Tamil Idol Announces Karthik, Benny Dayal and Andrea Jeremiah as Judges for First Season

Show: Tamil Idol
Judges: Karthik, Benny Dayal and Andrea Jeremiah
First auditions: August 23, 2026
Venue: Velammal Vidyalaya Annexure, Mel Ayanambakkam, Chennai
Eligible age: 14–30 years
Platforms: Sony Vizha and Sony LIV

August 21, 2026

Chennai: The first season of Tamil Idol, the Tamil-language edition of the Indian Idol franchise, has announced its judging panel comprising playback singer Karthik, singer Benny Dayal and actress-singer Andrea Jeremiah.

The three judges will be part of the talent hunt, which aims to identify emerging singers from across Tamil Nadu. Their experience spans playback singing, live performance and acting, bringing different musical perspectives to the judging panel.

Karthik said Tamil Nadu’s diverse musical culture could help the show discover new voices. He said one of the key aspects of judging would be identifying potential and helping singers understand and develop their abilities. He also highlighted the role of A.R. Rahman in guiding the Tamil Idol journey.

Benny Dayal, who has previously been associated with the Hindi Indian Idol journey, said he was looking forward to discovering singers from Tamil Nadu. He noted his connection with Chennai, where he studied, lived for nearly a decade and built his career in Tamil music.

Andrea Jeremiah said music has been an important part of Tamil culture and expressed her interest in meeting singers from different backgrounds and musical influences. She said the platform could provide emerging voices with an opportunity to be heard and developed.

The first auditions for Tamil Idol are scheduled to begin in Chennai on August 23. Singers aged 14 to 30 can participate in the auditions at Velammal Vidyalaya Annexure, Mel Ayanambakkam, Chennai.

A.R. Rahman is leading the Tamil Idol initiative. The programme is set to be available on Sony Vizha and Sony LIV.