Iam Tongi

Iam Tongi crafts songs that fuse pop and reggae while drawing on the folk traditions of his Hawaiian roots, performing as a vocalist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He rose to national attention in 2023 by claiming the Season 21 crown on American Idol and becoming the first Pacific Islander to win the show. Three days before the finale he issued the single "I'll Be Seeing You," which later registered on several Billboard tallies.

Born William Guy Tongi in Kahuku, a Honolulu neighborhood, he moved with his family to Federal Way, Washington, during his early teenage years. By fifth grade he already played ukulele and piano; at 13 he added guitar after his father gave him the instrument.

Although his initial tryout for Season 20 ended at the preliminary stage, the then-17-year-old decided to audition again. In front of judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan he delivered an affecting version of James Blunt’s “Monsters” on the same six-string his father had presented shortly before his death, prompting a standing ovation. Tongi advanced to the finale, where he bested runner-up Megan Danielle after joining Blunt for a second performance of “Monsters.” The track “I'll Be Seeing You,” released three days prior to that final show, climbed to number three on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart and reached number one on Rock Digital Song Sales.