‘American Idol’ Gets a Season 14 Encore, Ryan Seacrest to Return as Host

Get those vocal cords ready, folks, because America has voted (and by that, we mean the FOX higher-ups, of course) and they've decided to grant 'American Idol' with a fourteenth season.

The network announced the exciting news via Ryan Seacrest during Wednesday night's show by having the host release a string of audition locations for Season 14. Despite suffering from a bit of a ratings slide over the past few seasons, viewers still shouldn't find this renewal to be all that surprising, given the continued popularity of singing/reality competitions in general. (That is, except for 'The X Factor...sorry, Simon!) What can we say — America loves to be entertained!

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Auditions kick off on June 18, starting in Minneapolis, although auditioners can also feel free to submit videos online at AmericanIdol.com beginning as early as Wednesday. Some of the cities listed include Minneapolis, New Orleans, Uniondale, Nashville and San Francisco.

As of now, it's unclear which judges plan on returning for the new season. After a conflict-heavy panel during Season 12, this year's dynamic trio has proven to gel nicely together, receiving favorable reviews. However, since Jennifer Lopez is set to star in an NBC drama, which begins production in 2015, it's unknown if she'd be willing/able to juggle both commitments.

Meanwhile, Deadline reports that Seacrest has officially closed a new deal with the FOX reality series, bringing the host back for next season with an option for another. He still remains in negotiations with NBCUniversial to discuss new deals for his contracts with 'Today,' the Olympics and E!