| American Idol | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
 | |
| Hosted by | Ryan Seacrest Brian Dunkleman |
| Judges | Paula Abdul Simon Cowell Randy Jackson |
| Winner | Kelly Clarkson |
| Runner-up | Justin Guarini |
| Finals venue | Kodak Theatre |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox |
| Original release | June 11 – September 4, 2002 |
| Season chronology | |
The first season of American Idol (originally entitled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar) premiered on June 11, 2002, over four months after Pop Idol's first series ended, with Will Young winning the series, and continued until September 4, 2002. The first season was co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman, the latter of whom left the show after the season ended. Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy Jackson served as judges. Kelly Clarkson won the competition, defeating Justin Guarini, who finished in second place.
Kelly Clarkson signed with RCA Records, the label in partnership with American Idol's 19 Recordings. Immediately after the finale, Clarkson released two singles, including her coronation song, "A Moment Like This," which went on to break a thirty-eight-year-old record held by The Beatles for a song's biggest leap to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It jumped up from number fifty-two to number one in just one week. Clarkson has enjoyed a successful recording and talk show hosting career since winning, with multiple platinum albums, numerous top-ten hit singles, three Grammy Awards, and seven Emmy Awards. Runner-up Justin Guarini also signed with RCA Records, eventually debuting an album in 2003 after the conclusion of the second season. In addition to Clarkson and Guarini, Nikki McKibbin, Tamyra Gray, R. J. Helton, and Christina Christian also signed recording contracts.
After the finale, a special show in Las Vegas was also shown on September 23, 2002, where all 30 of the contestants who made the judges' initial cut performed in a two-hour concert.