‘American Juniors’: Who Won the Show & What Happened to the Music Group?

American Idol has been going strong for 24 seasons, but OGs will also remember the one-season spinoff American Juniors, which aired in 2003. The competition had the same showrunners and production company as American Idol, but featured a crop of younger contestants.

On American Juniors, the judges aimed to create a five-person group, rather than awarding a single winner. Debbie Gibson and Gladys Knight served as regular judges, with a rotating group of guest judges that included Nick Carter, Justin Guarini, Dionne Warwick, and more.

So, what happened to the group that was formed on American Juniors‘ only season? Scroll down for a refresh and to find out where the winners are now.

Who won American Juniors?

The winners of American Juniors were Taylor Thompson, Tori Thompson, Chauncey Matthews, Lucy Hale, and Danielle White. They formed a group called American Juniors and released their debut album in October 2004, just over a year after the competition.

What happened to American Juniors winners?

Things were short-lived for the teens and preteens. Their group disbanded in 2005 after lackluster sales for their music and a general lack of publicity after the show. Plus, as Hale said on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2002, “I was 14, and there was a 7-year-old in the group. It was kind of all over the place. It didn’t go that well.”

Lucy Hale

Hale has seen the most mainstream success after American Juniors, although her career took off in acting, rather than singing. After landing small roles on Drake & Josh, The O.C., How I Met Your Mother, Wizards of Waverly Place, and more, Hale got her breakout job on Pretty Little Liars, which premiered in 2010. She starred as Aria Montgomery in all seven seasons of the Freeform series.

Some of Hale’s other notable TV roles were in Life Sentence, Katy Keene, and Ragdoll, along with movies including The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song, and The Hating Game.

Taylor & Tori Thompson

The Thompson sisters started performing as a musical duo after American Juniors. They were on Season 1 of The Voice, coached by CeeLo Green after he was the only coach to turn his chair around for them during the Blind Auditions. The sisters won their Battle Round performance and advanced to the Live Shows, but were eliminated ahead of the Semifinals.

While they don’t appear to be releasing new music anymore, Taylor is a “micro-influencer” on TikTok now.

Katelyn Tarver

Tarver continued to pursue a singing career after American Juniors. She released her most recent studio album, Tell Me How You Really Feel, in March 2026. In 2019, Tarver appeared on Songland and won her episode when Old Dominion decided to record her song “Young.”

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Additionally, Tarver has also pursued acting. She had a recurring role as Jo Taylor on Big Time Rush from 2010 to 2013, and played Mercedes in eight episodes of The Secret Life of the American Teenager in 2012. Her other roles include Ballers, No Ordinary Family, and Famous in Love.

Chauncey Matthews

Matthews was the only male in the American Juniors group. Per his Instagram bio, he is a “singer, actor, writer, and contractor.” He has worked with artists including Usher, Dua Lipa, Jelly Roll, and Post Malone.

In 2024, Matthews completed his “first TV vocal contracting gig” with Dua Lipa on Saturday Night Live. He performed with Jelly Roll during the Season 50 premiere of SNL that same year.

Why was American Juniors canceled?

American Juniors started with impressive ratings for Fox, and although the numbers fell off as the season went on, the network picked it up for a second season, which was meant to air in fall 2003. It was then postponed until the following summer and eventually aborted completely.

“They only did it for one season because I don’t think it went that well,” Hale explained in her Kimmel interview. It was also rumored that dealing with the contestants’ parents made the experience quite difficult.

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