Since 2002, American Idol has been capturing the hearts of viewers. The show just aired the premiere episode of its 20th season on Sunday, February 27. The winners have all gone on to have varying degrees of success, but winning doesn't always mean fame and fortune. Sometimes the runner ups are just as popular and may even have successful careers.

American Idol, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, used to air on FOX, then went on a hiatus in 2016. Two years later, the show was revived on ABC. Since the show was revived, the judges have been Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan.

Idol has produced the careers of many superstars including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Adam Lambert, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks and more.

But, winning isn't always everything. Some of the biggest talent to come out of an American Idol season actually placed as a runner-up. Some of them are still in the spotlight and some of them aren't. Here's where the runner-ups of American Idol are today.

19 Justin Guarini

Justin Guarini was the first runner-up on American Idol. He lost to Kelly Clarkson, who is still very much in the spotlight today. Guarini has not released a CD since 2005, and his latest musical release was in 2016, with his EP, JG. He has starred in Broadway musicals since 2010 and still performs for numerous Broadway and stage-related benefits. Most notably since 2015, the 43-year-old has been starring as Lil' Sweet in the Diet Dr. Pepper commercials. He is also a father and husband.

18 Clay Aiken

Clay Aiken competed in season 2 and came in second to Ruben Studdard. Aiken has not released any music since 2012 and started to turn his career to stage and TV acting. This year, he released a video announcing his run for the Democratic Party in North Carolina's 6th congressional district. Aiken continues to be a partner with UNICEF. His relationship status is unknown, but identifies as gay.

17 Diana DeGarmo

Diana DeGarmo was the runner-up in season 3, losing to Fantasia Barrino. DeGarmo release her second album, Gemini, in 2019. She has also starred in stage and screen productions. The 34-year-old won the BroadwayWorld Award in 2020 for Best Streamed Concert, after live-streaming a show of her album. DeGarmo is currently married to American Idol alum, Ace Young.

16 Bo Bice

Bo Bice was the runner-up on the fourth season, where Carrie Underwood was the winner. He is still playing acoustic shows sometimes. Bice has not released any music professionally since 2010 and spends most of his time now being a husband and father to three children.

RELATED: How 'American Idol' Winner, Scotty McCreery's Life And Net Worth Changed After The Show

15 Katharine McPhee

Katharine McPhee might be one of the most popular and successful runner-ups on American Idol. She came in second on the fifth season, where Taylor Hicks was declared the winner. Although she has not released an album since 2017, McPhee still sings with her producer husband, David Foster. They performed on The Masked Singer in 2021. She also gave birth to their son, Rennie, that same year. McPhee's career is most focused on acting now.

14 Blake Lewis

Blake Lewis competed on the sixth season of the show, placing in second after Jordin Sparks won that season. He is still making music and just released a song called "Afterglow" on February 4. His latest album, Wanderlust Unknown, was released in 2020.

13 David Archuleta

David Archuleta became the seventh runner-up, where he lost to David Cook. His last album, Therapy Sessions, was released in 2020. Even though in 2014, he came out to his family as gay, he announced on Twitter in 2021, that he is part of the LGBTQ+ community, but is not sure of his sexuality.

12 Adam Lambert

One of the most shocking finales in Idol history, Adam Lambert came in second to Kris Allen on season 8. Along with making music, Lambert is still with and touring around the world with the band, Queen. He is also a judge on Clash of the Cover Bands and will be a judge on the UK singing contest, Starstruck. He is one of the most successful and popular Idol alums ever.

RELATED: What Is Katharine McPhee Doing In 2021?

11 Crystal Bowersox

Crystal Bowersox came in second on the ninth season of American Idol. Lee DeWyze won that season. She is still pursuing music while living in Nashville, TN and taking care of her son, a child she had from a pre-Idol relationship. In June 2020, Bowersox released a single called "Courage to be Kind," which is set to be featured on her upcoming album called HitchHiker.

10 Lauren Alaina

Lauren Alaina was the runner-up on the tenth season of Idol, in which Scotty McCreery took home the title. Alaina is still making music and has a successful career in country music. She released her album, Sitting Pretty On Top of the World, in 2021. Also that year, she starred in the film, Roadhouse Romance. In December 2021, she was asked to become an official member of the Grand Ole Opry. The 27-year-old is set to star in the upcoming reality show, Beyond the Edge, which will premiere on March 16 on CBS.

9 Jessica Sanchez

Although Jessica Sanchez might not be one of the more popular runner-ups, but she is still making music today. Sanchez came in second to the winner of season 11, Phillip Phillips. In May 2021, she released the single, "Us," which was a response to the xenophobia and racism the Asian community experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

8 Kree Harrison

Kree Harrison was the runner-up on the twelfth season of the show. Candice Glover won that season. She is still making music these days but lives a pretty normal life. Her second studio album, Chosen Family Tree, was released on Aug. 21, 2020 to streaming platforms, a physical version was not available. Harrison also got married on in June 2021.

RELATED: 10 Things Adam Lambert Has Been Up To Since 'American Idol'

7 Jena Irene Asciutto

Jena Irene Asciutto, known professionally as just Jena Irene, was the runner-up on the 13th season of the show, after Caleb Johnson was declared the winner. She has not released any music since 2017, when her album, Cold Fame, was released. Even though she still publishes her singing on social media every once in a while, Asciutto is living a pretty normal life and enjoying it with her boyfriend and friends.

6 Clark Beckham

Clark Beckham came in second to Nick Fradiani on season 14. He has continuously made music since his time on Idol, with his latest release being in 2020 with his album Light Year. Beckham is also producing music now and is even staring in a film called An Old Song.

5 La'Porsha Renae

La'Porsha Renae was the last runner-up before American Idol went off the air. Trent Harmon was the winner of season 15. She released one studio album in 2017 and a stand-alone single, a cover of Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It?," in 2018. Renae has not released any music since then.

4 Caleb Lee Hutchinson

Caleb Lee Hutchinson was the first runner-up when Idol returned for season 16. He lost to Maddie Poppe. Caleb and Maddie have been in a relationship since their season. His last EP was released in 2019, but since then Hutchinson has released many stand-alone singles, with the latest being "Slot Machine Syndrome."

3 Alejandro Aranda

Alejandro Aranda came in second place on the seventeenth season. Laine Hardy won that season. Since Idol, Aranda has released three albums and one EP, as recently as 2021. Since being on the show, he has performed in many festivals and tours.

2 Arthur Gunn

Arthur Gunn was a favorite amongst fans and judges, so it was shocking when he didn't win. Just Sam took home the title on season 18, where contestants had to perform from their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When contestants from season 18 competed on season 19 for another chance, Gunn was the winner out of all of them. He, however, did not win the season once again. He has released three albums in music career, with the latest being in July 2020.

1 Willie Spence

Willie Spence lost to Chayce Beckham on the 19th season. His power house voice has been heard at festivals, car shows and other events, but he has yet to release an album. We can't wait to hear it when he does record it.

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NEXT: Here's What David Archuleta Has Done Since ‘American Idol’