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Noah Thompson performs in his hometown Tuesday night. Thompson is among the three finalists for "American Idol." The winner will be determined Sunday on ABC. (The Daily Independent/Emily Porter)

The Country Music Highway has a newcomer on the road to stardom.

Noah Thompson, the country singer from Blaine, Kentucky, became the first Kentuckian to capture "American Idol" on Sunday night.

In the three-hour season finale, the 20-year-old Thompson and the other two finalists — HunterGirl and Leah Marlene — performed a round of Bruce Springsteen songs, then a round of the finalists' official singles, after which Marlene was eliminated.

During the final performances, Thompson and HunterGirl performed their favorite songs of the season.

Thompson's Springsteen pick was "I'm On Fire."

Judge Katy Perry told Thompson he “swooped in and grabbed every heart in America by singing that song.” Echoing a comment he gave earlier in the season, fellow judge Luke Bryan said Thompson is “the king of ‘aw shucks.’” Judge Lionel Richie complimented him on the artistry he has honed throughout the season.

Thompson's single is titled "One Day Tonight," which was his second song of the evening. Richie commented: "Yes, we strive for hit records, but what makes your career last forever is when people fall in love with you. You’re on to something fabulous.”

Thompson's then song with Melissa Etheridge, which surprised many. The two performed Etheridge's song "I'm the Only One."

For the finale performance, Thompson sang Rihanna's "Stay," which he had wowed the judges with earlier in the season.

Earlier in the week, his hometown feted him and Thompson performed a concert at Lawrence County High School's football field where he graduated.

His graduation from high school didn’t have a crowd at all, let alone one the size of his welcome home parade, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it did come with an interesting classmate.

“He graduated here the same year we gave Ricky Skaggs his diploma,” Lawrence County Schools Superintendent Robbie Fletcher said.

Fellow Lawrence County alumni Tyler Childers and Larry Cordle also played a part in the ceremony.

Thompson is poised to add to the many country artists that come from the area, from Loretta Lynn to Billy Ray Cyrus, from The Judds to Chris Stapleton and on.

Thompson impressed judges with his country vocals throughout the season.

More than 16 million votes were cast during the show.

Thompson has an 8-month-old son, Walker, with his girlfriend, Angel Dixon.

As part of his winnings, Thompson will receive a record deal from Disney-owned Hollywood Records.

Contestants in the top 10 were paid for their time, as many left full-time jobs to participate. Contestants also have a fashion budget and the use of stylists and makeup supplies, according to bolavip.com.