How Much Money Did Scotty and Lauren Make from 'American Idol'?

American Idol should be the start of a promising career for newly minted winner Scotty McCreery and runner-up Lauren Alaina. But it's also a payday in itself. So how much dough, exactly, have season 10's top two raked in thanks to their Idol stint?

As we know, the winner of the competition -- that would be McCreery, 17 -- gets the big, juicy recording contract. According to E! Online, that contract is worth $250,000. However, don't cry too much for 16-year-old Lauren! She's taking home $87,500 for her participation. Plus, when she actually records an album, that five-figure sum should jump up to the high six-figure range, probaly around $175,000.

As E! points out, this means that second-place Idol winner Alaina is getting a better contract than the first-place winner of NBC's The Voice, who is promised a $100,000 recording deal. (Of course, that winner also gets a personal celebrity advocate in the mentor they've chosen; we bet a few lunch dates with Christina Aguilera or Cee Lo Green could really boost an upstart's career.) And then there's the super-lucky winner of Fox's The X Factor, who will bring home the biggest prize in reality TV history: a $5 million record deal.

In case you were wondering, Lauren and Scott will not be spending their shared winnings on a big American Idol wedding. Alaina cleared up rumors of a budding romance during a radio interview on Thursday morning.

"No, we're not (dating)," said Alaina. "I was kidding about it last night a lot, but we're just friends."

As for the kisses she planted on "Scotty the Body," that was "just so happy and in the moment" that she got carried away. Too bad -- we think Steven Tyler would make a fabulous maid of honor.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/how-much-money-did-scotty-and-lauren-make-american-idol/1-a-353571

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