Kesha Oayda has been crowned the winner of Australian Idol 2026, beating runner-up Harlan Goode.

The 21-year-old from Jindabyne, New South Wales took home the coveted title after performing a moving rendition of the Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars hit Die With A Smile.

‘You are a brilliant performer, you never ever let us down, from day one, you have never let the audience down,’ commented judge Kyle Sandilands following the announcement.

Singer Amy Shark was quick to echo the sentiment.

‘You are so real, you’re the kind of girl I love my nieces looking up to,’ she said.

Kesha will take home $100,000 in prize money for her win, along with an exclusive recording package with Hive Sound Studios.

Kesha Oayda has been crowned the winner of Australian Idol 2026

If that wasn’t enough, she’s also scored an invite to a songwriting camp with Sony Music Publishing and marketing and social media support from The Annex.

She will also get VIP tickets to the ARIA Awards and TV WEEK Logie Awards, where she will rub shoulders with the crème de la crème of the Australian entertainment industry.

Kesha was stunned when hosts Ricki-Lee and Scott Tweedie announced the life-changing result.

‘The Idol experience has been nothing short of life-changing,’ she said, before describing her victory as ‘unforgettable.’

‘I need 50 billion people to pinch me to wake up from whatever dream this is,’ she continued.

But some at home thought they were trapped in a nightmare, and were far from happy with the result.

‘All the teeny boppy girls voted for Kesha. Voting needs to be changed. Bad result. BOOOOOOOOOO,’ wrote one viewer seething with rage.

‘Honestly Harlan should’ve won,’ snapped another.

Kesha was stunned when hosts Ricki-Lee and Scott Tweedie (left) announced the life-changing result alongside runner-up, Harlan Goode (left)

‘The Idol experience has been nothing short of life-changing,’ she said, before describing her victory as ‘unforgettable’

‘He was the better singer,’ wrote one more, with another adding, ‘Should of been Harlan!’

‘Genuinely shocked! Harlan’s voice was amazing. Let’s hope we actually hear from these people again,’ quipped another fan.

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Earlier in the night, Kesha found herself in the final three alongside Brisbane’s Harlan, 18, and Kalani Atis, 23, from the NSW Central Coast.

The Grand Finale started on a high note, with all three performing Donna Lewis’s I Love You Always Forever supported by the returning members of the Top 12.

All three returned to the stage to perform solo, before Ricki-Lee and Scott announced Kalani would leave the competition with the fewest votes.

Harlan and Kesha then took to the stage to battle it out for the grand prize.

While Harlan delivered a stunning performance of The Winner Takes It All by ABBA, it wasn’t enough.

Kesha is the first female winner to take out the competition since Natalie Gauci in 2007.

Her new album, The Idol Collection, is out now.

It will feature 11 of her standout performances from the show.

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-15732231/Australian-Idol-enrages-viewers-winner.html