American Idol that season, but left after just one season. On January 11, 2010, Simon Cowell left the show to pursue introducing the American version of his show "The X Factor" for 2011. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler joined the judging panel in the tenth season, but both left after two seasons. They were replaced by three new judges, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban, who joined Randy Jackson in the twelfth season. However both Carey and Minaj left after one season, and Randy Jackson departed the show after twelve seasons as a judge but would return as a mentor. Urban
American Idol its impact is felt particularly strongly in the country music format. According to a CMT exec, reflecting on the success of Idol alumni in the country genre, "if you want to try and get famous fast by going to a cattle call audition on TV, Idol reasonably remains the first choice for anyone", and that country music and Idol "go together well". "American Idol" was nominated for the Emmy's Outstanding Reality Competition Program for nine years but never won. Director Bruce Gower won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series in 2009, and