I refuse to write a lame "Sparks" pun here.

Spoiler-schmoiler. You know. Here's the full story, from AP, just so I can officially say I officially posted it before passing out this evening:

LOS ANGELES -- Jordin Sparks grew up on American Idol, watching the show since she was 12 years old and telling her mother it was what she wanted to do.

"Now I'm actually doing it," the 17-year-old told reporters backstage after winning the competition in Wednesday's season finale.

The announcement that the Arizona teenager bested Blake Lewis, 25, the beat-boxer from Washington, came at the end of a two-hour extravaganza at the Kodak Theatre.

"I've just been trying to top myself each week," Sparks told The Associated Press. "I would sing my song and after I was done I was like, 'OK, what am I going to do next week that's going to be ... either just as good or better."

Sparks, with a floor-length gown and movie-star hair, gushed like a teenager when her name was called.

"Thank you so much for everything," she told the crowd. "Mom, Dad, I love you. Nana, Papa, P.J., thank you guys."

Then she began "This Is My Now," the tune picked by viewers in a new online American Idol songwriting contest. Both she and Lewis performed the track Tuesday, and judge Simon Cowell reiterated Wednesday the song sold him on Sparks.

"If I'm going to call it, based on the last song, congratulations Jordin," Cowell said, before the winner was announced.

The contest came down to the stronger singer, Sparks, or the better entertainer, Lewis. Sparks delivered her songs simply and powerfully; Lewis' flourishes included beatboxing and sharp dance moves.

Lewis said backstage that he didn't mind coming in second."I picked Jordin Sparks at the top 24 as the American Idol winner," he said proudly. "I was actually going to try to wear a 'Vote for Jordin Sparks' T-shirt last night but they wouldn't let me do it."

Keep clicking on the blog throughout the day... I'll cover my entire experience watching the show this season (for the first time) sometime today. I'll also start getting into the upcoming summer TV wasteland and, oh, of course, Lost. Damn that's a good show.