After weeks of speculation, Fox made it official: Pop star Nicki Minaj and country crooner Keith Urban will join Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson as American Idol judges.
The move came Sunday as Idol got ready to start auditions in New York for Season 12, which will premiere in January.
With competition intensifying and ratings falling, Idol is attempting a major makeover. Former judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez announced this year that they would leave the No. 1-rated show after two seasons apiece.
Jackson nearly didn't make the cut. Earlier stories reported that he would have his role reduced to mentor after producers flirted with hiring pop star Enrique Iglesias. But Jackson's job was saved after the Iglesias deal fell through.
