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The X Factor is an American reality music competition developed by Simon Cowell and produced by FremantleMedia North America and SYCOtv on Fox. Based on the original UK show and part of The X Factor franchise, the series finds new singing talent through public auditions. The winner receives a recording contract with Cowell's label Syco Music, valued $5 million in seasons one and two and $1 million in season 3. Melanie Amaro and Tate Stevens won seasons 1 and 2. The US version debuted on September21, 2011 and airs annually from September to December. The show's judges evaluate participants' performances. Each candidate is in one of 4 categories. The others are based on age or gender. Season 3 categories include girls, guys, groups, and over-25s. Each judge is allocated to a category and acts as a mentor to the candidates in that area, helping them choose songs, styling, and staging. They also judge contestants from other categories after each live performance. They compete to have one of their competitors win, making them the winning judge.