New York native Samantha Diaz, popularly known as Just Sam, won American Idol from her Los Angeles apartment on Sunday night. 

ABC News reports the 21-year-old, who identifies herself as Liberian and Latina on her Instagram, captured the gold in the program’s first remote season finale. Diaz’s first song of the night, “Stronger,” by fellow Idol winner Kelly Clarkson, went over well with the judges, and Diaz wowed them with her at-home performance. 

She told Billboard that “Stronger” was the song she chose because it felt like a great way to incorporate the country’s current state of affairs in her performance.  

“That was my idea. Everyone got to choose their own song. When they asked us all to think about a celebration song that could bring light during this time, that was the point,” Diaz said.  

Iconic vocalist Lionel Richie raved over the presentation, calling it a "killer performance."

After being announced the winner, Diaz said she was able to celebrate via Zoom conference call with her church family where they prayed and thanked God. But Diaz’s grandma, living 3,000 miles away in Harlem, gave the young star all the excitement she could handle. 

“She could not stop crying; literally, she almost gave herself an asthma attack,” Diaz said. “She was just really excited. She was thanking God and Jesus, it was a whole bunch of that. But, yeah, she could not stop crying, ‘I don't even know what to say.’ And she just kept thanking the Lord. That's how that went, pretty much. Honestly? It was perfect.”

The show’s finale also featured a star-studded cast that included Katy Perry, who debuted her new single "Daisies."

Diaz spoke glowingly of the star singer who once helped her find her way through the competition. 

"When Katy told me to remember where I came from and sing to where I want to go, that stuck with me throughout this entire competition. It's something I had to say to myself before I walked on stage in Hawaii. I had to tell that to myself before performing in front of an iPhone. That has really has stuck with me and I think about it every day: Sing to where you want to go, Sam," she said. 

The show closed with a rousing performance of “We Are The World” featuring Lionel Richie and former Idol contestants, including Ruben Studdard and Phillip Phillips. 

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