Nick Fradiani beat the odds against early favorites Clark Beckham and Jax to become the "American Idol" season 14 winner!
"I can't ... Thank you guys so much, thank you so much. It's amazing - the best day of my life, " the 29-year-old Connecticut native started to say amidst the tears before singing his single, "Beautiful Life."
"Everybody was saying I was kind of the underdog, and I think that's true," he later told Entertainment Weekly. "Nobody had me pegged as the winner. I wasn't doing anything that was really impressing people. Then something clicked the last six weeks or so. I just got hot at the right time."
According to USA Today, one-third of the judging panel predicted the outcome of contest earlier that night. Judge Keith Urban told Ryan Seacrast during the finale that the rocker will win "by a hair."
After the show, Fradiani took to Twitter to express his gratitude for his supporters.
"All I can say is I am so humble and gracious for all of your support! It hasn't sunk in yet. Because of You I am the new @AmericanIdol," he posted.
The "American Idol" season 14 winner also honored runner up Clark Beckham at the finale, calling him "one of the best musicians I've ever been around and an even better person."
However, will Nick Fradiani be the last ever "American Idol" champion? Fradiani's win was tangled with cancellation news of the long-running Fox show as well. Thankfully, the singing competition will still have one last run next year.
According to Fox News, Fox is already preparing to look for one last follow-up of the "American Idol" season 14 winner. Judges Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick, Jr. expressed the bittersweet feeling of preparing for the final season.
When the production team was playing the montage clips of season 14, Urban reportedly told Lopez, "when this happens this time next year, I'll probably be bawling."
Season 15 will air in January.
