<Ul> <Li> ◀ </Li> <Li> 2012 </Li> <Li> ▶ </Li> </Ul> <P> The eleventh season of American Idol premiered on Fox on January 18, 2012 . The show aired on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 / 7c . Ryan Seacrest returned as host, while Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler, and Jennifer Lopez all returned as judges . Interscope Records Chairman Jimmy Iovine, a songwriter and producer, also returned as an in - house mentor to work with the contestants on a weekly basis . This season followed the same format as season 10, although a new title screen and logo were created, with a different font. Tyler and Lopez announced that they would be leaving the show two months after the finale . Lopez later returned as a judge for the show's thirteenth season . </P> <P> The season set a record when 132 million votes were gathered for the finale . On May 23, 2012, Phillip Phillips became the winner of the eleventh season of American Idol, beating Jessica Sanchez, the first female recipient of the judges' save . </P> <P> Auditions took place in the following cities: </P>

Who won the 11th season of american idol