Jennifer Lopez Gets Emotional at 'American Idol' Finale

Jennifer Lopez got emotional at Thursday’s American Idol series finale.

The singer, actress and TV judge, 46, wiped tears from her eyes at the finale for the competition show’s farewell season at Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

For the last time, Lopez sat alongside her fellow judges Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. for the finale of the show’s fifteenth (and final) season – the end of Lopez’s five-season stint as a judge.

In true, Lopez fashion, the star hit the Idol stage to perform her new single “Ain’t Your Mama,” in a quintessential Lopez performance, filled with outfit changes, sparkles and high-energy dance numbers.

The star-studded finale saw past contestants like Kelly Clarkson (American Idol‘s first winner), Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, Fantasia Barrino and Ruben Studdard among others.

The show’s original hosts, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell even surprised fans at the special finale event.

For more on Idol, pick up PEOPLE’s The Best of American Idol collector’s edition issue, on sale now.

Although American Idol is finished, the star will be keeping busy with her Las Vegas residency and her role on the NBC drama Shades of Blue.

Still, amid her many projects, Lopez told PEOPLE that her children’s happiness is her top priority.

“They just made me realize what was real and what wasn’t real,” she said of her twins Max and Emme. “They just changed everything.”