Federal Way high school senior crowned American Idol winner

A teen with ties to Western Washington was crowned the winner of this year’s American Idol on Sunday.

Originally born and raised in Hawaii, 18-year-old Iam Tongi is now a senior at Federal Way’s Decatur High School.

For his initial audition, he gave an emotional performance of James Blunt’s “Monsters.” Tongi dedicated the rendition to his dad, who passed away a few months before his Idol journey began.

Tongi belted out “Monsters” again as part of the finale, this time as a duet alongside James Blunt.

Over the course of the season, Tongi also sang Simon & Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence” and ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All” among other selections, before closing with his own original single, “Don’t Let Go,” after he was named the winner of the show’s 21st season.