The tenth season kicks off with a two-night premiere event Wednesday, Jan. 19 (8 PM-10 PM ET) and Thursday, Jan. 20 (8 PM-9 PM ET).

The evenings welcome new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, who will join long-time judge Randy Jackson and host Ryan Seacrest, as well as an all-new crop of hopefuls from auditions held in Austin, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, San Francisco and East Rutherford, NJ.

The program will also feature an in-house mentor, Jimmy Iovine, who is the chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, as well as singer-producers Rodney Jerkins, Ron Fair, Timbaland and Alex Da Kid, who will also act as mentors.

Contestants will be able to release music as the season is in progress, rather than taking the summer months to record an album that drops in the fall as they have done in the past.

Among the many "American Idol" finalists and/or winners who have appeared on Broadway are Fantasia, Justin Guarini, Jordin Sparks, Diana DeGarmo, Ace Young, Tamyra Gray, Constantine Maroulis, Frenchie Davis, Clay Aiken and Taylor Hicks. For more information about "American Idol," visit www.americanidol.com.