Throughout his time on “American Idol’s” sixth season, Sanjaya Malara was quite a controversial figure and even had his very own beef with judge Simon Cowell. The star finished the show in seventh place after being voted off by the judges, despite having quite a bit of public support thanks to his relatability, easy-going nature, and fantastic singing abilities.
After his time with “American Idol,” the singer went on to appear in various TV shows. He recently appeared on the second season of the reality television show “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!,” and ended up placing fifth. After his peak in 2007, Malakar faded out of public awareness, but not before being ranked third on Time’s 100 Most Influential People of the Year.
Mandisa - $3 Million
Let’s start with the obvious, Mandisa was treated quite terribly by Simon Cowell during her run in "American Idol’s" tough competition. She ended up reaching ninth place, but not without being constantly criticized for her weight by the tough music producer. Instead of being mad and losing motivation, this only caused the singer to become even more bold.
By the end of the show, the beautiful Mandisa gave Cowell a very undeserved hug and wished him the best. She used her exposure from the show to launch a debut album, which put her at number one on the Top Christian Albums chart. Since then, Mandisa has used her love and positive message to become one of the most popular gospel singers in the U.S. today.
Lee DeWyze - $500,000
Lee DeWyze started out as a promising performer on the ninth season of "American Idol" and ended up winning the entire show. From there, he went on to have a solo career. While DeWyze has lost most of his popularity over the years, he still releases albums every few years or so. His most recent one, "Paranoia," was released in early 2018 to moderate success.
What made this "American Idol" winner so unique, was his inspiring transformation from a shy singer to quite the jaw-dropper. Although he hasn’t enjoyed massive stardom like many other winners of the show, Lee DeWyze seems to be doing alright for himself. His most famous song since then has been the “Blackbird Song,” which went viral for about a week.
Scotty McCreery - $4 Million
In the tenth season of "Idol," the main guy was Scotty McCreery. The young singer basically blew over the competition with his inspirational voice and charming personality. He won the season and just kept going.
Since his win on "American Idol," McCreery went on to release several albums which went platinum and gold. He’s also quite a big fan of baseball and used his status as a celebrity to score the first pitch at a White Sox game. The talented singer's albums and media fame helped him achieve a net worth of just over $4 million, and the rest of the future looks extremely bright for this young star.
Kris Allen - $3.5 Million
Kris Allen is proof that grit, determination, and courage can truly make a difference when it comes to becoming famous. The singer and guitarist was quite active even before appearing on "American Idol," which prepared him for his incredible win on the show’s eighth season. After this, Allen released a self-titled album that reached eleventh place on the Billboard 200.
Since his appearance on the show, Kris Allen decided to focus on two things: making great music and helping improve the planet. Regarding his music career, the singer has released four albums that have all been moderately successful. His humanitarian ventures have been a mixed endeavor, as he once contracted a rare form of hepatitis during a mission that nearly killed him.