American Idol (season 12) American Idol (season 12) The twelfth season of "American Idol" premiered on January 16, 2013, as part of the mid-season of the 2012–13 network television season. Ryan Seacrest returned to host. Randy Jackson returned for his twelfth season as judge and was joined by new judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban, who replaced Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. The season was the third to have four judges, after the eighth and ninth seasons. It was also the first season in the show's history where all the finalists of one gender (male) were eliminated before any finalists of the
Judge Me Tender Judy". The ending of the episode features Jay Leno making a joke about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on "The Jay Leno Show". Moe mistakes "American Idol" with "Armenian Idol" ("Hay Superstar") which, he states, is his favourite show. Upon being informed he is to judge the American one, he inquires who stands for Egor Glumov (one of the judges of the Armenian version). The song playing during the Springfield Annual Classic Car Contest, the Bonsai Tree Contest and the Bully Competition is "Why Can't You Be Nicer to Me?" by The White Stripes. In its original American broadcast "Judge