Breanna Nix Makes Surprise Return To “American Idol” To Support 15-Year-Old Hopeful Tate Emmons
on Jan 27, 2026
American Idol alum Breanna Nix recently returned to the competition’s audition room, but not for herself. This time, she showed up in support of an aspiring 15-year-old country singer.
If you were one of the many viewers who watched Season 23 of American Idol, then you remember Breanna Nix.
Fans were first introduced to her during her audition, where she impressed all three judges with a cover of “Jesus, Take The Wheel.”
She also won over America’s hearts during a now-viral moment with her son, Emerson. While Breanna sang, Emerson joined the judges by sitting in Underwood’s lap and fell asleep in her arms.
Breanna remained a fan favorite throughout the season thanks to her faith-based performances. She made it all the way to the finale, finishing third behind runner-up John Foster and winner Jamal Roberts.
Breanna Nix Returns To Idol To Support 15-Year-Old Singer Tate Emmons
On Monday, January 26, American Idol kicked off its Season 24 premiere with a new round of hopeful singers trying to earn a Golden Ticket to Hollywood.
One of those singers was 15-year-old Tate Emmons, who surprised the panel of judges and viewers by bringing Breanna with him to his audition.
Breanna explained she was there because she met Tate one night while performing at the Grand Ole Opry. He sang for her, and she was blown away by how talented he was.
She went on to say that she made a few calls to help him land a last-minute audition.
RELATED: BIG CHANGES ARE COMING TO “AMERICAN IDOL” – LEARN WHAT’S NEW FOR SEASON 24
Breanna then stepped behind the judge’s table and took a seat with Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie. When he was ready, Tate broke out into a performance of Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll’s hit song “Hard Fought Hallelujah.”
After Tate finished, Luke kicked off the judges’ feedback. He challenged him to dig a little deeper emotionally and asked him to sing one line of the song again with more power.
Even after that, the “Play It Again” singer still wasn’t convinced. He felt Tate sounded too young. Lionel and Carrie agreed with Luke and questioned whether Tate was ready for the competition.
“Our biggest thing is, all of our momma and daddy hearts are looking at you saying, ‘Do we wreck this kid by feeding him to the entertainment industry?’” Carrie said with a laugh.
When it came time to vote, the judges clearly struggled with the decision. Carrie voted first and gave Tate a “yes.”
Lionel said he was going to “go the opposite.” He voted “no,” saying he’d like to see Tate come back in a few years with more experience.
That left the final decision up to Luke. In the end, Luke said, “It’s too soon,” and voted no.
Even though he didn’t walk away with a Golden Ticket, it’s clear Tate has a really strong support system behind him for when he decides to audition again. He even has the support of Brandon Lake himself, who responded to his audition.
In a clip of Tate’s audition shared on Instagram, Brandon encouraged him to keep going with his music career and never give up.
“You have a bright future my man, keep going,” Brandon wrote.” God will take you amazing places no matter what level your gift is at. Keep chasing Him while you work at the music every day. Proud of you big dawg!”
Watch Tate Emmons’ full American Idol audition in the video below.
