Katharine McPhee (L) of Los Angeles lifts the arm of Taylor Hicks of Birmingham, Alabama after he was named the new "American Idol" during the show's finale at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, May 24, 2006. Soul singer Hicks won the 2006 "American Idol" contest on Wednesday, beating ballad singer McPhee in votes cast by fans of the most watched TV show in the United States. (Reuters)