A 20-year-old singer with Vineyard ties impressed American Idol judges in the season premiere of the reality show, which aired Wednesday.

Sonika Vaid was introduced as a contestant from Martha’s Vineyard, with footage showing her with her family on the Vineyard. In one shot, Ms. Vaid sang a few notes while sitting next to her mother by the Edgartown Lighthouse, and other scenes showed the Vaid family at their Vineyard Haven home.

Ms. Vaid has been listed elsewhere, including on her Facebook page, as a resident of Weston, and was a 2013 graduate of Weston High School. According to real estate records, her parents, Kuldip and Ananya Vaid, purchased a home on Main street Vineyard Haven in 2010. The house is listed for sale for $2.9 million.

At American Idol auditions in Colorado, Ms. Vaid sang Look at Me by former American Idol winner Carrie Underwood for judges Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez, and Harry Connick Jr. The singers raved about her performance.

“I love it,” Ms. Lopez said at the end. Mr. Connick said she was the first contestant that he’d seen that he thought had a chance at winning. “You sang beautifully,” he said. “That’s a pure, God-given voice.”

Ms. Vaid was given a yellow ticket indicating she’ll move on to the next round of the show, which takes place in Hollywood. She celebrated the victory with her mom and American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, who joined the Vaids in a FaceTime phone call with her father. “We always knew she had talent,” Mr. Vaid said.