Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie had an amazing season as judges of the 21st season of the most famous singing reality show, American Idol , which announced its winner on Sunday night. The evening of May 21st saw Iam Tongi declared as the winner of the season. Before crowning the latest champion, finalists Megan Danielle, Colin Stough and William “Iam” Tongi performed on the stage one last time. Even the judges Perry, Richie and Bryan each performed some of their best numbers. The three talented singers and songwriters have been a part of the judging panel since the show’s comeback on ABC in 2018, as per Good to Know.
For those wondering how much the judges make, reports suggest that the judges make enough to live without working for the rest of their lives. In fact, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan have massive net worths because of their contributions to the music industry and the salaries they earn on the show. The income information dates back to 2018, so there may have been some agreement re-negotiations since, reports Just Jared .
1. Katy Perry
As per Sportskeeda , Katy Perry is the richest judge on the board, with a calculated net worth of $330 million. Perry is an American musician, composer, and television judge, and according to Celebrity Net Worth , she is one of the highest-paid performers on the globe with a massive fan following who have helped preserve her position for over a decade.
The vocalist has released many records while making her debut on the Billboard charts and selling out numerous stadium tours. Perry has also made myriads of television appearances between 2009-2014 in Saturday Night Live , The Simpsons , How I Met Your Mother and Raising Hope . The Teenage Dream singer acquired around $30-$50 million with the help of album deals, tours and merchandise. By June 2020, she made $40 million, of which $25 million were due to being a judge on American Idol . Her famous albums contain Gospel Records Katy Hudson , One of the Boys , Teenage Dream , Prism and Witness , among others.
2. Luke Bryan
Luke Bryan is an American country vocalist, composer and guitarist with a net worth of $160 million. He is a thriving artist with a huge record of publicized creations. As per Celebrity Net Worth , Bryan too is one of the highest-paid artists in the world. He gained $50 million from his multifarious works between June 2017 and June 2018. As of 2018, Bryan was making a rumored $12 million per season as an American Idol judge and reportedly earned $45 million from June 2019 to June 2020.
Bryan makes $1 million per concert when he tours. His multiple singles, albums, EPs, and music videos, as well as his songwriting and production job, have made him worth $160 Million. Bryan has won two Academy of Country Music Awards, nine American Country Awards, and one CMT Music Award, per Sportskeeda .
3. Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie is an American singer-songwriter who maintains a net worth of $200 million dollars, per Celebrity Net Worth . Lionel Richie first ascended to stardom with the group The Commodores as a musician and saxophone player. The Commodores evolved into a famous R&B group with the pieces Brick House , Machine Gun , Easy and Three Times a Lady . In the late 1970s, Richie began composing melodies on commission for various different performers. He composed Lady for Kenny Rogers, which became a number-one hit in 1980. In 1981, Richie sang the theme song for the film Endless Love , a duet with Diana Ross. In his over five decades in the music industry, Richie has won four Grammy Awards and an Academy Award for Best Original Song for Say You, Say Me in 1986. Lionel Richie reportedly earns $10 million as an American Idol judge, reported Just Jared .