Kris Allen Chosen as New American Idol

LOS ANGELES - Kris Allen beamed with disbelief and struggled to find words to go with his newfound fame. The 23-year-old singer from Conway was voted this year's American Idol.

The fact that he'd just beaten rollicking vocal powerhouse Adam Lambert for the "American Idol" title wasn't going to sink in quickly for the unassuming underdog from Arkansas. The only downside to this stunning victory: He'd have to sing "No Boundaries" one more time, which he did to close out last night's show.

Allen's smooth vocals and boy-next-door image gave him the edge after nearly 100 million viewer votes were cast, turning the theatrical Lambert into the most unlikely of also-rans. When the season started, Allen seemed unsure he had a right to take center stage, let alone stand there and snatch victory from such a formidable rival.

Allen grew from lacking confidence during the audition phase to developing his stage presence and using his outstanding vocal range.

Tuesday night both contestants performed their favorite song, one chosen by Simon Fuller and the other written by Idol judge Kara Diogardi.

Wednesday's show was filled with entertainment.

The 13 Idol contenders from this season reunited on stage, to Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, Bill Hader and Jonah Hill making an appearance promoting the new movie "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian."

The night was packed with powerful duets, the first pairing Memphis' own Lil Rounds with Queen Latifa.

Alexis "graced" the stage with Jason Mraz, singing "I'm Yours".

The girls rocked the house, ushering Fergie on stage who brought the Black Eyed Peas out for a "Boom Boom Pow" collaboration.

Kara Diogardi went head to head with "bikini girl" for a showdown performance of Mariah Carey's "Vision of Love", ripping open her dress to reveal a scandalous bathing suit.

Idol finalist Allison Iraheta rocked out with Cindi Lauper on "Time After Time".

Lionel Richie showed up alongside pal Danny Gokey to sooth the audience with a softer melody.

After this night choked full of musical events, America has spoken and chosen Kris Allen as its new American Idol.

It was huge upset tonight as the Mid-South's own Kris Allen beat Adam Lambert to become the next American Idol. The Conway, Arkansas native wasn't expected to make it this far in the competition, but has been garnering more and more support from the judges and fans alike as the competition came to a close. Randy Jackson told Allen that he preferred his take on the Kayne West hit "Heartbreaker" to the original.

The 23 year-old Allen's soulful rendition of Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine" and a unique take on The Beatles "Come Together" gave him the votes he needed to win the ultimate prize. He's also shown his musical ability by performing on various instruments including the piano and guitar.

Adam Lambert was widely considered the favorite in the finals after his over the top performances of the Tears for Fears classic "Mad World" and Aerosmith's "Cryin'" met with universal praise, but in the end it wasn't enough to beat Allen. Oddly enough, Allen and Lambert became roommates during the semi-finals due to their shared neatness.

Allen's triumph comes off a year of high notes for the Mid-South on the hit show, with four of the top thirteen hailing from the region.