Well, in the end it goes to Cook in a landslide. I am surprised! I thought the squealing masses of girls and soft dulcet tones of Archie's "Imagine" repeat on Tuesday night would win over middle ground voters who might have found Cook to be too edgy. But no, in a 12 million vote landslide, our combovered pal from Kansas City tearily took the crown and Simon and company rejoiced. I guess 19 and the judges were behind Cook all along. Perhaps the over the top Archie plaudits were just a calculated bait and switch. Or maybe there's nothing so cynical about American Idol after all. Good for Cook. Instant fame! Who else has won grand television prizes this year, on shows like America's Next Top Model and Project Runway? After the jump, take a tour through this year in winning things, starting, of course, with Mr. Cook.

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David Cook, American Idol Season 7
 Why He Won: Because, frankly, he was the best. Sure you could sing the praises of a Carly Smithson or even an Archuleta, and yes you could (I certainly would) call Cook a bit smug at times, but he was consistently "in good voice" and as original as this show gets. He did well by himself digging up saucy arrangements of pop staples like "Billie Jean" and forged his own path with the surprisingly rockin' riff on Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby."
What the Future Holds: The inevitable tour (which, and you'd better not tell anyone this, I will be attending in Worcester, MA on August 9th. Shh.) A record contract with 19 Entertainment. Big record sales, I predict. He's Daughtry-lite, if that's even possible.

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Kristi Yamaguchi, Dancing With the Stars, Season 6
 Why She Won: (OK, so she was already a "star.") The figure skating background (she won the gold medal in Albertville in '92) probably didn't hurt. She was a regular favorite on the show because of her superior dancing chops, plus a lady hadn't won since Kelly Monaco in the first season. Take that, ex-football stars and Mario Lopez.
What the Future Holds: I believe there is some sort of tour (which I will not be attending). Hopefully Kristi will film a cameo in The Cutting Edge 4: The Wrath of D.B. Sweeney

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Whitney Thompson, America's Next Top Model, Cycle 10
 Why She Won: Well, it's a bit mysterious. By all accounts, runner up Anya was consistently better throughout the season. ANTM' s biggest fan Nick Denton (kidding!) recently suggested that it might have been a set-up because Whitney is a "plus-sized" model, and one of those things has never won before. Her Seventeen magazine prize photo shoot may prove or disprove her alleged plus size; I don't know lady parts well enough to determine.
What the Future Holds: She has a year contract with a modeling agency, which involves being a Cover Girl. Very few (I believe only one?) of ANTM's models get that contract renewed, so it's hard to say where Thompson will end up. I imagine at a shopping mall somewhere, plagued by ever-deepening wrinkles caused by car payments and the dim, seemingly shrinking house and the ever-swaying pine trees off in the distance that once seemed to promise her the world but now seem only to fence her in.

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Christian Siriano, Project Runway, Season 4
 Why It Won: Siriano, hot-tranny verbal mess that he was, was clearly the most adept and promising designer of the bunch. Sure Rami was talented and Jillian was stern and focused, but Christian had that youthful flair. The Gays, whose pink-gloved hands are all over this show, love to remind viewers that youth and charming hubris always trump age and experience, sadly.
What the Future Holds: He is currently designing a collection for Spring Fashion Week in New York (to be held this fall) and designing on commission from fashion mavens like Victoria Beckham. He's also filming a sequel to The Jungle Book.

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The Rookies, Real World/Road Rules Challenge, "The Gauntlet III"
 Why they Won: Presumably, because they are rookies, the cirrhosis was less advanced. Also their team had been systematically whittled down to a small few, so they were quick and able to beat the large, bloated Veterans team.
What the Future Holds: Automobile accidents, embarrassing pants-dropping at Tallahassee bars, an infinite number of further Challenge seasons. Four of them are already dead. (Not really.)

So, there you have it. Our winningest winners in this most winning of years. Of course, So You Think You Can Dance and Last Comic Standing will be gnawing at us all summer, crowning people some time in August. So, I guess the winning keeps going. And going. And going. It never stops.

So why do we feel like we're losing?