Carrie Underwood shared an emotional look back at “the moment that changed everything.”

The eight-time Grammy Award winner is gearing up for her debut as a judge on American Idol, the competition show that launched her career 20 years ago. Longtime host Ryan Seacrest crowned Underwood the winner of the fourth season of American Idol in 2005.

Underwood joined Seacrest and returning judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan in a new promo for the upcoming season of the show, shared on Instagram. Together, the group nodded to the life-changing impact American Idol can have on budding artists. Underwood reflected, “this is the place where it all started for me.” While her 2021 collaboration with NEEDTOBREATHE, “I Wanna Remember,” played in the background, the three judges shared throwback moments to early days in their careers. Underwood turned the viewer’s attention to a TV screen that displayed the moment she won American Idol in 2005. “That’s what Idol is all about,” she said.

“I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show,” Underwood said in a video when she announced her return to American Idol as a judge. “I’m proud of everything I was able to accomplish on the show, and I’m so proud of everything that I’ve accomplished since.”

The new season of American Idol will premiere on March 9 on ABC, and will be available the following day on Hulu. One week earlier, fans can get a sneak peek when an Idol preview airs on March 2, immediately after the Oscars broadcast, which is slated to start at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC.

Rachel Elliot