Christina Aguilera in "The Voice"

The Super Bowl may be big news for sports fans this week, but another television event has people buzzing as well. NBC brings back a competition series like no other as celebrities pick teams for a vocal match up designed to find champion vocalists. Carson Daly returns to host as talented singers vie for a shot at the big time in the season premiere of "The Voice," airing Sunday, Feb. 5, on NBC.

The show premieres in its regular time-slot the following night.

Part of an international series based on the original John de Mol Dutch TV series "The Voice of Holland," the NBC show enlists the help of celebrity judges and mentors Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton.

It isn't just reality TV fans who are excited about "The Voice." Even more music industry superstars have signed on to mentor the contestants in Season 2.

"These renowned musicians will bring their unique and recognizable musical styles to the teams," said NBC exec Paul Telegdy. "They are well-respected singers whose invaluable experience will be a tremendous asset to Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton's artists."

Singer/songwriter Jewel lends her ear to Aguilera's team, as does music legend Lionel Richie. Green welcomes 10-time Grammy winner Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds to his roster of advisers, along with R&B icon Ne-Yo. Meanwhile, Levine will have the expertise of Canadian chanteuse Alanis Morrisette and chart-topping R&B artist Robin Thicke. Team Blake boasts the talent of country music's Miranda Lambert and, perhaps most interestingly, original "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson.

"The Voice" adds yet one more new face this season as Christina Milian takes over as Social Media Correspondent for Alison Haislip.

Unable to see their potential protégés during the initial round of competition thanks to specially designed swivel chairs, Aguilera, Green, Levine and Blake must base their evaluations only on a singer's vocal performance. Should a judge decide he/she wants to work with an auditioner, he/she must push a button to select the contestant for his/her team.

The show is highly touted for this "blind audition" phase. Industry insiders select the most talented vocalists from across the U.S. to audition for the series, unlike competitor "American Idol," which is open to everyone. As the judges aren't influenced by the look of an artist in "The Voice," the series eliminates much of the superficiality on which other reality TV shows rely. It is only after the singer has been selected that the judges may turn around to get a glimpse at whom they've chosen. If two or more judges buzz in for the same contestant, the tables turn and the singer gets to choose the celeb.

Next follows the "battle phase" of the competition, in which each judge, or coach as they are then known, works with the singers to develop their vocal and performance skills. The stars then choose two singers from their team to face off in the battle round, during which they sing the same song together in front of a studio audience. At the end of the performance, the coach chooses which of the two contestants gets to stay.

The third and final phase of the competition pits the best singers from each team against each other during live broadcasts. While the television audience votes to save one person from each team, the coach must decide whom else to save. When only the top singers from each team remain, the four finalists compete head-to-head in the hopes of winning a recording contract and $100,000.

Last year's prize went to Javier Colon, a singer-songwriter from Stratford, Conn., who'd previously been signed to Capitol Records. While that contract fizzled out in 2006, Colon has had better luck thanks to his work on "The Voice," which made him an instant star. After the show wrapped in June, he apparently wasted no time and by November he'd released the full-length studio album "Come Through for You." Notably, Levine, who was Colon's "The Voice" mentor, is featured on the track "Stand Up."

The prospect of another superstar emerging has fans keyed up for Season 2.

However, not everyone is eager for the return of "The Voice." Though the shows are not in direct competition this season, a definite rivalry has erupted between the NBC show and top-seeded Fox hit "American Idol." In a January press conference, "The Voice" executive producer Mark Burnett explained that the NBC offering is not about making a mockery of those who couldn't sing, a popular tactic seen on "Idol," which dedicates screen time to some seriously bad singers.

"The Voice" will have a lot of work to do to catch "Idol," though. NBC's competition performed well in the spring, ranking as the No. 1 new series and averaging 12 million viewers. But "American Idol" still topped the ratings war last season, averaging more than 25 million viewers.