Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban round out "American Idol" judges panel

Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban will join Mariah Carey and original judge Randy Jackson for the 12th season of the Fox reality show " American Idol."

The addition of Minaj and Urban were confirmed just hours before the first auditions took place Sunday (9/16) in New York, according to a press release, while Carey's participation was announced in July.

Rumors have been circulating for months regarding possible contenders for the chairs, including Kanye West, Katy Perry and Enrique Iglesias. The latest round of judges follows the departure of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and singer Jennifer Lopez after two years on the program.

"'American Idol's' star power has never been so great," Simon Fuller, the show's creator, stated in a press release.

Since its 2002 debut, "American Idol" has received top ratings until last season, when the May 2011 finale drew a record low of just 21.5 million viewers, losing its title as the most-watched U.S. television show to "Sunday Night Football."

The 12th season of "American Idol," hosted by Ryan Seacrest, will kick off sometime in January.