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Hannah Harper won Season 24 of American Idol on May 11.
Judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie shared their reactions to her win in an interview with TV Insider and a small group of other media outlets.
The trio also shared their advice for Hannah as she moves forward with a career in the music industry.

From the moment Hannah Harper auditioned for American Idol with an original song about motherhood, she resonated with judges Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie, as well as viewers across the country, because of her voice, vulnerability, songwriting, and artistic ability.

That ended up taking her all the way through the competition until she was named the winner during the May 11 finale.

“I’ve been a fan. I’ve been a stan for Hannah since the beginning,” Underwood told TV Insider and a small group of media outlets after the show. “There’s just something about her that’s so relatable, obviously, and I feel like, in the end, that’s why people voted for her. They’re just like, ‘I see a bit of myself in her,’ and you just want to root for her.”

Bryan noted that seeing so many people relate to Hannah is “what creating music is all about,” adding, “She did that day one and she never fumbled. She never stuttered, stumbled, once. She never faltered. She was just solid day in and day out.” He also gushed that Hannah is “certainly worthy” of being the winner and urged her to “love every step of the way” moving forward.

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When it comes to advice for Hannah as she continues her career, Underwood said, “I feel like my main advice to her will be about being a mother in the business. I’ve done things well. I’ve done things terribly. And if I can impart some wisdom there … because she’s a really great songwriter and she’s proven that time and time again, so it’s like she’s already got the material, which is half the battle. I’m excited to see what she does and where she goes.”

Bryan added that Hannah should “take this momentum” and start writing music with a “core crew” of people. “Get some material out there and go,” he advised. “Chase your dreams and really enjoy your love of music. It’s hard work. It’s hard work now for me [still].” However, he promised that it’s “so fulfilling and fun” in the end.

Meanwhile, Richie’s most important piece of advice to “take a deep breath [and] be present.” He also agreed with Bryan that the “real hard work” is yet to come. “We’re going to throw you into the vat of real artists and the competition now becomes if you can hold the American public and the world. Can you hold their attention? Can the world fall in love with you?”

He continued, “You have to build it now. You walk out of your house and go, ‘I got a hit record.’ Good. What’s your next one? Right now, I told her, ‘Get some sleep.’ She’s going to be tired. And 200 years from now, when you’re like me, they keep asking me, ‘What are you going to do next?’ And you’ll feel good about it.”

—Reporting by Michael Maloney