The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol panel. It was also Abdul's final season as a judge. Kris Allen, a native of Conway, Arkansas, was announced the winner of the competition on May 20, 2009, defeating runner-up Adam Lambert after nearly 100 million votes were cast.

How did Adam Lambert lose?

The best singer didn't win a freaking singing contest. When Kris Allen defeated Adam Lambert as the Season 8 “American Idol,” it was, as predicted, a seismic upset. Yes, homophobia is alive and well, which is why Lambert lost the ultimate title. ...

Was Adam Lambert robbed?

It's been over 10 years since Adam Lambert famously lost the “American Idol” title to singer-songwriter Kris Allen and fans are still adamant he was robbed. ... Last year's finalist Alejandro Aranda snagged 6% after losing to country singer Laine Hardy.