Morgan EvansHomegrown country star Morgan Evans is taking on a new role: he’s replaced Kyle Sandilands on the judging panel of Australian Idol.
The popular reality talent series returns to Seven and 7plus in 2027. Evans joins the Australian Idol judging panel as the show’s third judge, accompanying Idol legend and pop icon Marcia Hines, as well as award-winning singer-songwriter Amy Shark.
The new-look judging panel will soon start searching for emerging talent across the country to crown the next Australian Idol. Evans, who splits his time between Australia and Nashville, returns to Idol after performing his hit single, Letting You Go, on this year’s finale.
“I’m stoked to be joining Amy, Marcia and the Idol crew next year,” Evans exclaimed in a statement.
He continued, “I reckon if you’ve got music in you, that’s something the world needs to hear, and I’ve enjoyed helping new artists find that since I was teaching guitar in Newcastle.
“I’ve learned a lot in my travels, some of it the fun way, some of it the other way, and look forward to sharing what I can. Can’t wait to hear what Australia’s got!”
Seven Director of Content, Unscripted, Majella Hay, added, “It’s a new era for Australian Idol. Morgan is the real deal. He’s one of the few homegrown artists to crack Nashville, and with more than a billion global streams, he is an Aussie success story. He’s the perfect addition to the line-up.”
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In March, Evans released his new album, Steel Town. With its title, the Novocastrian country singer paid tribute to his New South Wales childhood home.
The record marked his first in seven years – following on from 2018’s Things That We Drink To, which won the ARIA Award for Best Country Album in 2019.
Steel Town followed Evans’ talked-about sets at events such as Howlin Festival and CMC Rocks, plus multiple Grand Ole Opry appearances. In 2024, he performed two sold-out shows at the Sydney Opera House, and went on to release the live record, Live at the Sydney Opera House.
Australian Idol is hosted by multi-platinum-selling, ARIA Award-nominated singer Ricki-Lee, who was discovered on the show in 2004, alongside entertainment presenter Scott Tweedie.
This year’s season was won by 21-year-old Kesha Nevé from Jindabyne.
