Washington State Teen Born in Hawaii Wins American Idol

Washington's own Iam Tongi wins American Idol and the hearts of America with his singing! Careful, he's so good he might make you cry!

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American Idol 2023 Crowns It's Champion

On the finals of the 2023 American Idol, 3 contestants remained to be crowned the Champion: Iam Tongi, Megan Danielle, and Colin Stough. In the end, the winner and 2023 American Idol Champion is an 18-year-old from Washington State that was born in Hawaii named Iam Tongi. The talented young singer stole the hearts of America and broke the mold of the kind of singer that wins the reality show.

credit YouTube American Idol
credit YouTube American Idol
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Iam Tongi's First American Idol Audition Will Make You Cry

The first time Iam sang for the judges, it was special and memorable in many ways. First, he started telling his story about growing up in Hawaii but having to move to Washington State because Hawaii got too expensive. He explains in his audition that he had lived near Seattle for the last 3 years and that he had bonded with his father with his singing. That is when you find out he had just lost his Dad a few months earlier. He sang the song Monsters by James Blunt and dedicated his performance to his father. The words of the song fit his situation perfectly and the emotion coming from Iam's singing was overwhelming. All of the judges burst into tears during his performance and immediately moved him to the next round.

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Who Is Iam Tongi?

Iam Tongi grew up in Kahuku, a town in O’ahu, Hawaii but had to move to Washington State 3 years ago. He was asked by the judges in his original audition and his reply was "priced out of paradise." He is only 18 and a senior at Decatur High School in Federal Way, Washington. His first audition video is currently the most-watched video on the American Idol YouTube page and he is the first Hawaiian-born and Washington resident to win American Idol.

credit YouTube American Idol
credit YouTube American Idol
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Congrats Iam Tongi

Congratulations Iam Tongi, on behalf of everyone that lives in Washington State. We would hate to see you go, but I hope this win eventually helps you return back home to Hawaii. It has been great having you while you were here and thanks for blessing the world with your voice and your story.

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