"American Idol" has been nominated for an Outstanding Reality-Competition Emmy nine times, ever since the category was first introduced. But, despite being one of the most popular reality shows of all time, it has never won. It's in the running again this year, and the ninth time may be the charm--which means, ironically, that the show just may win for the one season that didn't feature the man who made it such a hit: star judge Simon Cowell, who walked away from "Idol" last year in one of the biggest career gambles in TV history.

But Simon is making it clear: If "American Idol" does win the Emmy this Sunday, he still deserves a statuette for his own mantel.

"I'd find it very amusing that after all these years, that the year I wasn't on it, it would win the Emmy. I think that would make me laugh. So it probably will," Simon chucklingly told reporters during a September 13 press tele-conference to promote his new Fox show, "The X Factor."

"I don't see it as threatening; I think it

Bravo TV viewers may be familiar with Jes Hudak for her star turn on Kara DioGuardi's songwriting competition "Platinum Hit" (she bucked the odds and placed second), but true reality junkies will also recognize Jes from her earlier appearances on "American Idol" and "Rock Star: INXS," and well as from her dynamic duo Powerfox & Ponymane with equally awesome "Idol" alum (and Yahoo! favorite) Jackie Tohn. The woman is a formidable talent with an impressive résumé on- and offscreen, and frankly, it's kind of bizarre that the doe-eyed songstress has had to work the reality-TV circuit to make inroads in the music business. Why is Jes Hudak not a major superstar with many platinum hits to her credit already?

Never mind all that. "Platinum Hit" has thankfully opened many doors for Jes, and we here at Yahoo! Music were delighted to open our doors for her when she recently came by to perform some of her original songs. And once again, she shined onscreen.

You may recognize "Home For Me (Free),"

After months of unauthorized song leakage, an official new single by original Idol Kelly Clarkson--from her upcoming, way-overdue fifth album, Stronger--has fiiiinallly premiered. Kelly in fact introduced the tune herself, via an adorably chatty Livestream broadcast on her website this Tuesday afternoon, just to let us all know it's legit.

The long-awaited single, "Mr. Know It All," traffics in the same "raining on boys' parades" revenge fantasies that made Kelly's "Never Again," "Walk Away," "Miss Independent," and of course "Since U Been Gone" such fist-pumping, girl-powered fun. Sample lyrics, which earlier appeared on Kelly's website scrawled in her own girlish hand, include: "Mr. Play Your Games/Only got yourself to blame/When you want me back again/But I ain't fallin' back again...Let's be clear, baby/This is goodbye."

Upon first listen, "Mr. Know It All" admittedly doesn't quite pack the oomph of Kelly's aforementioned empowerment anthems, or even of one of her recent rumored

You've probably tried to block it from your mind, but you may remember with a shudder that back in March of this year, Kim Kardashian attempted to follow in the Manolo-shod footsteps of fellow reality-TV starlets Paris Hilton and Heidi Montag and launch a pop "singing" career. The resulting single, "Jam (Turn It Up)," was so awful, it made Heidi sound like Adele. The song became of the butt of jokes (pun intended) by critics and tweeters alike, and Kim swiftly went about getting engaged and orchestrating a grand tabloid wedding to make us forget all about the disaster.

But as much as we'd all like to turn it down, it seems "Jam (Turn It Up)" will not go away. Though an understandable lack of interest in the song caused its accompanying music video to be shelved months ago, a one-minute snippet of the clip has now popped up online. And it's a cinematic, gorgeously shot tour de force directed by renowned VMA winner Michel Gondry that...oh, come on, who am I kidding here? AS IF.