After weeks of rumors, Fox has finally announced the new judging panel for   American Idol ,  and it's no surprise: all the names we've heard mentioned have turned  out to be true.  Keith Urban has been officially confirmed as a judge,  and he'll sit alongside Mariah Carey -- already announced weeks ago -- plus rapper Nicki Minaj and original judge Randy Jackson .  They'll meet prospective contestants today, Sunday, in New York City.

Keith said in a statement, "It's really an honor to have been invited to be a part of the   American Idol family.   I'm looking forward to working with everyone and to seeing the same  passion I have for music in all of the participants."

In a statement, Fox executive Mike Darnell said,    ""With an unparallelled star like Mariah, fan-favorite Randy,    chart-toppers like Nicki and Keith and our incomparable host Ryan [ Seacrest] , we've put together one of the most exciting judging panels around."

The new season of   Idol debuts January 2013.

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