LOS ANGELES — Sometimes, nice guys don't quite finish first. At least not on "American Idol."

Utahn David Archuleta, declared the favorite by "Idol" judges three months ago, fell short at the last step. David Cook won the title of "American Idol" on Wednesday night, leaving the 17-year-old Utah teen the runner-up.

There were Archuleta fans in tears inside the NOKIA Theatre at L.A. LIVE, but Archuleta himself seemed considerably less affected. Talking to the press afterward, he giggled and laughed — a lot.

"It's a big relief," he said.

After last night, it's like "oh my gosh. No more getting judged after each performance. Now we just get to do what we love to do, and it's not viewed as a competition," he said with a laugh.

"I just can't believe that I made it this far. I didn't know if I'd make it past the first round. It's just such a blessing."

Cook said he didn't expect to win.

"I've been holding my breath for four months. Tonight was just about exhaling," he said.

"The respect that I have for David Archuleta is very much past the competition thing," he said. "He has more talent at his age than I know what to do with at 25. To be able to share the stage with him is an honor for me."

And Archuleta returned the admiration.

"He's like my big brother. I've learned so much. I've looked up to him since the beginning of this. He's such a great guy . ... I just feel so honored to be standing next to him."

In the moments before the winner was announced, the tension inside the theater was palpable.

"It's sort of like getting adrenaline put in your veins. It's amazing," said Donna Summer, who performed with the six female finalists.

And it wasn't easy to tell which way things would go — the audience seemed pretty evenly split.

While Archuleta was all smiles as host Ryan Seacrest prepared to open the envelope and reveal the winner, he looked nervous, then disappointed/relieved to have the pressure end.

Viewers had been told repeatedly for the past several weeks that the vote was the closest ever; it turned out not to be. According to Seacrest, 97.5 million votes were phoned or texted after Tuesday's final performances, with 56 percent going to Cook and 44 percent to Archuleta — which is rather like a landslide.

That translates into a margin of 54.6 million votes to 42.9 million votes.

And that came in spite of judge Simon Cowell all but handing the competition to Archuleta on Tuesday night, declaring he was a decisive winner in the final sing-off. Whether he had any inkling of what the vote turned out to be or not, Cowell backed off his appraisals on Wednesday.