The twelfth season of American Idol premiered on January 16, 2013, as part of the mid-season of the 2012–13 network television season.^[1] Ryan Seacrest returned as 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.

On May 16, 2013, Candice Glover was crowned the winner, defeating Kree Harrison, who was the runner-up. In a series first, Glover's debut album, Music Speaks, was available for preorder immediately following the finale broadcast. Both Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj left after this season, having only served on the judges panel for one season, to focus on their music careers.^[2][3]

After a sharp drop in ratings during the eleventh season, Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly announced that the show would undergo "some creative tweaking" for the following season.^[4] After two seasons, judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler announced their exits from the series on July 12 and 13, 2012, respectively.^[5][6] On July 23, Mariah Carey was announced as a judge for the twelfth season.^[7] On September 16, returning judge Randy Jackson and new hires Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban were confirmed to also serve on the judges panel.^[8][9] On December 31, 2012, it was announced that Ryan Seacrest had signed on to remain the host for at least two more seasons.^[10]

Producer Nigel Lythgoe indicated on January 9, 2013, that during the Hollywood rounds, the men and women would perform on separate weeks, and be matched in equal number right up until the top 10 live shows.^[11] He also announced that there would be no Wild Cards.^[12] Instead, he instituted a brand new "sudden death" round in which the top 40 had to perform in front of a live audience, and then the judges would choose five out of the ten contestants per show to proceed to the top 20. The number of finalists was limited to ten for the first time since the first season.

This season also introduced the "SuperVote," where viewers were able to cast fifty votes at once online or through the new American Idol app, in addition to the regular voting methods.^[13] Voters were able to allocate any number of votes to one contestant or multiple contestants, for a total of fifty votes, across all online voting destinations.

This season also showcased an "Idol Update" segment by bringing back many American Idol alumni to perform or appear as guests in the audience. Alumni performers included Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Katharine McPhee, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Adam Lambert, Lee DeWyze, Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Phillip Phillips, Colton Dixon, and Jessica Sanchez.

In an attempt to refresh the show's audition process, new means to audition were announced. First was the "American Idol Small Town Audition Bus Tour": a ten-town nationwide tour that gave hopefuls who couldn't make it to one of the large audition cities a chance to try out. These cities included Idaho Falls, Idaho; Billings, Montana; Casper, Wyoming; Rock Rapids, Iowa; Iowa City, Iowa; Bowling Green, Kentucky; Clarksdale, Mississippi; Joplin, Missouri; Dodge City, Kansas; and Grand Junction, Colorado. American Idol also began a "Nominate an Idol" program, which allowed friends and family of individuals they think could be the next American Idol to nominate said person in secret by filling out an online form and submitting a video of their nominee singing solo and a cappella. The chosen nominees would then be surprised on location by a film crew and given an opportunity to advance to the next round. Finally, online auditions for the twelfth season were open from August 1 to 14, 2012,^[1][14] and October 12 to November 4, 2012.^[15]

Auditions took place in the following cities:^[16][17]

For the first time, the Hollywood rounds were held in the Valley Performing Arts Center in Northridge, California.^[26] The contestants were separated by gender, with the men performing in the first week and the women the next. There were three rounds each week: an a cappella performance, a group performance, and a solo performance.^[27] Unlike previous seasons, the groups were chosen by the producers, although each group was able to select a song from a list of twenty songs to perform. The men performed on February 6 and 7 and the women performed on February 13 and 14. The judges selected 20 men and 20 women to perform in front of a live studio audience at Love by Cirque De Soleil at The Mirage in Las Vegas. Only twenty contestants moved on from this round. The contestants were divided into four gender-separated groups of ten, with the women's performances airing on Wednesdays and the men's performances airing on Thursdays. Contestants performed in front of the judges and a studio audience, and received critiques from the judges at the end. After all of the contestants had performed, they were called one at a time to face the judges, who decided whether they would move on to the semifinals or not.

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The top 20 semifinalists performed in front of a live studio audience at Love by Cirque De Soleil at The Mirage in Las Vegas. The three-night event marked the first week viewers were allowed to cast votes. The women performed on the first night and the men on second night. On the third night, the show moved back to Los Angeles, and the top five men and top five women were announced. As each contestant walked out on stage, they performed their victory song. After the results were announced, Ryan Seacrest revealed that there would be a sing-off the next week between the sixth-place man and the sixth-place woman to determine who would be invited to join the top 10 on the 2013 summer.^[28]

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Contestants are listed in the order they performed.

Aubrey Cleland and Charlie Askew each finished in sixth place, so they faced off against each other on March 14 to determine who would be invited to join the top 10 on the 2013 American Idol summer tour.

• Candice Glover (born November 22, 1989) was from Beaufort, South Carolina. She auditioned in Charlotte with "Syrup & Honey". She had previously auditioned in the ninth and eleventh seasons. She performed Alicia Keys's "Girl on Fire" as her final solo in the Hollywood rounds and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" at the sudden death round, where she received high praise from the judges. She performed "Ordinary People" at the semifinals.
• Kree Harrison (born May 17, 1990) was from Woodville, Texas. She auditioned in Oklahoma City. She performed "Sin Wagon" in Hollywood. Harrison performed "Stars" as her final solo in Hollywood, where she received praise from the judges. She then sang "Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)" in the sudden death round and "Stronger" at the semifinals.

• Angie Miller (born February 17, 1994) was from Beverly, Massachusetts. She auditioned in New York City with "Mamma Knows Best." She stated at her audition that she was partially deaf with twenty percent hearing loss in her right ear and forty percent in her left ear. Miller performed her original composition, "You Set Me Free," as her final solo in Hollywood, where she received a standing ovation from the judges. She sang Jessie J's "Nobody's Perfect" in Las Vegas and "Never Gone" at the semifinals.
• Amber Holcomb (born March 17, 1994) was from Houston, Texas. She had originally auditioned in the eleventh season, but was cut in the Las Vegas round. She performed "My Funny Valentine" in Las Vegas, where she received a standing ovation from the judges. Holcomb performed "I Believe in You and Me" at the semifinals, where she also received a standing ovation from the judges.
• Janelle Arthur (born December 12, 1989) was from Oliver Springs, Tennessee. She auditioned in Charlotte with "Where the Blacktop Ends". She had auditioned twice before, in the tenth and eleventh seasons. She performed "I Told You So" in Hollywood, "Just a Kiss" in Las Vegas, and "If I Can Dream" at the semifinals.
• Lazaro Arbos (born December 27, 1990) was originally from Cuba, but has lived in Naples, Florida, since he was ten years old. He auditioned in Chicago with "Bridge over Troubled Water". He sang "The Edge of Glory" in Hollywood as his final solo. He then performed "Tonight I Wanna Cry" in Las Vegas and "Feeling Good" at the semifinals.
• Burnell Taylor (born April 14, 1993) was from New Orleans, Louisiana. He auditioned in Baton Rouge with "I'm Here," where he received a standing ovation from the judges. He sang "Jar of Hearts" in Hollywood and "This Time" in Las Vegas.
• Devin Velez (born April 22, 1994) was from Chicago, Illinois, where also auditioned. He sang "What a Wonderful World" in Hollywood "Listen" in Las Vegas, and "Somos Novios (It's Impossible)" in the semifinals.
• Paul Jolley (born January 27, 1990) was from Palmersville, Tennessee. He auditioned in Baton Rouge with "I Won't Let Go". He sang Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away" in Hollywood, "Tonight I Wanna Cry" in Las Vegas, and "Just a Fool" in the semifinals.
• Curtis Finch, Jr. (born January 16, 1988)^[29] was from St. Louis, Missouri. He had previously auditioned in the fourth and eleventh seasons. He performed "Jar of Hearts" as his final solo in Hollywood and "Superstar" in Las Vegas. He performed "I Believe I Can Fly" in the semifinals.

There were ten weeks of the finals and ten contestants competing. At least one contestant was eliminated every week based on the public's votes, although the judges could veto one elimination through the use of the "judges' save." The judges ultimately did not save anyone this season, and one week featured a non-elimination as a result.

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A video was leaked to TMZ in October 2012 which showed Nicki Minaj erupting in a tirade against Mariah Carey during the audition in Charlotte, North Carolina.^[32] It was also claimed that Minaj was heard saying off-camera, "If I had a gun, I would shoot that bitch."^[33][34] Minaj, however, denied that she had made the threat.^[35] Ryan Seacrest said that the dispute "went a little too far,"^[36] while Keith Urban jokingly said "I was the UN,"^[37] and the feud elicited a comment from President Barack Obama that Carey and Minaj would "sort it out."^[38] In an interview with Barbara Walters on The View that aired on January 7, 2013, Carey said that due to Minaj's threats, it "felt like an unsafe work environment," and claimed that she had boosted her personal security.^[39] Minaj stated that Barbara Walters never attempted to contact her for any comment regarding her side of the story.^[40] Carey also said that she has since made up with Minaj. Carey's then-husband Nick Cannon claimed that the feud was used by American Idol producers to generate interest and ratings.^[41] Producer Nigel Lythgoe, however, denied that he was responsible for leaking the video or that it was a publicity stunt, and said that he had no plans to use the footage in advance of or during the season.^[42][43] Fox executive Mike Darnell described the buzz due to the feud as being great.^[44] The aired episode of the Charlotte audition did not show the tirade and what was shown appeared to have no real linear connection with the leaked footage.^[45]

In April 2013, Carey noted during an episode of American Idol that Minaj had not had a number-one song on the US Billboard Hot 100. The next day, Minaj took to Twitter to post what have been described as "extremely harsh" insults against Carey. She labeled the singer "insecure" and "bitter," while also referencing a widely spread rumor that the producers of American Idol wanted to bring Jennifer Lopez back to the judges panel after a significant decline in ratings this season. "All dem #1s but JLo phone ringin? Lol. I guess having a personality, being a secure woman, and giving genuine critique still trumps that," Minaj tweeted.^{[46][47][48][49]} In November 2013, Carey stated that "American Idol was like going to work every day in hell with Satan."^[50]

The Wednesday episodes had an average viewer number of 15.04 million with a 4.6 rating in the 18/49 demo, while the Thursday episodes had an average viewer number of 14.64 million and a 4.3 in 18/49 demo.^[51] The average figure represents a 23% drop from the previous year.^[52]