Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina: Contract Details Revealed!

AMERICAN IDOL: Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina await the voting results during the season ten AMERICAN IDOL GRAND FINALE at the Nokia Theatre on Weds. May 25,  2011 in Los Angeles,  California.  CR: Michael Becker/FOX

Update: Scan of Scotty’s contract: AI Contract Recording Contract, Merch Contract

American Idol winner Scotty McCreery, 17, and the runner-up, Lauren Alaina, 16, are both minors, which means their contracts with Idol have to be approved by a Los Angeles judge. That also means the contents of those contracts become part of the public record.

The Associated Press has all the details. Let’s examine the numbers!

  • Scotty will receive at least $250, 000 in advances for winning the show and recording the first album.
  • He will also tens of thousands of dollars more for granting “Idol” partners likeness, merchandise and endorsement rights, and will also receive royalties on any music he releases.
  • Lauren will receive $87, 500 for finishing second. The amount would be doubled if she records an album.
  • Jordin Sparks, who was a minor when she took the crown in 2007, received a contract that guaranteed her a $180, 000 advance after the show and another $180, 000 after delivering her first album. Oof. Scotty takes a pay cut!
  • S7 runner up, David Archuleta, (17 at the time) had a contract that indicated a payout of $360, 000 total if an album was recorded, with an advance of $155, 000–double that once he produced an album.
  • In some past seasons, winners were paid a minimum of $100, 000 for merchandise rights, records show. Draft merchandise agreements for Scotty and Lauren give him $50, 000 and her $40, 000. More pay cuts!

Looks like 19 is on a tight budget!

The teens’ “Idol” contracts and recording deals require the show’s producers and partners to place 15 percent of their gross earnings in a trust account that cannot be touched until after they turn 18 years old.

About mj santilli 34843 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!