| American Idol | |
|---|---|
| Season 7 | |
 | |
| Hosted by | Ryan Seacrest |
| Judges | Paula Abdul Simon Cowell Randy Jackson |
| Winner | David Cook |
| Runner-up | David Archuleta |
| Finals venue | Nokia Theatre L.A. Live |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox |
| Original release | January 15 – May 21, 2008 |
| Season chronology | |
The seventh season of American Idol began on January 15, 2008, and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show, while Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned as judges. David Cook was announced as the winner on May 21, 2008, defeating runner-up David Archuleta by a margin of roughly 12 million votes out of over 97 million, which was at that time the highest recorded vote total in the show's history.