American Idol 8 top 36: 2009 American Idol season 8 top 36

There was no singing last night as the 2009 American Idol season 8 top 36 was chosen from the last batch of 54 hopefuls who auditioned. As expected, it was a night of tears and cheers. The eliminated contestants cried their hearts out for missing the cut and a chance of becoming the next American Idol. For the season 8 American idol top 36, it was a triumphant night. However, the next phase looms.

Starting next week, the 2009 American Idol 8 top 36 will undergo a weekly elimination process unlike the top 24 phase we have witnessed over the years. Three weekly batches of 12 will sing for America and

hope to get the viewers' approval and votes. The top man and woman in each batch will move on to the American Idol season 8 finals automatically. The next highest vote-getter will move on as well, male or female. However, all will not be lost yet for those eliminated as the Wild Card kicks in. The judges will choose three eliminated contestants to go to the finals.

Last season, it was 16 year old David Archuleta who wowed the judges and got everybody's attention early. This season another 16 year old is one of the judges' favorites - Taylor Vaifanua from Utah. Will she fare better than Archuleta? Let tune in to find out. The elimination round starts next week.

2009 American Idol 8 Top 36 / American Idol season 8 Top 36

• Arianna Afsar, 16, San Diego, California
• Kris Allen, 23, Conway, Arkansas
• Kendall Beard, 23, Austin, Texas
• Anne Marie Boskovich, 22, Nashville, Tennessee
• Ricky Braddy, 25, Nashville, Tennessee
• Matt Breitzke, 27, Bixby, Oklahoma
• Casey Carlson, 20, Minneapolis
• Megan Corkrey, 22, Sandy, Utah
• Tatiana Del Toro, 23, Los Angeles, California
• Anoop Desai, 21, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Stephen Fowler, 26, Beachwood, Ohio
• Matt Giraud, 23, Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Danny Gokey, 28, Milwaukee
• Alexis Grace, 20, Memphis, Tennessee
• Mishavonna Henson, 18, Irvine, California
• Allison Iraheta, 16, Los Angeles, California
• Ju'Not Joyner, 26, Bowie, Maryland
• Kai Kalama, 26, San Clemente, California
• Brent Keith, 28, Blanchester, Ohio
• Adam Lambert, 26, Los Angeles, California
• Jesse Langseth, 25, Minneapolis
• Scott MacIntyre, 23, Scottsdale, Arizona
• Nathaniel Marshall, 18, Malone, New York
• Kristen McNamara, 22, Napa, California
• Nick Mitchell, 27, Brookfield, Connecticut
• Jasmine Murray, 16, Starkville, Mississippi
• Jorge Nuñez, 20, Carolina, Puerto Rico
• Joanna Pacitti, 23, Philadelphia
• Lil Rounds, 23, Memphis, Tennessee
• Michael Sarver, 27, Jasper, Texas
• Von Smith, 22, Kansas City, Missouri
• Jackie Tohn, 27, Los Angeles, California
• Taylor Vaifanua, 16, Hurricane, Utah
• Jeanine Vailes, 27, Sherman Oaks, California
• Alex Wagner-Trugman, 19, Los Angeles, California
• Stevie Wright, 16, Phelan, California