Jyotirmayee Nayak wins 'Indian Idol 16'
What's the story
The 16th season of the popular singing reality show Indian Idol has concluded, with Jyotirmayee Nayak from Odisha emerging as the winner. The 24-year-old singer took home a cash prize of ₹20 lakh and a trophy. Tanishk Shukla from Jabalpur was declared the first runner-up. The season was judged by Shreya Ghoshal, Vishal Dadlani, and Badshah.
Career progression
Nayak expresses gratitude for her win
Nayak, who began her journey on the show in September 2025, expressed gratitude for her win.
She said, "The journey has been almost a year long... Gladly, it turned fruitful too, winning the trophy."
A trained singer with a formal education in music, she has worked as a music therapist.
She is also the first Odia girl to win Indian Idol.
Musical influence
Her journey, work in music therapy
Nayak's musical journey has been influenced by devotional and regional songs. She has helped cancer patients heal through music therapy.
"Music therapy helped me gather blessings; I used to help cancer patients heal, and it is due to them that I managed to reach Indian Idol," she said.
On the work front, she hopes to get playback opportunities in Bollywood.
Finale highlights
Other details about 'Indian Idol 16'
The grand finale of Indian Idol 16 also saw Anshika Chonkar, Manraj Veer Singh, Myscmme Bosu, and Suhail Sufi compete with Nayak and Shukla.
The show was graced by special guests Usha Uthup, Udit Narayan, Papon, Kumar Sanu, Shehnaaz Gill, and Urmila Matondkar.
The season was themed Yaadon Ki Playlist and was extended twice due to its popularity among audiences.