Jordin Sparks will return to sing the national anthem at the 2024 Indianapolis 500

Jordin Sparks, the Grammy-nominated multiplatinum singer-songwriter and actress, will sing the national anthem before the 2024 Indy 500, Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced Wednesday.

Known for her pop and R&B style, Sparks found widespread fame after becoming the youngest winner in American Idol's history in 2007 when she was just 17 years old. Since then, she has delivered hits and her career has blossomed into starring appearances on big stages and in films. Through it all, fans have watched her become an icon for body image positivity.

Sparks' popular singles have sold more than 10 million digital tracks in the U.S., according to a news release from the speedway. Her hits include "No Air," "Tattoo," "Battlefield" and "Call My Name."

Sparks has sung plenty of high-profile performances of the "The Star-Spangled Banner" as well. She last sang it before the Indy 500 in 2015.

On Broadway, Sparks has starred in Lin-Manuel Miranda's "In the Heights" and "Waitress," with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles. In the 2012 film "Sparkle," Sparks played the title character — a talented singer-songwriter trying to pursue her dreams while appeasing her strict mother, played by the legendary Whitney Houston.

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"We know that Jordin’s voice and performance will deliver an emotional and stirring rendition of the national anthem as part of pre-race ceremonies for the Indy 500,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said in a news release.

"The national anthem moment pays honor to the country we love, sets the stage for the hair-raising US Air Force Thunderbirds flyover, and gets us one step closer to those final, dramatic, and electric moments leading up to the start of the Indianapolis 500."

Live coverage of the May 26 race will begin at 11 a.m. on NBC, and the green flag will wave at 12:45 p.m.

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Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or [email protected]. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy 500 national anthem 2024: Jordin Sparks will return to sing