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Stay-at-home mom didn’t win 'American Idol' season 23 — but her chart-topping debut proves she's a star

Breanna Nix's latest single and upcoming performances makes it clear that she is the new star in making

ABC's 'American Idol' Season 23 may have concluded with Jamal Roberts clinching the victory, but the buzz around the show isn’t dying down anytime soon. While Roberts was undoubtedly a deserving winner, fellow finalists John Foster and Brianna Nix were equally talented contenders. As Foster gears up to expand his music career, fans have been curious about what’s next for Nix. Well, it looks like she's ready to make waves, as her latest single has just hit a milestone no one saw coming.

Following the 'American Idol' Season 23 finale, Nix made a powerful debut with her first single, 'Higher,' which quickly rose to the top of multiple charts. On Monday, May 19, 2025, Nix announced on Instagram that the song had reached #1 on the iTunes Country chart, surpassing runner-up Foster’s single. Just days later, Forbes confirmed that 'Highe' debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Christian Digital Song Sales chart, overtaking Brandon Lake's 'Hard Fought Hallelujah.'

Notably, Nix had performed duets with Lake's songs during her 'American Idol' journey, which showcases her deep roots in the Christian music space. With this strong crossover success, Nix is already proving to be a breakout star in both the country and Christian music genres. Nix is taking her 'American Idol' momentum to the stage with a live performance at CMA Fest 2025, per Screen Rant. In an Instagram post, Nix excitedly announced that she’ll be part of the 19/BMG Takeover lineup happening on June 4 at 6th & Peabody in Nashville, Tennessee. She captioned her post, "Some of the @americanidol crew will be performing at the CMA Fest on June 4th!! This will be fun! Are you coming?!"

Reportedly, Nix will be joined by a star-studded group of Idol alumni, including Season 23 winner Roberts, runner-up Foster, and fellow contestants Thunderstorm Artis, Kolbi Jordan, Mattie Pruitt, and Gabby Samone. Also performing are Season 22’s Will Moseley and Ajii, Season 21’s Colin Stough and Wé Ani, and Season 20 runner-up HunterGirl.

Not only that, Nix is also headed to the Grand Ole Opry. The 'American Idol' Season 23 finalist announced that she’ll make her Opry debut on Thursday, June 5, 2025, marking a major milestone in her rapidly rising music career. Sharing about her appearance on Opry, Nix said in an emotional Instagram post, "I'm beyond overjoyed to announce that I’ll be performing at the @opry on June 5th, 2025! This moment has been on my bucket list for years, and getting to finally check it off feels surreal. I’m so grateful for this opportunity and can't wait to step into that circle. Hope to see you all there!"

Talking about Nix’s 'American Idol' journey, the 25-year-old singer from Denton, Texas, submitted her audition tape in the summer without telling anyone, not even her husband, Austin, as per Dentonrc. Nix shared why she kept it to herself, saying, "I didn’t want to let anyone down if my audition wasn't accepted." She further explained that after sending in her video, she simply "put it out of [her] mind." Austin, who often plays piano in their TikTok music duets, had no idea his wife had quietly taken such a bold step. But soon after, NiX was notified that she'd been accepted, and her Idol journey was officially underway.