Where Is ‘American Idol’ Winner Kris Allen Now? His Life 16 Years Later

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Adam Lambert may be the most recognizable person from Season 8 of American Idol, but Kris Allen was actually the winner of that season. The singer was voted America’s favorite after the May 2009 finale.

But what is he up to 16 years later? Scroll down for an update on Allen’s life today and what he’s done since his time on the singing competition series.

What is Kris Allen doing now?

Allen is still pursuing his music career. In fact, he released his most recent album, Pole Vaulter, in August 2024. “I started creating this album a long time ago. It began as a bunch of singles back in 2021,” he shared. “But then, @andyskib and I just kept creating. It became evident that whatever this chapter was that I was writing about wasn’t finished. It needed to be wrapped up in one piece. It needed a beginning (‘Hello, Mr. Right Next Door,’ with all of its questions) and an ending (‘Pole Vaulter’ with feeling the weight of those questions and everything before it and realizing you can’t take on all of those things. You have to take it one step at a time).”

Before that, he hadn’t released an album since 2016, but that year he dropped a Christmas record and his fifth studio album, Letting You In. He’s also kept up with touring throughout the years, including a joint tour with Season 7 American Idol winner David Cook in 2021.

Is Kris Allen married?

Yes, Allen has been married since even before his time on Idol. He married his high school sweetheart, Katy O’Connell, in September 2008 when he was just 23 years old.

Katy is the founder of Artful Agenda, a digital planner. She also sells children’s books online “while managing a team of over 2,000 sales consultants,” according to her website.

The couple started dating when Allen was a junior in high school. “She’s been my best friend for a long time,” he previously told People. “She’s the coolest chick in the world.” Their wedding took place in Arkansas and included 400 guests.

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A post shared by Katy Allen (@artfulkaty)

In honor of the pair’s 15th wedding anniversary in 2023, Allen wrote on Facebook, “Happy Anniversary to my incredible wife of 15 years. @artfulkaty I love this life we get to do together.”

Does Kris Allen have kids?

Yes, Allen and his wife share three children. Their first son, Oliver, was born in 2013, followed by daughter Rosie in 2016 and another son, Marlo, in 2019.

Are Adam Lambert and Kris Allen still friends?

Although Lambert and Allen were competitors on Idol, they also developed a close, albeit somewhat unexpected, friendship during their time on the show.

The two may have drifted apart due to their busy lives over the years, but they’ve stayed friends. “I actually just recently had a text conversation with Kris Allen,” Lambert shared in November 2024. “It had been so long since we had connected and it was so nice saying hi and seeing what he was up to, diving into his Instagram, seeing the music and his family. It was really great.”

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The guys were roommates during their time on American Idol, and Lambert previously admitted to having a crush on Allen. “I was like, ‘Oh, s**t, they put me with the cute guy … Distracting!” Lambert told Rolling Stone in 2009. “He’s the one guy that I found attractive in the whole group on the show … totally my type — except that he has a wife.”