American Idol 2020 winner Just Sam finally gets her moment on the big stage
American Idol season 18 winner Samantha Diaz, or Just Sam as she’s known, had the misfortune of competing on the show in 2020, the year Covid shut the world down, including TV and movie production. She never got her big moment on Live television, until Sunday night (April 28) when she returned to perform live on the big stage for the very first time.
The R&B singer performed Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time” as if it were her true coronation song. Wearing a glittery silver gown, Sam belted out the hit confidently, proving why she won the series. The show even gave Sam a mini confetti shower. Host Ryan Seacrest joined her on stage, and delivered the words “The winner, of American Idol, 2020 is….JUST SAM!” as the singer grinned from ear to ear.
“This is way better than an iPhone from home, OK?”
“This is way better than an iPhone from home, OK?” joked Sam. She turned to the contestants sitting off stage and advised, “This is the moment. Take it all in, just like the song says.”
Afterward, Katy Perry said, “I ain’t got notes!” adding, “You 100% deserved that confetti. It was long overdue, and it looks so great on you. I’m just so proud of what you’ve become.” Luke Bryan agreed, “I’m so glad you had your moment. It’s so nice to sit here and hear your voice again in this room. You go through everything it took from home to get you to win American Idol…it was really, really special.”
After Luke spoke, Sam began to tear up. Ryan put his arm around her as Lionel Richie began to speak, “I am sitting here like a proud papa bear. I’m so proud of you.” He added, alluding to the difficulties she faced in the past few years, including winding up busking on the subway for money again. She also worked at a Starbucks for a time. “I know the challenges that you’ve been through, but you have charmed us all, and the fact that you’ve come back all grown up and solid as a rock–I can only say God has his hand firmly on you.”
Other season 18 contestants finally got their moment a year later, but not Just Sam
It’s fantastic that Sam finally got her moment. However, it should have happened sooner. A year later for season 19 after Covid restrictions were lifted, American Idol produced a one-off competition for 10 singers from that season. The episode, titled “The Comeback” gave contestants THEIR moment on the big stage. Runner-up Arthur Gunn won the spot and competed in the 2021 Top 10. Understandably, Sam wasn’t eligible to compete, but why didn’t the show bring her back to perform? She signed a record contract after her win, but eventually bought out her contract. For awhile relations were chilly. But regardless, American Idol should have been brought her back along with the others.
As far as Sam’s original run on American Idol proceeded, here is how it all went down. Just as the show was preparing the Top 20 to compete on the live episodes, production came to halt because of COVID closures. Producers sent contestants home. Eventually American Idol producers outfitted them with iPhones, light rings and other recording equipment to record performances on their own for the show to transmit on air. The judges–Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan–as well as host Ryan Seacrest, recorded pieces from home. The show never went live, except for the extremely awkward winners announcement. Ryan’s halting delivery grabbed the headlines over Sam’s win. Poor Sam was living alone in Los Angeles, apart from her aged grandmother in New York City. Anti-climatic doesn’t even begin to describe her win.
