The AMERICAN IDOL auditions came to a conclusion tonight as the judges’ semifinalists picks were revealed. After intense deliberations, Mariah, Randy, Nicki and Keith have chosen the Top 40 contestants, who will now head to Las Vegas to perform on the stage of Cirque du Soleil’s Beatles LOVE Theatre at The Mirage.

The Vegas move is a new twist in the competition, during which the Top 40 once again will be split by gender. On Wednesday, Feb. 20 (8:00-10:00 PM) and continuing Thursday, Feb. 21 (8:00-10:00 PM), Wednesday, Feb. 27 (8:00-10:00 PM) and Thursday, Feb. 28 (8:00-10:00 PM) on FOX 50, 10 semifinalists will perform each night – girls on Wednesdays and guys on Thursdays. Each night, the judges will be faced with the tough decision of choosing which five will stay and which five will be sent home. At the end of the first stage of the semifinals, only 20 contestants will remain.

Top 20 girls include:

NAME	AGE	CITY/STATE
Melinda Ademi	19	Yonkers, NY
Janelle Arthur	23	Oliver Springs, TN
Juliana Chahayed	15	Woodland Hills, CA
Cristabel Clack	29	San Antonio, TX
Aubrey Cleland	19	West Linn, OR
Candice Glover	23	St. Helena Island, SC
Rachel Hale	21	Prescott, AR
Kree Harrison	22	Nashville, TN
Jett Hermano	25	Seattle, WA
Amber Holcomb	18	Houston, TX
Brandy Hotard	26	Port Allen, LA
Isabelle	22	Duluth, GA
Zoanette Johnson	20	Tulsa, OK
Adriana Latonio	17	Anchorage, AK
Angela Miller	18	Beverly, MA
Kamaria Ousley	29	Oakland, CA
Breanna Steer	18	Laplace, LA
Tenna Torres	28	Queens, NY
Shubha Vedula	17	Mt. Pleasant, MI
Jenny Beth Willis	17	Owensboro, KY

Top 20 guys include:

NAME	AGE	CITY/STATE
Lazaro Arbos	21	Naples, FL
Charlie Askew	17	Little Rock, AR
Nick Boddington	27	Memphis, TN
Curtis Finch Jr.	24	St. Louis, MO
Kevin Harris	28	Montgomery, AL
Josh Holiday	24	Celeste, TX
J’DA	27	Chicago, IL
Paul Jolley	22	Palmersville, TN
Johnny Keyser	24	Pompano Beach, FL
Elijah Liu	18	Rowland Heights, CA
Vincent Powell	29	Austin, TX
Cortez Shaw	21	Dallas, TX
Gurpreet Singh Sarin	22	North Potomac, MD
Jimmy Smith	25	Waynesboro, TN
Bryant Tadeo	23	Hilo, HI
Burnell Taylor	19	New Orleans, LA
Mathenee Treco	26	Aurora, CO
Devin Velez	18	Chicago, IL
Chris Watson	25	Fords, NJ
David Willis	21	Mount Dora, FL

Then, it’s up to viewers to vote for who will advance to the finals and who will go home, during a special three-night AMERICAN IDOL event. In the season’s first live show, airing on a special night, Tuesday, March 5 (8:00-10:00 PM live) on FOX 50, the first group of 10 semifinalists will perform LIVE from Las Vegas for America’s vote. On Wednesday, March 6 (8:00-10:00 PM live), the second group of 10 semifinalists will perform LIVE. On a super-sized, 90-minute episode airing Thursday, March 7 (8:00-9:30 PM live), America’s vote and the AMERICAN IDOL finalists will be announced LIVE from Los Angeles.

Visit www.americanidol.com for interviews with the Top 40, as well as additional AMERICAN IDOL news.

“Like” AMERICAN IDOL on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericanIdol. Follow the series on Twitter @AmericanIdol and join the discussion at #idol. Also, follow host Ryan Seacrest at @RyanSeacrest, and follow the judges: @MariahCarey; @yo_randyjackson; @nickiminaj; and @keithurban. Download the AMERICAN IDOL app for iOS devices from the App Store; and for Android devices at Google Play.** 

AMERICAN IDOL is produced by 19 Entertainment, a division of Core Media Group, and FremantleMedia North America. The series is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, CEO, XIX Entertainment. Cecile Frot-Coutaz, FremantleMedia, Trish Kinane, FremantleMedia North America; Ken Warwick, FremantleMedia North America; and Nigel Lythgoe, CEO, Nigel Lythgoe Productions also serve as executive producers.