Australian Idol Sparks Outrage Over 2026 Winner Announcement

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

The 21-year-old from Jindabyne, took home the coveted title after performing a moving rendition of the  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 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.

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.

'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.