Everything we know about The Masked Singer season 6

The idea that The Masked Singer is already gearing up for its sixth season is kind of like the idea that Ken Jeong almost won the Golden Ear trophy last season — it's true, but hard to believe.

But alas, here we are, and Jeong and the other panelists will have another shot to prove themselves when the bonkers masked celeb singing competition returns on Sept. 22. To prepare, EW has rounded up the answers to all of your burning questions about the new season. Plus, check out a never-before-seen promo featuring new characters.

Keep checking back, because we'll update this page as more information comes in.

When does the new season of The Masked Singer start and where can I watch?

Season 6 will kick off with a special two-night premiere on Fox on Sept. 22 and 23 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The Wednesday night premiere will feature a shocking double unmasking, and Thursday night the group will be joined by two new Wildcards.

Will the same panel and host be returning?

Yes! Nick Cannon is returning as host, and Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, and Robin Thicke are back as panelists. In addition, will.i.am, Joel McHale, Cheryl Hines, and Leslie Jordan have all been confirmed as guest panelists this season.

Additionally, season 6 will feature even more surprising star power on stage. For the first time ever, the semi-finalists from each group will duet with a celebrity singer, and Thicke and Scherzinger will duet with two of the finalists, marking the first time either have performed on the show.

What are the new Masked Singer season 6 costumes?

A new promo, which EW is revealing exclusively above, gives the first glimpse at Cupcake, Banana Split, Dalmatian, Mallard, and Hamster in action. And are those clues to the singers' identities we see?

The key art below also shows the Queen of Hearts costume. Fox has also revealed the Beach Ball, Bull, Baby, Caterpillar, Jester, Octopus, Skunk, Pepper, and Mother Nature costumes.

Fox confirms that there will be 16 contestants this season, including Wildcards (Baby is one such costume). Showrunner James Breen tells EW that one of the other Wildcards this season is one of his all-time favorites because "it might be the craziest character we've ever had on the show."

And, when all the costumes have been revealed, Plestis says to pay extra close attention to them. "If people kind of dive into some of the details, there's clues on all these characters. We can't tell you what, but look closely to every character, you'll learn something," he teases.

Are there any clues so far?

During a sneak peek special on Sept. 12, the first clues about this season's contestants were revealed. See below for each of the clues revealed so far:

Caterpillar: Taylor Swift
Hamster: A silver whistle
Skunk: Elvis
Bull: A tiger and a lion
Mallard: A red rotary phone
Cupcake: A compass pointing due north
Jester: A bouquet of what appears to be 13 red roses
Banana Split: Three dice with 2 on each of them
Queen of Hearts: A horse
Beach Ball: Two bandaids criss-crossed to form an X
Octopus: Milk and a chocolate chip cookie
Dalmatian: Five bald eagles

Is the format the same?

There are lots of exciting changes in store, including the basic format. This season will feature just two groups of contestants, Group A and Group B. For the first time in Masked Singer history, the winner of Group A will face off against the winner of Group B in an ultimate Mask-Off Face-Off in the season finale. Of just having two finalists this season, executive producer Craig Plestis tells EW, "It's almost like we have three finales in our show. We have a winner from Group A and Group B, and they'll then be going head-to-head almost like a prizefight to see who is the Masked Singer [in the finale]. But the great thing is, they'll be taking on each other, and they've never sat on the same stage together until that moment."

Additionally, this season will add the elimination twist known as the Take It Off Buzzer. The way it works is simple: If one of the panelists is completely certain they know who a contestant is, they can hit the buzzer at any time during the competition and give the name. If they are correct, that contestant has to unmask immediately and will leave the competition right then and there, and the panelist who guessed correctly gets two points toward the Golden Ear Trophy.

But the stakes are high — if they are wrong, the contestant remains masked and the panelist will lose two points towards the Golden Ear Trophy. The new buzzer can only be used once in Group A and once in Group B, meaning not every panelist will get a shot at using the buzzer.

What do we know about the celebrity contestants?

According to Fox, the Season 6 contestants hold a combined 85 Grammy nominations and 27 wins, three Academy Award nominations, 12 Emmy nominations, 12 Razzie Award nominations, two Super Bowl appearances and two Lifetime Achievement Awards. "A lot of it is unexpected voices. We're kind of going back to what made the show fantastic," Plestis says of the new masked celebrities. "Not everyone is a professional singer, but there's a lot of hidden talents we've discovered around the world and in Hollywood, people who can sing and perform. There's so many people that just make you smile this season like we've never had before, so we're thrilled by that."

Will there be an audience?

Yes! For the first time in three seasons an in-person audience is returning to the proceedings. "I think one of the most exciting things for us has been working with a full audience again," Breen says. "It changes the dynamics in the studio. I think it's just been really fun to get fans back into the room and have them experience it with us."

What else can viewers expect?

Plestis says this season really embraces the three Bs: bonkers, bizarre, and big. "When we talk to our teams, James and myself, we challenge them to come up with ideas that you couldn't do on any other show on TV. Get crazy, and they've done it this season," says Plestis. Breen says this will be noticeable in everything from the set to the performances. "We have a new set, and I think we've kind of blown up. I think the creatives are bigger and crazier than they've ever been. I think we have some of the biggest, craziest performances we've ever had. We've made a real effort to make everything feel like a big event, and I think we've achieved it."

Related content:

• The Masked Singer season 6 to introduce shocking new elimination twist
• All the costumes for The Masked Singer season 6
• Every celebrity reveal on The Masked Singer so far
• The most shocking Masked Singer reveals ever