Kesha Oayda, 21, has been crowned the winner of Australian Idol 2026, making history as the first female champion in over 18 years. The emotional finale saw Oayda fight back tears as she thanked the crew, judges, and fans who voted for her. The last female winner was Natalie Gauci in 2007.
The two-part grand finale featured top three finalists Harlan Goode, 18, Kalani Artis, 23, and Oayda. Artis was eliminated first, leaving Goode and Oayda as the final two. Both performed their original audition songs: Goode sang ABBA's 'The Winner Takes It All,' while Oayda delivered 'Die With A Smile' by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga.
Judges Marcia Hines, Kyle Sandilands, and Amy Shark praised both finalists. Shark called Oayda 'the most talented, coolest chick I’ve seen on Australian Idol so far.' Sandilands celebrated by jumping on the judges' table, a gesture he first made during Oayda's live show debut.
The result drew mixed reactions online. One disappointed viewer posted on X, 'All the teeny boppy girls voted for Kesha. Voting needs to be changed. Bad result.' However, many celebrated the end of the female drought, with a fan writing, 'Kesha has become the first female to win @AustralianIdol since Natalie Gauci in 2007, the drought has been broken, very well deserved.'
During the finale, the top three performed solos and duets with Australian music heavyweights. Artis sang with Pete Murray, Oayda with Vanessa Amorosi, and Goode with former Idol contestant Anthony Callea. Callea's rendition of 'The Prayer' left many viewers emotional, with one fan on Instagram calling it 'INSANE' and predicting a win for Goode.
As winner, Oayda receives $100,000 in prize money, an exclusive recording package with Hive Sound Studios, a songwriting camp with Sony Music Publishing, marketing support from The Annex, and VIP tickets to the ARIA Awards and TV WEEK Logie Awards.
