtv.com.au/news/index.cfm?i=131840. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ^ "Australian Idol's LA auditions canned already". http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,23515605-10388,00.html. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ^ Looking for the magic touch TV Tonight November 10, 2008
- ^ http://www.australianidol.com.au/video.htm?vxSiteId=666b8363-97e9-4c40-b665-53846db95ad0&vxChannel=S7AuditionsPreShow&vxClipId=2558_1014TT100709&vxBitrate=300&vxTemplate=AustralianIdol09_IndexPlayer.swf
- ^ a b Darren Devlyn with Geraldine Mitchell and Colin Vickery (2009-08-04). "Kyle Sandilands dumped as judge on Australian Idol". The Herald Sun. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25877881-2902,00.html. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
- ^ http://www.throng.co.nz/australian-idol/australian-idol-back
- ^ http://business.smh.com.au/business/ten-left-with-idol-and-an-empty-house-20080713-3eiq.html
- ^ http://undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=5628
- ^ Bernard Zuel. "Will Idol winners ever get any respect?". Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/will-idol-graduates-ever-get-any-respect/2007/09/05/1188783289280.html. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
- ^ c.f. Zuel
- ^ Australian-charts.com ARIA Weekly charts archives - singles Retrieved October 12, 2009
- ^ Australian-charts.com ARIA Weekly charts archives - Albums Retrieved October 12, 2009
- ^ Australian Recording Industry Association End Of Year Charts Retrieved October 12, 2009
- ^ ARIA Awards History by year Retrieved October 12, 2009
- ^ ARIA Awards 2004 nominations Retrieved October 12, 2009
- ^ a b ARIA Awards 2005 Nominations Retrieved October 12, 2009
- ^ ARIA Awards 2006 Nominations Retrieved October 12, 2009
- ^ a b ARIA Awards 2007 Nominations Retrieved October 12, 2009
- ^ Australian-Charts.com Guy Sebastian Like It Like That Weekly chart position Retrieved October 12, 2009
- ^ Australian-Charts.com Jessica Mauboy Burn Weekly chart position Retrieved October 12, 2009
- ^ ARIA Awards 2009 Nominations Retrieved October 12, 2009
- ^ Jane Nethercote. "Australian Idol: Where are the singing Buddhists?". Private Media Pty Ltd, Publishers of Crikey.com.au. http://www.crikey.com.au/Media-Arts-and-Sports/20071010-Australian-Idol-what-about-the-Buddhists.html. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
- ^ Garth Montgomery. "Idol fans angry at vote bloc". News Limited.. http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,23663,22558938-10229,00.html. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
- ^ "Channel Ten Goes On Australian Idol 2008 Cover-Up Spree". http://www.pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=127287&Itemid=31. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
- ^ "SMS Phenomenon". http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/busrpt/stories/s996349.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-17.
External links
- Australian Idol
- Australian Idol on ten.com.au
- Australian Idol at the Internet Movie Database
- Australian Idol at TV.com
- Australian Idol at the National Film and Sound Archive
- Australian Idol 2008 Blog
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
