A former Miss Alaska, Amalia "Malie" Delgado, competing in the "American Idol" television show, will advance to the next level after winning over judges in the auditions held in Little Rock, Arkansas, and broadcast on Jan. 7.
She is the second Alaskan to make the early cut. Monica Repuya was among the contestants selected to continue in the competition in the Denver auditions, part one of which was broadcast on Jan. 6.
Delgado, 21, is a graduate of South Anchorage High School and a DJ on Anchorage radio station KGOT-FM. The fifth-generation Alaskan won the Miss Alaska pageant in 2014. She is recipient of the Alaska Governor's Scholarship, given to the top students in each high school, which has enabled her to study at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Repuya is also a student at UAA, pursuing a degree in nursing.
Both contestants will now move on to the Hollywood Rounds, which will be aired between Jan. 27 and Feb. 3 on Fox. They will compete with other singers selected from audition rounds held in several cities in the Lower 48. Broadcasts of auditions will continue through Jan. 21.
The top 24 winners of the Hollywood Rounds will be announced Feb. 4 and move on to the semifinals. The winning singer for 2016, which has been announced as the last year for the popular program, will be announced in the show of April 7.
The Hollywood Rounds were filmed last fall.