A pair of Canadians made it into the Top 5 on American Idol at the end of Sunday night’s episode.
Leah Marlene and Nicolina Bozzo, both from Toronto, earned enough votes from viewers to remain in the competition. They will travel to Las Vegas this week for mentoring sessions from Carrie Underwood, the country superstar who won Season 4 of Idol.
It is the farthest any Canadian has gotten in the competition, which opened up to talent from north of the border two seasons ago. Viewers outside the U.S. are not able to vote for their favourites.
Marlene, who lives in Illinois, performed the 2014 Børns track “Electric Love” and later dedicated “Sanctuary,” a 2017 song by the Nashville cast, to her mother Deanna.
The singer, who turns 21 in June, is the daughter of Derry Grehan of Canadian rock band Honeymoon Suite.
Bozzo, who hails from Richmond Hill, Ont. and attends university in Toronto, performed Heart’s 1987 song “Alone” on Sunday’s episode, followed by the 2015 Pentatonix track “Light in the Hallway,” which she dedicated to her grandmother.
The singer turns 19 later this month.
She and Marlene are up against HunterGirl, Noah Thompson and frontrunner Fritz Hager – the latter two isolated in their hotel rooms after testing positive for COVID-19.
The American Idol season 20 finale is scheduled to air on May 22.