Apart from the stage, glitter, and glamour that’s nothing short of eye-catching, the American Idol never disappoints with breathtaking shockers.

But, what exactly does the winner get away with? What exactly do they win? If you’ve thought about this… well so have we!

That’s why we gathered together all the facts about the prizes. Here’s what we found, and the last fact is a shocker.

Here’s what the winner of ‘America Idol’ gets

Apart from the exposure, sponsorships and fandom that comes naturally with being the winner of American Idol, winners enjoy a lot more.

Every winner receives a handsome reward and a contract with Hollywood Records. But that’s just scraping the surface because it gets more interesting from here.

If you’re a winner of the American Idol, you get a $125,000 cash prize.

After that, you get an additional $100,000 cash prize if you complete an album. That’s a whopping $250,000 worth of cash.

Plus, Idol winners have a budget of as much as $300,000 to record. According to Newsweek, winners are given this advance with the understanding that they will pay back against future earnings.

Unfortunately, the size of this reward has dropped in recent years compared to when Kelly Clarkson and Ruben Studdard won the show. Both were given million-dollar deals. 

We’re not sure why the payout has reduced but sources close to the organizers say it is because the popularity of the show has dropped.