'American Idol' Finalists Will Face New Challenges

Photo Courtesy - 20th Century Fox/19 TV Ltd/FreemantleMedia North America, Inc.(LOS ANGELES) -- The American Idol makeover continues.  In addition to new faces Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler at the judge’s table, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe told TVGuide.com that other changes are in place.  Among them:

- The finalists will be tasked with an array of new challenges, such as music video contests, self-promotion, and partnerships with a band and dancers for an awards show-style performance.

- The voting rounds will be reduced.  The round that normally shrank the contestant pool from 24 to 12 has been eliminated.

- Lythgoe also revealed that the talent this season, the show’s 10th, has been more diverse, with country, jazz and indie music being represented by Idol hopefuls.

- As for the new judges, Lythgoe says Lopez and Tyler take their new gigs seriously and give honest critiques, while Randy Jackson, the sole remaining original judge, has stepped up his role now that Simon Cowell has vacated his judging post.

Previously-announced changes include “theme weeks” that focus on decades as opposed to artists, and Interscope head honcho Jimmy Iovine coming aboard as an in-house mentor for talent.

Season 10 of American Idol debuts Jan. 12 on Fox.

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