David Archuleta Earns GLAAD Media Awards Nomination for Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist

David Archuleta is breaking through…

GLAAD has released the nominees for the 35th annual GLAAD Media Awards, with the 33-year-old half-Honduran and part-Spanish American singer and former American Idol runner-up earning a nod.

David ArchuletaArchuleta, who competed in the ninth season of The Masked Singer as “Macaw” and finished in second place, is nominated for the non-profit LGBTQ advocacy organization’s Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist award.

Archuleta is competing against another Latinx artist.

Ice Spice is also up for Breakthrough Music Artist.

In 2023, Time magazine described the 24-year-old half-Dominican American rapper as a “breakout star.” Publications such as The New York Times and Billboard have dubbed her “rap’s new princess.” The Grammy-nominated artist has been honored with the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist, and the Impact Award from the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards.

The winning LGBTQ stories and artists will be honored at GLAAD’s dual 2024 ceremonies on March 14 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills and May 11 at the Hilton Midtown in New York City. The 33 categories span film, TV, music, theater, podcasts, video games, comic books and journalism.

Presented since 1990, the GLAAD Media Awards honor media for fair, accurate and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues. “At a time when the LGBTQ community is under attack by false narratives and misinformation … the stakes have never been higher to maintain the progress of LGBTQ visibility and representation across all media, from film, television, music, journalism, publishing and more,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.

Here is the full list of nominees:

English-Language

Outstanding Film – Wide Theatrical Release
All of Us Strangers (Searchlight Pictures)
American Fiction (Amazon MGM Studios)
Anyone But You (Columbia Pictures)
The Blackening (Lions Gate Films)
Bottoms (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
The Color Purple (Warner Bros.)
It’s a Wonderful Knife (RLJE Films)
Knock at the Cabin (Universal Pictures)
Moving On (Roadside Attractions)
Shortcomings (Sony Pictures Classics)

Outstanding Film – Limited Theatrical Release
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Blue Fox Entertainment)
The Blue Caftan (Strand Releasing)
Blue Jean (Magnolia Pictures)
How to Blow Up a Pipeline (Neon)
Joyland (Oscilloscope)
L’immensità (Music Box Films)
Monica (IFC Films)
Our Son (Vertical Entertainment)
Passages (Mubi)
Summoning Sylvia (The Horror Collective)

Outstanding Film – Streaming Or TV
Cassandro (Prime Video)
Christmas on Cherry Lane (Hallmark Channel)
Friends & Family Christmas (Hallmark)
Frybread Face and Me (Array Releasing)
Nuovo Olimpo (Netflix)
Nyad (Netflix)
Red, White, and Royal Blue (Amazon Prime Video)
Runs in the Family (Indigenous Film Distribution)
Rustin (Netflix)
You’re Not Supposed To Be Here (Lifetime Television)

Outstanding Documentary
Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later (MTV Documentary Films)
Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate (Netflix)
Every Body (Focus Features)
Kokomo City (Magnolia Pictures)
Little Richard: I Am Everything (Magnolia Pictures)
Orlando, My Political Biography (Janus Films)
Rainbow Rishta (Prime Video)
Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed (HBO Documentary Films)
The Stroll (HBO)
“UYRA – The Rising Forest” POV (PBS)

Outstanding New Series
The Buccaneers (Apple TV+)
Class (Netflix)
Culprits (Hulu)
Deadloch (Prime Video)
Everything Now (Netflix)
Found (NBC)
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Paramount+)
The Last of Us (HBO)
The Other Black Girl (Hulu)
Tore (Netflix)

Outstanding Drama Series
9-1-1: Lone Star (Fox)
The Chi (Showtime)
Chucky (Syfy/USA Network)
Doctor Who (Disney+)
Good Trouble (Freeform)
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Quantum Leap (NBC)
Riverdale (The CW)
Station 19 (ABC)
Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Outstanding Comedy Series
And Just Like That… (Max)
Good Omens (Prime Video)
Harlem (Prime Video)
Harley Quinn (Max)
Our Flag Means Death (Max)
Sex Education (Netflix)
Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
What We Do In The Shadows (FX)
With Love (Prime Video)

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
Black Cake (Hulu)
Bodies (Netflix)
The Confessions of Frannie Langton (Britbox)
The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix)
Fellow Travelers (Showtime)
The Full Monty (FX on Hulu)
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (Prime Video)
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Netflix)
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Netflix)
Transatlantic (Netflix)

Outstanding Reality Program
Bargain Block (HGTV)
Family Karma (Bravo)
I Am Jazz (TLC)
Living for the Dead (Hulu)
Queer Eye (Netflix)
Real Housewives of New York City (Bravo)
Selling Sunset (Netflix)
Swiping America (Max)
TRANSworld Atlanta (Tubi)
The Ultimatum: Queer Love (Netflix)

Outstanding Reality Competition Program
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula (Shudder/AMC+)
The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion (MTV)
Drag Me to Dinner (Hulu)
Love Trip: Paris (Freeform)
My Kind of Country (Apple TV+)
Next in Fashion (Netflix)
Project Runway (Bravo)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV)
Survivor (CBS)
The Voice (NBC)

Outstanding Children’s Programming
“Any Way You Slice It” Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City (Netflix)
“Blue River Wedding” Ada Twist: Scientist (Netflix)
Bossy Bear (Nick Jr.)
Firebuds (Disney Jr.)
Monster High (Nickelodeon)
Pinecone & Pony (AppleTV+)
Princess Power (Netflix)
Ridley Jones (Netflix)
Summer Camp Island (Cartoon Network)
Work It Out Wombats! (PBS Kids)

Outstanding Kids & Family Programming or Film – Live Action
Heartstopper (Netflix)
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Disney+)
Jane (AppleTV+)
Power Rangers Cosmic Fury (Netflix)
XO, Kitty (Netflix)

Outstanding Kids & Family Programming or Film – Animated
Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake (Max)
Craig Of The Creek (Cartoon Network)
The Dragon Prince (Netflix)
The Ghost and Molly McGee (Disney Channel)
Hailey’s On It! (Disney Channel)
The Loud House (Nickelodeon)
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Disney Channel)
Nimona (Netflix)
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Disney+)
Transformers: EarthSpark (Paramount+)

Outstanding Music Artist
Billy Porter, Black Mona Lisa (Island UK/Republic Records)
boygenius, The Record (Interscope)
Brandy Clark (Brandy Clark)
Janelle Monae, The Age of Pleasure (Atlantic Records)
Kim Petras, Feed the Beast & Problematique (Amigo/Republic Records)
Miley Cyrus, Endless Summer Vacation (Columbia Records)
Renee Rapp, Snow Angel (Interscope)
Sam Smith, Gloria (Capitol Records)
Troye Sivan, Something to Give Each Other (EMI Australia/Capitol Records)
Victoria Monet, JAGUAR II (Lovett Music/RCA Records)

Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist
Chappell Roan (Atlantic Records/Island Records)
David Archuleta (Archie Music)
Fancy Hagood (Fancy Hagood Enterprises)
G FLIP (Future Classic)
Ice Spice (10K Projects/Capitol Records)
Iniko (Columbia Records)
Jade LeMac (Artista Records)
The Scarlet Opera (Perta/Silent Records)
Slayyyter (FADER Label)
UMI (Keep Cool/RCA)

Outstanding Broadway Production
Fat Ham, by James Ijames
How to Dance in Ohio, by Jacob Yandura and Rebekah Greer Melocik
Melissa Etheridge: My Window, by Melissa Etheridge
Once Upon A One More Time, by Jon Hartmere
The Sign in Sydney Brustein’s Window, by Lorraine Hansberry

Outstanding Podcast
Finding Fire Island (Broadway Podcast Network)
Gay and Afraid with Eric Sedeño (Past Your Bedtime)
Las Culturistas (iHeart)
NPR’s Embedded (NPR)
Queen of Hearts (Wondery)
Rooted Recovery Stories (Promises Behavioral Health)
Sibling Rivalry (Studio 71)
That Conversation With Tarek Ali (Buzz Sprout)
This Queer Book Saved My Life (This Queer Book Productions, LLC)
TransLash (TransLash Media)

Outstanding Video Game
Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
Goodbye Volcano High (KO_OP)
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores (Guerrilla Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Little Goody Two Shoes (AstralShift/Square Enix)
Overwatch 2 (Blizzard Entertainment)
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical (Summerfall Studios/Humble Games)
Tchia (Awaceb/Kepler Interactive)
Thirsty Suitors (Outerloop Games/Annapurna Interactive)
This Bed We Made (Lowbirth Games)
Too Hot To Handle 2 (Nanobit/Netflix Games)

Outstanding Comic Book
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent, written by Tom Taylor (DC Comics)
Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain, written by Tini Howard (Marvel Comics)
Hawkgirl, written by Jadzia Axelrod (DC Comics)
Killer Queens 2, written by David M. Booher (Dark Horse Comics)
The Neighbors, written by Jude Ellison S. Doyle (BOOM! Studios)
New Mutants Lethal Legion, written by Charlie Jane Anders (Marvel Comics)
The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos, written by Tate Brombal based on an idea by James Tynion IV (Dark Horse Comics)
Poison Ivy, written by G. Willow Wilson (DC Comics)
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, written by Alyssa Wong (Marvel Comics)
Tim Drake: Robin, written by Meghan Fitzmartin (DC Comics)

Outstanding Original Graphic Novel/Anthology
Blackward, by Lawrence Lindell (Drawn & Quarterly)
Carmilla: The First Vampire, written by Amy Chu (Berger Books/Dark Horse Comics)
Cosmoknights (Book Two), by Hannah Templer (Top Shelf Productions)
Four-Color Heroes, by Richard Fairgray (Fanbase Press)
Heartstopper Vol. 5, by Alice Oseman (Graphix/Scholastic)
Light Carries On, by Ray Nadine (Dark Horse Books)
Northranger, written by Rey Terciero (HarperAlley)
Parallel, by Matthias Lehmann (ONI Press)
Roaming, by Jillian Tamaki, Mariko Tamaki (Drawn & Quarterly)
Us, by Sara Soler (Dark Horse Books)

Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode
“Certainty” Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts (Disney+)
“Chaos, Law, and Order” The Problem With Jon Stewart (Apple TV+)
“Cynthia Nixon and Kim Petras” Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (Bravo)
“Dulcé Sloan & Sasha Colby Talk What It Means to Be A Happy Trans Person” The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
“Elliot Page Opens Up In New Memoir: ‘It Felt Like The Right Time’” The View (ABC)
“The Hardest Fight Is the Fight Against Status Quo” The Conversations Project (Hulu)
“I’m Not Just Gay, I’m Your Son” Karamo (syndicated)
“Jennifer Hudson Surprises HIV Activist with $10,000” The Jennifer Hudson Show (syndicated)
“Trace Lysette & Patricia Clarkson, Laverne Cox” The Kelly Clarkson Show (syndicated)
“Unapologetically Me” Tamron Hall (syndicated)

Outstanding TV Journalism Segment
“11th Hour: Transgender Athletes and What People Don’t Understand” The 11th Hour (MSNBC)
“19-Year-Old Designer CJ King Gets Second Chance to Walk the Runway” GMA3 (ABC)
“The All in Y’all” (KEYE-TV CBS Austin)
“Anti-LGBTQ+ Law in Uganda that Threatens the Death Penalty Sparks International Outcry” PBS Newshour (PBS)
“Bringing Queer Joy into the World of Hip-Hop” ABC News Live Prime (ABC News Live)
“Des Moines LGBTQ Community Hosts First-Ever ‘People’s Pride’” (WOI-TV Local 5 Des Moines)
“Geena Rocero Talks About Her New Memoir ‘Horse Barbie’ and the Power of Living Unapologetically” CBS Mornings (CBS)
“How Eco-Drag Queen Pattie Gonia Defines What It Means to Fight for the Environment” Nightline (ABC)
“New York City Gay Bar Deaths Classified as Homicides” (NBC News Now)
“One-on-One with the President of the American Medical Association (AMA)” The CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell (CBS)

Outstanding TV Journalism – Long-Form
“Beyond Limits: Who I Am” CBS Sports (CBS)
“CBS Reports: A Nation in Transition” CBS News (CBS)
“Club Q One Year Later” (KKTV CBS 11 Colorado)
“Freedom to Exist” Soul of a Nation (ABC)
“It’s Ok To Ask Questions – Pidgeon Pagonis” (WMAQ-TV NBC 5 Chicago)
“Marty’s Place: Where Hope Lives” (+Life Media with KGO-TV & ABC Localish)
“Our America: Who I’m Meant to Be – Episode 3” (ABC Owned Television Stations)
“Proud Voices: A NY1 Special” (Spectrum News NY1)
“Serving in Secret: Love, Country and ‘Dont Ask Don’t Tell’” (MSNBC)
“VICE Special Report – Out Loud // Big Freedia Presents: Young Queer Artists To Look Out For” (Vice News)

Outstanding Live TV Journalism – Segment or Special
“Capehart on SCOTUS rulings: ‘My Possibilities are Up to Them, Not Up to Me’” The Last Word (MSNBC)
“CNN’s Anderson Cooper Speaks With Lauri Carleton’s Daughter, Ari Carleton, About Her Mother’s Legacy” Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN)
“Flipping the Script: Live Interviews on LGBTQ+ Community” Morning News NOW (NBC News Now)
“Gio Benitez Interviews Sasha Velour on Her Book and the Climate of Drag in America” Good Morning America (ABC)
“Indiana Students Put on LGBTQ-Themed Play Themselves After it’s Canceled By the School” Yasmin Vossoughian Reports (MSNBC)
“José Díaz-Balart Reports: A Texas Mother’s Fight: the Case for Gender-Affirming Care” José Díaz-Balart Reports (MSNBC)
“One-on-One with Eureka O’Hara” The Reid Out (MSNBC)
“Pride Across America” (ABC News Live)
“TikTok Sensations ‘The Old Gays’ Talk About How They Became Friends and Their New Docuseries” TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (NBC)
“Two Anti-LGBTQ Bills Advance to Louisiana House” Breakdown (WWL-TV CBS New Orleans)

Outstanding Print Article
“As Drag Bans Proliferate, Maren Morris Goes Deep With Drag’s Biggest Stars on Why the Show Must Go On” by Stephen Daw (Billboard)
“Black Queer History is American History” by Myeshia Price (TIME)
“‘But Most of All I’m Human’: These 3 Transgender Teens Prove Identity Stretches Beyond One Label” by Susan Miller (USA TODAY)
“The Dancer” by Matt Kemper (The Atlanta-Journal Constitution)
“Heroism Overpowers Hate” by John Sotomayor (Embrace Magazine)
“Kim Petras Is Breaking the Mold” by Jeff Nelson (People)
“Pop Icons Are ‘Mothers’ Now. The LGBTQ Ballroom Scene Wants Credit.” by Samantha Cherry (The Washington Post)
“Stop Bad Hair and Uglier Legislation (The New Classics)” by Karen Giberson (AC Magazine)
“Transgender Youth: ‘Forced Outing’ Bills Make Schools Unsafe” by Hannah Schoenbaum and Sean Murphy (AP)
“We Have the Tools to Stop HIV. So Why Is It Still Spreading?” by LZ Granderson (Los Angeles Times)

Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage
The Advocate
Billboard
People
Variety
Out

Outstanding Online Journalism Article
“The AP Interview: Pope Francis Says Homosexuality Not a Crime” by Nicole Winifield (AP.com)
“Book Banners Came for This Colorado Town. They Didn’t Anticipate Resistance.” By Jeff Fuentes Gleghorn (LGBTQNation.com)
“Evidence Undermines ‘Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria’ Claims” by Timmy Broderick (ScientificAmerican.com)
“From Drag Bans to Sports Restrictions, 75 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Have Become Law in 2023” by Jo Yurcaba (NBCNews.com)
“How the Latinx Drag Queens of Brooklyn Are Finding Freedom through Their Cultures” by Juan De Dios Sanchez Jurado (TeenVogue.com)
“Pedro Zamora, ‘Real World’ Star Who Died of AIDS, ‘Humanized the Disease for a Generation,’ Say Activists” by David Artavia (Yahoo.com)
“Pride Month Feels Different As Threats, Fear of Violence Grows” by Brooke Migdon (TheHill.com)
“Some Trans Kids Are Being Forced to Flee America for Their Safety” by Nico Lang (HuffPost.com)
“Stochastic Terrorism: Links between the GOP, Right-Wing Influencers & Neo-Nazi Violence” by Christopher Wiggins (Advocate.com)
“What Does Queer Gen Z Want on TV? Everything under the Rainbow” by Jude Cramer (INTOMore.com)

Outstanding Online Journalism – Video or Multimedia
“7 Remarkable Trans Elders Share Lessons for the Next Generation” (them.us)
“Brave Spaces” (PBS.org)
“CANS Can’t Stand” (NewYorker.com)
“Club Q: Stronger Together” (NFL.com)
“‘I’ve Always Known I Was Different’: Four Trans People Share Their Stories” (WashingtonPost.com)
“Michaela Jaé Rodriguez Calls Out the New York Times’ Anti-Trans Coverage & Advice for Trans Youth” (Variety.com)
“Moving Isa” (Insider.com)
“People Come Out to Their Parents | Truth or Drink” (Cut.com)
“Protecting Pride: Resilience after Tragedy – Club Q Survivors Fight to Project Their Community” (GoodMorningAmerica.com)
“Transnational” (Vice.com)

Outstanding Blog
Charlotte’s Web Thoughts
Erin in the Morning
Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters
LawDork
Mombian
Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents
The Queer Review
The Randy Report
The Reckoning
The Rot Spot

Special Recognition
The Dads (Netflix)
+Life Media
Love in Gravity
Relighting Candles (Hulu)
Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce (AMC Theatres)
The Tennessee Holler
Yes I Am: The Ric Weiland Story

Spanish Language

Outstanding Scripted Television Series
4 Estrellas (RTVE Play)
Las Noches de Tefía (Atresplayer)
Las Pelotaris (Vix)
Sagrada Familia (Netflix)
Sin Huellas (Amazon Prime Video)

Outstanding TV Journalism
“Adolescentes trans relatan su experiencia” Noticiero Telemundo (Telemundo)
“Celebrando el orgullo” Noticiero Telemundo (Telemundo Chicago)
“Entrevista con Jesus Ociel Baena” Noticias 24/7 (Univision)
“Fe en la comunidad LGBTQ” Despierta América (Univision)
“El mes del orgullo” Univision Contigo (Univision Dallas)
“La directora Aitch Alberto presenta: ‘Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe’” Ojo Crítico (CNN Español)
“La rapera Villano Antillano habla con Jorge Ramos sobre cómo su música está rompiendo estereotipos” Al Punto (Univision)
“‘La Sala’ brinda un lugar seguro para jóvenes de la comunidad LGBTQ+ en Washington Heights” Noticias 47 (Telemundo)
“Spirit Day” Hoy Día (Telemundo)
“Sufren en silencio” Noticias 52 (Telemundo)

Outstanding Online Journalism Article
“Abogan por una política pública contra la violencia hacia la comunidad trans en Puerto Rico” por Carolina Gracia (ElVocero.com)
“La activista trans que sepulta a sus amigas olvidadas: ‘Los primeros cuerpos los velaba yo sola, solita’” por Daniel Alonso Viña (ElPais.com)
“Carlos Adyan nos invita a su boda civil con Carlos Quintanilla: ‘Todo ha pasado como yo soñaba’” por Lena Hansen (PeopleEnEspanol.com)
“El eterno desafío de ser un hombre o mujer trans en El Salvador” por María Teresa Hernández (APnews.com)
“Familias latinas con menores trans temen a nuevas leyes que limitan el acceso a tratamientos médicos: ‘Es lo que ha mantenido a mi hija viva’” por Anagilmara Vílchez y Lourdes Hurtado (Telemundo.com)
“‘Hemos huido de algo muy cruel’: las familias que buscan una vida mejor para sus hijos transgénero en otros estados de EE.UU.” por Leire Ventas (BBC.com)
“Personas mayores LGBTQIA+ ‘tienen que regresar a un clóset para poder buscar vivienda’” por David Cordero Mercado y Joaquín A. Rosado Lebrón (PeriodismoInvestigativo.com & ElNuevoDia.com)
“Quiero que todo el mundo pueda decir libremente ‘así soy yo’” por Maria Mercedes Acosta (Sentiido.com)
“Reconocimiento a medias también es estigmatizante: RAE agrega ‘no binario/a’ a su diccionario” por Alex Orue (Homosensual.com)
“Wendy Guevara, la ‘perdida’ que lo ganó todo” por Jonathan Saldaña y Mari Tere Lelo de Larrea (Quien.com)

Outstanding Online Journalism – Video or Multimedia
“Conoce a la primera diputada negra y trans de Brasil” por Natalia Barrera Francis, Joyce García, David von Blohn, Paula Daibert y Claudia Escobar (Descoloniza – AJ+ Español)
“La increíble historia de cómo ‘Mami Ruddys’ refugió a decenas de jóvenes LGBTIQ en Puerto Rico” por Marcos Billy Guzmán y Pablo Martínez Rodríguez (El Nuevo Día)
“Mi novio vive con VIH y yo no: ser una pareja serodiscordante” por Mariana Escobar Bernoske y Daniela Rojas (La Disidencia – El Espectador)
“This gay cowboy convention celebrates sexual freedom — and Mexican identity” por Jackeline Luma, Kate Linthicum y Maggie Beidelman (Los Angeles Times)
“Villano Antillano cuenta todo de la realidad Queer de su música” por Yollotl Alvarado, René Barreto, Alfredo Castellanos, Sofía Reyes, Rai Irizarry, Arjun Demeyere, Luis Ramírez, Florencia Botinelli, Iván Juárez y Sebastian Fernández (GQ México y Latinoamérica)
Reconocimiento Especial /Special Recognition
Enamorándonos (Univision)
El Sabor de Navidad (Vix)
Drag Latina (Revry / LATV)
Wendy, perdida pero famosa (Vix)

David Archuleta Returning to “American Idol” to Mentor This Season’s Contestants

It’s a special Idol homecoming for David Archuleta.

The 32-year-old half-Honduran and part-Spanish American singer and former American Idol finalist will be serving as a mentor to the contestants on season 21 of ABC’s long-running singing competition.

David ArchuletaIt’s part of American Idol’s long history of inviting seven past finalists to mentor contestants during Hollywood Week, which begins airing on ABC on Sunday, April 2.

In addition to Archuleta, the season 7 runner-up who released his eighth studio album Therapy Sessions in May 2020, the returning Idols are Justin Guarini (season 1), Clay Aiken (season 2), Jordin Sparks (season 6), Phillip Phillips (season 11), Catie Turner (season 16) and Noah Thompson (season 20).

“Having a mentor in Hollywood Week is something we’ve always wanted to explore,” executive producer and showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick told Billboard. “We usually have over 150 people come to Hollywood Week, so it’s hard to have one mentor talk to everyone individually. I thought, ‘Who better to mentor on the Hollywood experience than people who have actually been through it.’ Jordin Sparks always speaks so well about this. She feels that Hollywood Week really was a perfect training ground for the music industry, all baked into that week. There’s no one better to mentor this week than people who have been there, and now that we can pull from 20 years of Idols, it was incredible. The people who came back this year were so excited to do it.”

Explaining how this year’s Hollywood Week will be revamped, Michaels Wolflick says, “In the past two years in the ABC era, we’ve done this genre challenge. We would say, ‘Okay, you’re rock. You’re pop. You’re soul/R&B,’ and it was becoming less relevant, because a lot of the finalists were telling us, ‘I’m pop-soul.’ ‘I’m country-rock.’ There was a blurred genre thing going on. So I thought we should explore something else.

“This year we gave all the contestants one of three areas that they wanted to work on: confidence, songwriting or stage presence. It was my challenge to pick two people who would be applicable for confidence. Clay Aiken and David Archuleta were total confidence. Both of them came in second place, and it was funny because when we were first talking to them about it, they said, ‘I still don’t have all the confidence.’ I told them, ‘Yes, but you have more than you came with.’ For the songwriting category, we had Catie Turner and Phillip Phillips, who are both songwriters in their own right. Both of them in their respective seasons brought an artistry to the show that maybe we hadn’t seen. And for stage presence, we have Jordin Sparks and Justin Guarini, two people who commanded the stage in their own way and still do.”

The seventh mentor is last season’s winner, Noah Thompson. “He gave some motivational speeches and was able to talk about his experience from last year. I can’t tell you how many people auditioned this year inspired by him. His friend Arthur signed Noah up [to audition], so we had a lot of people secretly signing people up, which was really cool.”

Addressing the legacy of 21 seasons of Idol, Michaels Wolflick says, “I think American Idol is now like the NFL, where people train their [whole] lives to come on the show. It’s now bigger than a TV show. It’s something you can aspire to be a part of — young singers are born every day.” As proof, the 15-year-old contestants on the current season were born during Idol’s seventh season, when Archuleta was competing on the show.

Michaels Wolflick, who joined the Idol production staff in season 2, says, “If you come on the show, you’re part of the American Idol alumni. You are part of our history. This show has changed lives in so many different ways. When David Archuleta makes news, it’s picked up everywhere. Even though he was on the show in 2008, people still have a passion for him. The investment is real. Carrie Underwood knows to this day when she’s playing to full arenas, there might be a good portion of these people who voted for her. There’s a special connection that all of the alum have to the show. They like to give back to these people who are coming in and the people who are coming in love to talk to them.”

Michaels Wolflick revealed to Billboard that more Idol alums will be returning during this 21st season, including the winner of season 2, Ruben Studdard.

David Archuleta Releases Spanish-Language Holiday Track “Dios Muy Alegre Albergó”

David Archuleta is getting into el espíritu de la Navidad

The 27-year-old Honduran and Spanish American singer-songwriterhas marked the beginning of the Christmas season with the release of his new video “Dios Muy Alegre Albergó,” the Spanish version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”

David Archuleta

The song is part of Archuleta’s Spanish-language Christmas EP, Navidad, which contains four songs that speak to his Honduran roots in the celebration of the Christmas season.

This is the first time that Archuleta has released a project completely in Spanish.

Navidad is a production dedicated to my family and Latino fans who have waited for years for me to release something in Spanish,” Archuleta says.

Archuleta’s “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Performance Goes Viral

David Archuleta continues spreading holiday cheer this season…

The 23-year-old Honduran/Spanish American singer and former American Idol runner-up took center stage last weekend at the Celebration of Christ: an Interfaith Concert in Utah.

David Archuleta

But a video of his performance has gone viral as people around the world prepare to celebrate Christmas.

Archuleta teamed up with Pentatonix singer and cellist Kevin Olusola for a moving and spiritual rendition of “Do You Hear What I Hear?

In 2009, Archuleta released a Christmas album entitled Christmas from the Heart. 

In addition to classics like “Joy to the World,” “The First Noel” and “Silent Night,” the album also featured a Christmas song penned by Archuleta himself, “Melodies of Christmas.”

The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Holiday Albums chart.

Archuleta Back From His Two-Year Mormon Mission

It’s mission accomplished for David Archuleta

The 23-year-old Honduran/Spanish American singer and former American Idol runner-up has returned home to Utah from his two-year Mormon mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

David Archuleta

Archuleta, who competed during the seventh season of Fox’s hit singing competition, announced his homecoming in a YouTube video, to the delight of Archie fans around the world.

“I’m home,” said a giddy Archuleta wearing the traditional missionary attire of a suit jacket, white dress shirt and tie.

While in the Missionary Training Center, Archuleta performed in a Mormon choir for its general conference. He also gave two special Christmas performances that were held on the Santiago Chile Temple grounds. During that time, he had little contact with his family or the outside world.

Archuleta’s “No Matter How Far” Album to be Released March 26

David Archuleta may be serving his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on a two-year mission in Chile… But he’s giving fans new music to hold them over until his return.

Even though the 22-year-old Honduran/Spanish American singer and former American Idol runner-up isn’t expected to return until spring 2014, 10 Archuleta tracks have been collected for a new album, which fans can stream on Billboard.

David Archuleta

Before heading on his Mormon mission, Archuleta recorded several songs that were never placed on an official album — some unfinished demos, others hard-to-find cuts that had only been shared on international releases.

Due to his dedicated fans, many of the tracks were shared online, catching the eye of the label Entertainment One, which decided to compile them into a proper album: No Matter How Far.

The album’s lead single, the sentimental ballad “Don’t Run Away,” is one of two selections (along with “Heart Falls Out“) that hasn’t been released before in any format.

With help from British producers The Nexus (David Sneddon and James Bauer-Mein), the incomplete demo was polished into one of Archuleta’s finest moments.

No Matter How Far, the follow-up to Archuleta’s Begin. album, can be pre-ordered on iTunes here. It will be released officially on Tuesday, March 26.

Archuleta Releases the Music Video for His “Everybody Hurts” Cover

He may have recently started his two-year Mormon mission… But David Archuleta’s presence will still be felt in the music world.

The 21-year-old Honduran/Spanish-American singer has released the music video for the next single from his just released BEGIN. album, a cover of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts.”

David Archuleta

Archuleta croons his heart out while covering the classic song, which was originally released by R.E.M. in 1992. In the clip, the American Idol runner-up can be seen singing in a recording studio alongside an orchestra and producer Kurt Bestor.

Archuleta’s studio scenes was shot the day before he left for his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints mission in South America.

The Jed Wells-directed clip also includes a touching scene of a father on his daughter’s wedding day, a female soldier missing her son and a young couple who must be separated when one of them has to move out of town.

After releasing the video on his official YouTube channel, Archuleta posted a note for his fans say he’ll make more music after completing his two-year mission.

“I hope you know that I never wanted to leave you guys without music, and will continue when I get back,” he states.

“Everybody Hurts” is one of the covers on Archuleta’s latest album BEGIN., which was released on August 7. Other covers include Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” and Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors.”

Archuleta’s Latest Album Begin. Debuts on the Billboard Charts

He may be participating in a long-term Mormon mission, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have brand new David Archuleta music to hold you over…

The 21-year-old Honduran/Spanish American singer and former American Idol runner-up, who announced last December that he was devoting two years of his life to a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, has released his latest album, which debuts on the Billboard 200 this week at No. 28.

David Archuleta

Entitled Begin., the album is a collection of 10 cover songs and one original, “Broken,” which was co-written by Archuleta. He recorded the album before starting his mission in South America.

The remakes include R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts,” Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush’s “Don’t Give Up” and Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors.”

David Archuleta's Begin Album

Signed to RCA after his success on Idol, Archuleta is now on the independent Highway Records imprint, owned by Desert Book, the publishing arm of the LDS church.

That qualifies Begin. to appear on Billboard’s Top Independent Chart, where it debuts at No. 5. The album makes an even higher bow on the Top Internet Albums chart, entering at No. 3. That equals Archuleta’s previous highest peak on the survey, when his self-titled debut album entered at No. 3 in 2008.

Begin. is Archuleta’s fifth album to appear on the Billboard 200. He has had one album debut on the chart every year since 2008.

Archuleta Releases “I’ll Never Go” Music Video

He may be preparing for a two-year Mormom mission… But that hasn’t stopped David Archuleta from makin’ sweet music.

The 21-year-old Honduran/Spanish American singer recently released the music video for his latest single “I’ll Never Go,” which was shot in Manila.

David Archuleta

It’s the latest release from Archuleta’s fourth studio album Forevermore, a collection of original Filipino classic love songs recorded in English.

“I wouldn’t say that I sound better than the original singers because the singers here are so amazing. But I would hope that I could pay tribute to them with this album,” said Archuleta previously.

Forevermore has been in stores since the spring.

David Archuleta

In addition, the former American Idol runner-up is preparing a new album called, BEGIN, for which he’s planning to re-record singles by artists like Christina Aguilera, Sarah McLachlan, Cyndi Lauper and U2.

Along with the cover songs, there is one new song called “Broken” which Archuleta wrote himself.

Archuleta Releases His “Forevermore” Music Video

David Archuleta’s latest musical project has him tackling a classic Filipino tune…

The 21-year-old half-Honduran/half-Spanish singer and former American Idol runner-up—who recently made his TV acting debut in the Phillipines—has just released a music video to support his latest single “Forevermore.”

David Archuleta

The clip features footage of Archuleta singing the song to the camera in a simple setting.

The track appears on Archuleta’s latest CD of the same name, Forevermore. It’s a collection of original Filipino classic love songs written in English and composed by some of the Philippines’ renowned songwriters like Ogie Alcasid, Louie Ocampo, Jimmy Antiporda and Cecil Azarcon.

“I wouldn’t say that I sound better than the original singers because the singers here are so amazing. But I would hope that I could pay tribute to them with this album,” Archuleta has said.

Following the album’s release, Archuleta will be taking a break from music to serve a two-year Mormon mission.