Who won American Idol before Carrie Underwood? Who was on American Idol when Carrie Underwood won?

American R&B singer and actress Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor, known professionally by her mononym Fantasia won the third season of the reality television series American Idol.

At age 19, Fantasia became the youngest American Idol winner until May 23, 2007, when then-17-year-old Jordin Sparks won the title. Carrie Underwood officially became a star on May 25, 2005, when she won the fourth season of American Idol.

Anthony Fedorov, Scott Savol, Bo Bice, Travis Tucker, Constantine Maroulis, David Brown, Jared Yates, Anwar Robinson, Judd Harris, Joseph Murena,  and Mario Vazquez were also on American Idol when Carrie Underwood won.

Billboard ranked Carrie Underwood the top female country artist of the 2000s and 2010s, and Some Hearts the top country album of the 2000s.

In September 2020, Carrie Underwood won her third Entertainer of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music, making her the first woman in history to do so. Underwood’s debut album, Some Hearts (2005), became the best-selling solo female debut album in country music history.