‘American Idol’ Season 12 Wraps; 2014 Judges Announced

Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick, Jr., Keith Urban, Randy Jackson. Photos: Michael Becker (Connick, Jr.: James Minchin III)

Season 12 of American Idol officially concluded in Nashville over the 2013 Labor Day weekend (Aug. 31) when the final show of the Idol Live! tour stopped at the Bridgestone Arena. Appropriately, official announcements from FOX today (Sept. 3) confirmed Season 13 judges.

Jennifer Lopez will return to the 2014 judging panel, as well as the recently announced Keith Urban, in addition to freshman host Harry Connick, Jr. Randy Jackson, a long-time judge on the show, will be an in-house mentor this season. Urban, whose new album Fuse hits stores on Sept. 10, said of the upcoming season, “I think this season of IDOL is gonna be a blast. New team, new energy and a whole new field of artists to be discovered and given a chance!”

Auditions will be filmed in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Detroit, Omaha, Neb., Salt Lake City and San Francisco before American Idol XIII debuts in January 2014 on FOX with longtime host Ryan Seacrest. Universal Music Group’s Interscope Records will continue to release IDOL winner and contestant music.

Although there weren’t any surprise appearances by the celebrity judges at the Bridgestone on Saturday, pre-recorded video segments from the Season 12 celebrities helped the performances roll along. Since the tour began on July 19, attendees have been treated to a taste of what it’s like to see their Idol favorites perform in person. Top 10 performers, including two Country singers Kree Harrison and Janelle Arthur, offered the audience a taste of many current Top 40 titles. Harrison, 22, has lived in Nashville for years recording demos and background vocals; she performed Patty Griffin’s “Up To The Mountain,” the Alabama Shakes’ “Hold On,” and her latest single “All Cried Out.” Arthur, a 23-year-old Tennessee native, performed a rendition of The Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two,” and Urban’s “Where The Blacktop Ends.”

19 Entertainment and AEG Live promoted the 30-show tour.