Back in 2005, a blonde Oklahoma-native with a powerful voice was crowned the fourth winner of American Idol. Twelve years later, Carrie Underwood has become a household name on a global scale, selling out arenas on a national level.
“Congratulations to the both of you for being here on this stage right now,” said Idol host Ryan Seacrest. “One of you is about to make television history, here we go. The winner of American Idol 2005 is Carrie Underwood!”
As she heard her name read, the 22-year-old immediately burst into tears as everyone ran onto stage to congratulate her. Following her historical win, the country singer performed her debut single, “Inside Your Heaven,” noticeably overcome with emotion throughout her performance.
With a record-breaking 500 million votes cast, Underwood edged out long-haired Alabama-rocker Bo Bice to take home the $1 million recording contract. The season was heralded as one of the toughest matched pairings of the series.
In celebration of the twelfth anniversary of the moment her life changed forever, the country singer recently shared an emotional photo collage to her Instagram account of the night her “dreams came true.”
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ou can watch the emotional moment below.