consolation prize

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Candice Glover Wins 'American Idol' Candice Glover WINS American Idol beating Kree Harrison For months, Candice Glover and Kree Harrison have impressed the American Idol judges and outlasted the competition to wind up in tonight's Season 12 finale. Tonight, one of them will follow in the footsteps of Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood and Jordin Sparks. But who'll get the confetti and who'll get the consolation prize? Tune in, and follow in along with tonight's live blog, then let me know if your favorite won. -- Brian Mansfield Randy Jackson Jennifer Hudson Adam Lambert Jordin Sparks Phillip Phillips United Kingdom Carrie Underwood Jackson Mariah Carey Jennifer Lopez David Guetta Nicki Minaj Natalie Cole New York Keith Urban Travis Barker Ryan Seacrest Aretha Franklin Jessie J Pitbull Kelly Clarkson Beyonce Knowles http://youtu.be/dPxaQ-wdiZ0 If Season 12 hasn't been enough for you, you can get a head start on next season. Online auditions for Season 13 open immediately after the show. Only one singer will win tonight, but both Kree Harrison and Candice Glover get Ford Escapes. That announcement is followed by a tribute to the season set to the year's exit song, Phillip Phillips' Gone, Gone, Gone. It opens, appropriately, with Kez Ban, one of the season's more memorable contestants. And are we looking at a preview of next season now: Last year's judge Jennifer Lopez (who's rumored to be on the producers' radar to return to the show) hits the stage with Pitbull for their new single, Live It Up. *** "This evening we say, 'Thank you very much and goodbye' to Randy Jackson," Ryan Seacrest says. And who better to say farewell than a roomful of dawgs? After the tribute, Seacrest throws to New York, where Aretha Franklin joins the show via satellite link-up. Having sent Kree Harrison a message earlier in the season, the Queen of Soul now has one for Candice Glover. "Candice, you're a winner. Win or lose, you're a winner. You and Kree both have promising careers." "You don't have the results, do you?" Seacrest asks. "I do, but I won't tell you." Then, she and the five female finalists sing a cross-continental medley of hits including (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) and Respect. *** In this segment, the finalists send up the judges. Mariah Carey says "Dahling." Keith Urban wears only T-shirts. Randy Jackson always talks loudly. And Nicki Minaj wears weird wigs and talks through her nose. Oh, yeah, and she wears bootylicious leopard-skin pants. So, it turns out, does Devin Velez. Kree Harrison gets her moment next, singing Keith Urban's Where the Blacktop Ends with Urban on guitar, Jackson on bass and Blink-182's Travis Barker on drums. ***