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''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...
. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distributed by) and Syco Entertainment, and broadcasts on the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
television network. It premiered on June 21, 2006 after plans for a British edition in 2005 were suspended, following a dispute within the British broadcaster ITV. Production would later resume in 2007, following the success of the first season. Each season is mainly run during the network's summer schedule, and has featured various hosts over the course of the program's history. The current host is Terry Crews. The program attracts a variety of participants from across the United States and abroad, who possess some form of talents. Acts range from singing, dancing, comedy, magic, stunts, variety and other genres. Each participant or act who auditions, attempts to secure a place in the live episodes of a season, by impressing a panel of judges. The current line-up consists of Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Sofía Vergara. Participants making it into the live episodes, compete against each other for both the judges' and public's vote, in order to reach the live final. The winner receives a large cash prize (primarily paid over a period of time), and since the third season, a chance to headline a show on the
Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city ...
. The show itself has been a rating success for NBC, drawing in on average around 10 million viewers per season. In 2013, a book titled ''Inside AGT: The Untold Stories of America's Got Talent'' was released, providing a description of the seasons, contestants, judges and production techniques of the show. It includes detailed interviews with contestants from all seasons, up to the date of the book's publication. Since July 2021, the program has run for a total of sixteen seasons, and has spawned two spin-off competitions: '' America's Got Talent: The Champions'', which premiered in January 2019, and '' AGT: Extreme'', which premiered in February 2022. The seventeenth season of the main series premiered in May 2022.


History

The concept of ''America's Got Talent'' was devised by ''
X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003) ...
'' creator and
Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
executive
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...
, who sought to create a talent competition far grander than those of other televised talent contests. His proposal, first made to British television network ITV in 2005, was for a competition in which participants of any age and location could enter with any form of talent they chose to perform. The network favored the concept, and green-lit production of a pilot episode to test out the format, with Cowell forming a panel consisting of himself and two other judges (including tabloid journalist Piers Morgan). The pilot proved to be a success. The original plan for the program was for a British edition to be produced and broadcast between 2005 and 2006, hosted by British television personality
Paul O'Grady Paul James O'Grady MBE DL (born 14 June 1955) is an English comedian, broadcaster, actor, writer and former drag queen. He achieved notability in the London gay scene during the 1980s with his drag queen persona Lily Savage, very popular in ...
, who had assisted with the pilot (before Cowell would propose the format for American television). However, O'Grady became involved in a dispute with ITV during work on the new program, ultimately terminating his contract with them and defecting to another British network. As a result, Cowell suspended work on the British edition, and hastened his efforts on launching the format in America. Approaching several networks, Cowell received an offer from
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
to produce his televised competition for their network, owing to feedback given to the pilot made for ITV, and agreed to a contract to produce fifteen episodes for the 2006 summer schedule. Cowell worked with Fremantle and his company Syco Entertainment, but decided against becoming a judge for the new program, choosing to act as executive producer instead.
Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, talk show host, game show host, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest working ma ...
served as the host, with
David Hasselhoff David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on ''The Youn ...
,
Brandy Norwood Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), better known by her mononym Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. She is known for her distinctive sound, characterized by her peculiar timbre, voice-layer ...
and Morgan as judges. The first season proved a success, leading NBC to commission additional seasons, and prompting ITV to contact Cowell with the intention of resuming production on the British edition for 2007. The success of ''Britain's Got Talent'' (along with the American series), led Cowell to accept offers for the rights to the competition format, creating the ''
Got Talent ''Got Talent'' is a British talent show TV format conceived and owned by Simon Cowell's SYCOtv company. It has spawned spin-offs in over 69 countries, in what is now referred to as the 'Got Talent' format, similar to that described by Fremantl ...
'' franchise.


Format


Auditions

Each year's competition begins with a set of audition stages, the first being the "Producers' Auditions", is conducted across various cities in the United States. This stage is open to all forms of acts and judged by an independent group, and thus determines who will take part in the next stage of auditions titled "Judges' Auditions". These are held in a public venue, within select cities across the country, and are attended by the judges handling that year's contest. Each participant reaching this stage of auditions is held offstage from the main performing area in a waiting room, and given a number that denotes when they will perform. Upon being called before the judges, the participant is given 90 seconds to demonstrate their act, with a live audience present for all performances. Each judge is given a buzzer, and may use it during a performance if they are unimpressed, dislike what is being performed, or feel the act is a waste of their time. If a participant is buzzed by all judges, their performance is automatically over. At the end of a performance, the judges give constructive criticism and feedback about what they saw, whereupon they are each given a vote. A participant requires a majority vote approving their performance to proceed to the next stage, otherwise they are eliminated from the program at that stage. Many acts that move on may be cut or forfeit their place, due to the limited slots available for the next stage. Filming for each season begins when the Judges' Auditions are taking place, with the show's presenter standing in the wings of each venue's stage to interview, and give personal commentary on a participant's performance. From the fifth to seventh seasons, acts who did not attend live auditions could instead submit a taped audition online via YouTube. Acts from the online auditions were then selected to compete in front of the judges and a live audience during the "live shows" part of the season, prior to the semi-finals. Before the inclusion of this round, the show had a separate audition episode in Seasons 3 and 4 (2008–2009) for contestants who posted videos on MySpace. In the ninth season, the show added a new format to the auditions in the form of the "Golden Buzzer", which began to make appearances within the ''
Got Talent ''Got Talent'' is a British talent show TV format conceived and owned by Simon Cowell's SYCOtv company. It has spawned spin-offs in over 69 countries, in what is now referred to as the 'Got Talent' format, similar to that described by Fremantl ...
'' franchise, since it was first introduced on '' Germany's Got Talent''. During auditions, each judge is allowed to use the Golden Buzzer to send an act automatically into the live shows, regardless of the opinion of the other judges. When it was initially used, the buzzer simply saved an act from elimination. The only rule to the buzzer was that a judge could use it only once per season. The host was later allowed to use the Golden Buzzer for an act starting from the eleventh season.


Second Round

After auditions are completed, the judges conduct a special session (or second "audition" round) to determine which participants will secure a place in the live rounds of the competition, though the format for this stage has been change several times over the course of the program's history. When the stage was first created after the first season, it was designed around a "boot camp" format titled " Las Vegas Callbacks". Under the format's rules, participants who made it through the preliminary auditions could undergo training to perfect their act, whereupon each would be assigned to a specific group of participants and perform a second time before the judges. Buzzers would be used to terminate a performance at any time, with those not deemed worthy of a place being eliminated from that season's format. Between the fourth and ninth season, the format was changed to match that used in ''
Britain's Got Talent ''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloquial ...
''. Participants who made it through the preliminary auditions had their audition footage reviewed by the judges, who set each one into a specific group, and were not required to perform again (unless the judges requested this). Acts which they liked would be allocated spaces in the live rounds, with the remainder eliminated from that season's competition. All acts were brought back to learn of the results of the judges' deliberations. The format was titled "Vegas Verdicts" and held on the
Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city ...
. For the final seasons of its usage, it was re-dubbed "Judgment Week" and conducted within
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...
. Between the tenth season and fourteenth season, the stage's format was changed again under a new arrangement dubbed "Judge Cuts". Under the new format's rules, participants that passed the preliminary auditions underwent a second stage of auditions before the judges at a fixed venue. However, their performance would not only be judged by the panel, but also by a special guest judge, with all participants divided up into four groups. Each group would be judged by their own guest judge. Like the auditions, the main judges could use their buzzers at any time to stop a performance, while the guest judge would be allowed to use a Golden Buzzer for a participant they particularly liked (as well as providing comments on the performances they watched). In the fifteenth season, the round was condensed into a single episode and featured no guest judge, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United States, it has resulted in confirme ...
in 2020. The round was replaced to its current arrangement for the sixteenth season, matching that of ''Britain's Got Talent'' around that time.


Live Rounds

Participants who pass their auditions and secure a place in the live rounds of the competitions, including those who received the Golden Buzzer after the format's introduction and subsequent amendment to match other ''Got Talent'' editions, are divided into groups and compete against each other to secure a place within the live final of the competition. Live episodes of the competition are held within a set venue (the location has varied), with the current arrangement focused on a venue within Los Angeles and live episodes for each season being aired weekly on the network. The arrangement differs from the schedule used by other international editions. ''Britain's Got Talent'', for example, broadcasts its live episodes within the space of a single week. The structure of the live rounds by this stage of the competition has varied, but is more commonly arranged as quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final itself. Earlier seasons varied, sometimes having the finals split into separate rounds. The format of the live rounds, for the quarter-finals and semi-finals, sees each participant conduct a new performance of their act before the judges and the viewers within a "performance" episode. In this episode, the judges can still give out feedback and comments about a participant's performance, and be able to use their buzzers, with the performance terminated if all the buzzers are used. After the episode is broadcast, the network provides the public a set period of time to vote for their act, with the results of these held in a separate "results" episode. When it is broadcast has varied, though it more commonly occurs after an interval of one day after the live "performance" episode. Participants are then informed of the results, with those receiving the highest votes (i.e. Top 4) advancing to the next stage. For the two acts that receive the mid-range of votes for all participants, they undergo a vote by the judges to determine who joins those who advanced. When the program brought in the format of using four judges, a tie-break on this vote results in the act with the higher number of public votes moving on. The Judges' vote was not a common format element in earlier seasons. In the first season, the judges did not decide on who moved on, instead voting for acts they liked or disliked. In the second season, they could not vote on acts at all, instead only being able to buzz them. For some acts that are eliminated, there is still a chance for advancement by being appointed as that round's "Wildcard". Until the tenth season, this format varied in how it would work. In some seasons, the judges could each individually select an act, or more than one, to move on to the next stage or compete within a special Wildcard round. In other seasons, the Wildcard acts were selected from among the auditions and competed in a special round. Since the tenth season, the format is more structured and works in a similar manner to that of the format used by ''Britain's Got Talent'', in that the judges and the public can each chose the acts they want to see move on as a Wildcard act. Although the judges are refrained from choosing a quarter-finalist as a Wildcard act, the public may vote online for an act within each quarter-final and semi-final to move on into the next stage, with this vote aptly named after the sponsor for the show in that respective season. Those who make it into the season's final compete against each other to secure the most votes from the public, with the number of finalists varying between seasons. Later seasons allow each finalist more than one performance and sometimes being joined by a celebrity guest, previous winner, or notable participant from a previous season. The winning act that achieves the most votes is crowned the winner and receives a cash prize. Although stipulated as $1 million per the program's advertising, in reality winners can choose to either take it as a lump sum, or as a financial annuity of this amount that is paid out over forty years at around $25,000 per year. Both options are liable to taxation. Since Season 10, the winner will also perform on the first results show of the next season. From 2008, the program also includes an additional prize of headlining a show, except from between 2010 and 2013, where the winning finalist headlined a national tour. The show they headline mainly takes place within Las Vegas.


Judges and hosts

;Notes # Cowell was absent from the live shows of season 15 due to an accident that resulted in a back injury. After doctors required him to remain under medical observation, production brought in temporary stand-ins for the first two quarter finals, before settling on airing the remaining live rounds with a judging panel of three. #
Eric Stonestreet Eric Allen Stonestreet (born September 9, 1971) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for portraying Cameron Tucker in the ABC mockumentary sitcom ''Modern Family'', for which he received two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supportin ...
had to stand in for Klum during part of season 15, after she fell ill during the last two audition sessions. In its first season, the judging panel consisted of
David Hasselhoff David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on ''The Youn ...
,
Brandy Norwood Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), better known by her mononym Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. She is known for her distinctive sound, characterized by her peculiar timbre, voice-layer ...
and Piers Morgan, with
Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, talk show host, game show host, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest working ma ...
as the host. Prior to the start of the second season, Norwood stepped down due to a legal matter she was involved with, leading to her being replaced by Sharon Osbourne. Philbin was replaced by Jerry Springer as the show's host. Further changes were made to the judging panel and hosting duties in later seasons: Springer left after the third season, and was replaced by Nick Cannon for the fourth season. Hasselhoff left the show after the fourth season, and was replaced by Howie Mandel for the fifth season. Morgan left after the sixth season, and was replaced by
Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, ''The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terre ...
for the seventh season. In August 2012, Osbourne left the program following a dispute with
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
. While the network replaced her with former
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vict ...
member Mel B in February 2013, the judges panel increased to four. This format change had already occurred in other international versions of the competition, such as on ''Britain's Got Talent'' two years prior. In March 2013, supermodel Heidi Klum was announced as the fourth judge for the eighth season. In October 2015, Stern was replaced by Simon Cowell for the eleventh season. After his eighth year hosting ''America's Got Talent'', Cannon announced plans to retire from the show due to comments he made about the network. Despite being under contract to continue his hosting duties, NBC eventually replaced him with
Tyra Banks Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973), also known as BanX, is an American television personality, model, producer, writer, and actress. Born in Inglewood, California, she began her career as a model at the age of 15, and was the first Africa ...
for the twelfth season. On February 11, 2019, NBC announced a change to the program's host and its judging panel following the conclusion of the thirteenth season. Banks decided to move on to other projects, leading to her being replaced by Terry Crews, who was already working with the network as host of '' America's Got Talent: The Champions''. Both Klum and Mel B decided to leave ''America's Got Talent'' due to other commitments that year, leading to actress
Gabrielle Union Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade ( Union; born October 29, 1972) is an American actress. Her career began in the 1990s, when she made dozens of appearances on television sitcoms, prior to landing supporting roles in 1999 teen films ''She's All That ...
and dancer
Julianne Hough Julianne Alexandra Hough (; born July 20, 1988) is an American dancer, actress, and singer. In 2007, she joined the cast of ABC's ''Dancing with the Stars'' as a professional dancer, winning two seasons with her celebrity partners. After leavin ...
replacing them, joining Mandel and Cowell on the judging panel. However, both Union and Hough took part in only one season before they were let go by the program on November 22, 2019. On February 27, 2020, it was confirmed that Klum would return for the next season, and announced Sofía Vergara as the fourth judge. In September 2021, host Crews announced the 'end of an era' following the season sixteen finale of ''America's Got Talent'' and the series finale of ''
Brooklyn Nine-Nine ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural comedy television series that aired on Fox, and later on NBC. The show aired from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for a total of eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Dan G ...
'', stating that these both marked the end of his deal with NBC. However, Crews continued his hosting duties in the seventeenth season.


Guest judges

In 2015, guest judges were introduced into the program as part of the revamp of the format's boot camp stage. The following lists the guest judges who appeared within the program for the "Judge Cuts", per season and in order of their appearance by week:


Season synopses

* Although both acts were runners-up, neither were defined in terms of 2nd and 3rd place during the broadcast of the final's result for this season.


Season 1 (2006)

The first season for ''America's Got Talent'' was promoted in May 2006, and was eventually aired later that year between June 21 and August 17. While later episodes would pre-record auditions at earlier dates, this season had them conducted across June, at venues within the cities of
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...
, Chicago and Los Angeles. Live-round episodes were held within the latter city. Initial advertisements for participants of ''America's Got Talent'' implied that the winning act would headline a show in Las Vegas, but this was later dropped in favor of a cash prize of $1 million, due to concerns surrounding the possibility of awarding such a prize to a minor. The first season was hosted by
Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, talk show host, game show host, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest working ma ...
, with the judging panel consisting of actor
David Hasselhoff David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on ''The Youn ...
, singer
Brandy Norwood Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), better known by her mononym Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. She is known for her distinctive sound, characterized by her peculiar timbre, voice-layer ...
and journalist Piers Morgan. More than 12 million viewers watched the program's premiere episode, a far greater viewing figure than had been achieved by the premiere of ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' in 2002, becoming one of the most-watched program on U.S. television and the highest-rated among viewers aged 18 to 49 at that time. The first season was won by singer
Bianca Ryan Bianca Taylor Ryan (born September 1, 1994) is an American musician, singer and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ryan was the first winner of NBC's ''America's Got Talent'' at the age of eleven. Singing two Broadway show tunes along t ...
, with
clogging Clogging is a type of folk dance practiced in the United States, in which the dancer's footwear is used percussively by striking the heel, the toe, or both against a floor or each other to create audible rhythms, usually to the downbeat with th ...
group ''All That'' and musical group ''The Millers'' being the runners-up. Neither act were defined in the results in terms of who was placed 2nd, and who was placed in 3rd.


Season 2 (2007)

Following the success of the previous season,
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
commissioned the program for additional episodes, but originally intended for the new season to be aired as part of its 2007 winter schedule. However, the network decided against this due to the program potentially being placed in direct competition for viewers with ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'', and kept ''America's Got Talent'' within its 2007 summer schedule. The second season aired between June 5 and August 21, 2007. Prior to filming taking place, Philbin left the program and was replaced as host by Jerry Springer. Norwood dropped out, due to a legal situation, and was replaced by Sharon Osbourne. Auditions for this season involved venues within the same cities as had been previously used, but with the inclusion of Dallas as part of its competition schedule. The second season saw the introduction of a new round in the audition process, which was referred to as the "boot camp stage", a period of callback episodes filmed in Las Vegas, aimed at streamlining successful participants from the first round of auditions towards a set number for the live rounds. Alongside this, participants in the live rounds moved on via the public vote only, while the episode for results was aired a week after each live episode's performance and within a smaller time slot for its broadcast. This season was won by singing impressionist and ventriloquist
Terry Fator Terry Wayne Fator () is an American ventriloquist, impressionist, stand-up comedian, and singer. Born in Dallas, Texas, he developed an interest in ventriloquism from a young age, developing both this and a talent for singing. After initially per ...
, with singer and guitarist
Cas Haley Benjamin Cas Haley (born 1980; Paris, Texas) is an American singer-songwriter, who specialises in reggae-inflected music when singing. He rose to national prominence by appearing on ''America's Got Talent'' in 2007, finishing as runner-up on tha ...
coming in second, and singer
Butterscotch Butterscotch is a type of confectionery whose primary ingredients are brown sugar and butter, but other ingredients are part of some recipes, such as corn syrup, cream, vanilla, and salt. The earliest known recipes, in mid-19th century Yorkshir ...
placing third.


Season 3 (2008)

The third season aired between June 17 and October 1, 2008, with a break in its broadcast between August 7–26 to avoid conflict with NBC's live broadcasts of the
2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...
. Auditions took place much earlier in the production schedule to provide time for finalizing editing on recorded footage, taking place between January to April across venues within the same cities from the previous season, but with the addition of a venue within the city of
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. Unlike the previous season, the Las Vegas callback episodes doubled the number of semi-finalists involved in the live rounds. Following the second season, judges voted between the participants placed 5th and 6th in the public vote during the quarterfinals and semi-finals, to determine who moved on at each stage. Apart from some amendments to the program's format, staff also implemented cosmetic changes to the set pieces used on ''America's Got Talent''. An example of this included the "red X's", used to symbolize disapproval from each judge, being redesigned to match the visual style of those used in ''
Britain's Got Talent ''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloquial ...
''. This season was won by opera singer Neal E. Boyd, with singer and pianist Eli Mattson coming in second, and violinists Nuttin' But Stringz placing third.


Season 4 (2009)

The fourth season aired between June 23 and September 19, 2009, and was the first season to be broadcast in high definition. Auditions were held between January to April, at venues within New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta. Additional auditions were held within
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
, Miami, Tacoma,
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...
and Houston. Along with conducting live auditions, participants could also audition by uploading a video of their performance directly to the program's website. Prior to filming taking place, Springer departed from the program following the previous season, and was replaced by Nick Cannon as host. For the fourth year of the competition, the prize for winning was amended so that the winner not only received a cash prize, but would be given their own 0-week headline show at the
Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Planet Hollywood Las Vegas (formerly the Aladdin) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Eldorado Resorts, Caesars Entertainment. The property was previously the site of an earlier resort known ...
on the Las Vegas Strip. Apart from the change in the prize, the Results episodes after each performance episode were returned to their original broadcast format. This season was won by country music singer Kevin Skinner, with opera singer Bárbara Padilla coming in second, and percussionists Recycled Percussion placing third.


Season 5 (2010)

The fifth season was originally intended to be aired as part of NBC's 2009 Fall schedule, much as had been intended with the second season. However, the network disliked the idea and made certain the program was part of its 2010 summer schedule, with this season airing between June 1 and September 15, 2010. Audition were held between January to April, at venues within Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando,
Portland (Oregon) Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous cou ...
,
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
and Philadelphia. Prior to filming taking place, Hasselhoff left the show due to other commitments, and his role as judge was taken over by comedian Howie Mandel. Online auditions for the program were modified to allow registration via YouTube, with a guaranteed placement in the competition. The live rounds were extended to include two new quarter-finals, each themed to certain groups of participants: those who were chosen from their YouTube auditions and those who had been eliminated during the second round of auditions or their quarter-finals. The final stage of the competition included its finalists conducting performances, each with their own guest performer, a format that would become a part of the program and an optional choice for finalists in future seasons. The finalists were offered a place on the ''America's Got Talent Live Tour'' that year, regardless of their final result, although the winner would be made the headline act for the tour in addition to their main prize. This season was won by singer/musician Michael Grimm, with classical singer
Jackie Evancho Jacqueline Marie Evancho ( ; born April 9, 2000) is an American classical crossover singer who gained wide recognition at an early age. Since 2009, she has issued a platinum-selling EP and nine albums, including three ''Billboard'' 200 top 10 ...
coming in second, and performance group Fighting Gravity placing third.


Season 6 (2011)

The sixth season aired between May 31 and September 14, 2011, with no major changes to the format for this year. Auditions were held between January to April within Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Houston, Minneapolis, Seattle, Denver and Chicago. Online auditions made via YouTube were conducted on May 4. This season was won by singer Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr., with dance group
Silhouettes A silhouette ( , ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhou ...
coming in second, and dance group Team iLuminate placing third.


Season 7 (2012)

The seventh season aired between May 14 and September 13, 2012, with auditions held between October 2011 and February 2012. These were conducted within the cities of New York, Washington, D.C.,
Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough Count ...
,
Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
,
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city i ...
,
Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
, St. Louis and San Francisco. Prior to filming taking place, Morgan departed from ''America's Got Talent'' after the conclusion of the sixth season (despite signing a three-year contract with the program in July 2010), due to other commitments he had at that time. Due to Morgan's departure, his role as judge was taken over by radio personality
Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, ''The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terre ...
. However, because of his involvement with hosting his radio show for
SiriusXM Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sat ...
, the program's production of live episodes were moved to a venue in New York to avoid disrupting his schedule. The graphical presentation of ''America's Got Talent'' was revamped, including the title credits, logo and theme music. The change of venue to the
New Jersey Performing Arts Center The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), in downtown Newark, New Jersey, United States, is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. Home to the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO), more than nine million visitors ...
in Newark, New Jersey not only allowed Cowell to have designers update the studio set, but allowed production staff to invite larger audiences for performances in live episodes than in previous seasons. This season was won by dog tricks act Olate Dogs, with comedian Tom Cotter coming in second, and musician William Close placing third.


Season 8 (2013)

The eighth season aired between June 4 and September 18, 2013, with auditions held between January and March in a much larger range of venues. Auditions held in the cities of New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Antonio were filmed for the new season. Prior to filming commencing, Osbourne left ''AGT'' following the seventh season, after a lengthy dispute in August 2012 between herself and NBC. While her departure not only led to her role as judge being taken over by
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vict ...
member Mel B, the judge panel for future seasons was increased, recruiting supermodel Heidi Klum to join the new season as a fourth judge. For the live episodes of this season, the venue moved from Newark to New York, holding them within Radio City Music Hall. In addition, the format for audition episodes in terms of presentation style, was changed to match that for ''Britain's Got Talent''. In this arrangement, each episode would consist of a number of auditions chosen from those taken from each major venue used for that season. This season was won by martial arts dancer/mime Kenichi Ebina, becoming the first foreign act to win ''America's Got Talent'', with stand-up comedian Taylor Williamson coming in second, and singer/guitarist Jimmy Rose placed third.


Season 9 (2014)

The ninth season aired between May 27 and September 17, 2014. Preliminary auditions were held between October to December 2013, across several cities including Miami, Atlanta, Houston and
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
. The Judge auditions were held between February to April 2014 within Newark, New York and Los Angeles. For this season only, a third-party program was involved in the audition process: one quarter-final place in the competition was offered exclusively by ''
The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and Talk show, talk breakfast television, morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program de ...
'' via their website, with the top three picked from those that entered competing against each other to be part of ''America's Got Talent'' that year. Several changes were made to the program for this season. The most significant was the introduction of the "Golden Buzzer" format, first introduced on '' Germany's Got Talent'' in 2012, which had also been introduced into ''Britain's Got Talent'' earlier that year. However, it was used mainly to save an act from elimination in the auditions, and wouldn't match the format used across the ''Got Talent'' franchise until the following year. Other changes included the "boot camp" round being filmed in New York, and the introduction of a new online vote for viewers, named after the program's sponsor during that season. This determined which three acts placed in the mid-range of the public vote: 5th, 6th and 7th in the semi-finals, with 4th, 5th and 6th in the "Top 12" round advancing, and the remaining two voted by the judges. This season was won by magician Mat Franco, with singer
Emily West Emily Marie Nemmers (born July 9, 1981) is an American music artist, who performs and records under the name Emily West. Signed to Capitol Records Nashville, she debuted on ''Billboard's'' Hot Country Songs charts in early 2008 with the single ...
coming second, and acrobatic troupe AcroArmy placing third.


Season 10 (2015)

The tenth season aired during 2015, between May 26 and September 16. Producer auditions took place between late 2014 to early 2015 within
Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough Count ...
, Nashville,
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...
, Chicago, St. Louis, San Antonio,
Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
, San Francisco, Seattle,
Boise Boise (, , ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and north of the Nevada border. The downtown area' ...
, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Judge auditions took place during spring until early summer 2015, between March and June within Newark, New York and Los Angeles. A special "extreme" audition session was held within
Pomona, California Pomona is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Pomona is located in the Pomona Valley, between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 151,713. The main campus of California State Polytech ...
(performed on an outdoor stage), for participants with acts considered too dangerous to be conducted within an indoor studio set. This season had the Golden Buzzer format, introduced in the previous season, matching that of ''
Britain's Got Talent ''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloquial ...
''. Its use would send a participant directly into the live rounds, although the host was not allowed to use it per the revised format. In addition, the boot camp round was revamped with a new format and renamed as "Judge Cuts", in which they were held over four weeks rather than one. It consisted of about eighty acts shortlisted from the auditions with around twenty per week, and featured the involvement of a guest judge for each of these episodes. Along with the main judges, they could use the Golden Buzzer for an act they wished to see in the live rounds.
Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout ...
, Michael Bublé, Marlon Wayans and Piers Morgan became the first guest judges for the new format in this season. The "Snapple Vote", introduced in the previous season, was renamed the "Dunkin' Save" to coincide with the program's new sponsor. Its format expanded to cover quarter-finalists who finished in 6th, 7th or 8th place per public vote, along with the semi-finalists who finished in 4th, 5th or 6th place per public votes. This season was won by ventriloquist
Paul Zerdin Paul Zerdin (born 21 August 1972) is a British comedian and ventriloquist from London. He was the winner of the 10th season of ''America's Got Talent''. Early life When Zerdin was 10, a family friend made him a puppet theatre which he used ...
, with comedian Drew Lynch coming in second, and magician mentalist Oz Pearlman placing third.


Season 11 (2016)

The eleventh season aired during 2016, between May 31 and September 16. Open auditions were held between late 2015 to early 2016, within Detroit, New York, Phoenix,
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, t ...
, Las Vegas, San Jose, San Diego, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Orlando and Dallas. Filming of the judges' auditions took place in March 2016, prior to the premiere episode of the season, and were exclusively conducted within the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles. The season premiered on May 31, 2016. During the previous season on June 24, 2015, Howard Stern announced his departure from ''America's Got Talent'' on his TV program, leading to
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...
announcing on October 22 that he would later be replacing him for season eleven. On October 4, 2016, Cowell signed a contract that would keep him as a judge on ''America's Got Talent'' until 2019. Stern's departure led to live-round broadcasts moving back to Los Angeles, and filmed at the
Dolby Theatre The Dolby Theatre (formerly known as the Kodak Theatre) is a live-performance auditorium in the Ovation Hollywood shopping mall and entertainment complex, on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. Sin ...
. Apart from this change, the Golden Buzzer format allowed the host (Nick Cannon) to use it during auditions. The guest judges who featured in the Judge Cuts for the eleventh season consisted of Ne-Yo, Reba McEntire, George Lopez and Louis Tomlinson. This season was won by singer-songwriter and musician
Grace VanderWaal Grace Avery VanderWaal (born January 15, 2004) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is known for her distinctive vocals and has often accompanied herself on the ukulele. VanderWaal began her musical career by posting videos of her ...
, with magician mentalist duo The Clairvoyants coming in second, and magician
Jon Dorenbos Jonathan Paul Dorenbos (; born July 21, 1980) is a former American football long snapper and magician. He played college football at the University of Texas at El Paso and was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2003. Doren ...
placing third.


Season 12 (2017)

The twelfth season aired during 2017, between May 30 and September 20. Open auditions were held in late 2016 to early 2017, within Chicago,
Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city i ...
, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, San Diego, New York, Charleston, Memphis and Los Angeles. Filming of the Judges' audition were conducted in March 2017 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles. On February 13, 2017, Nick Cannon resigned from hosting ''America's Got Talent'', following a dispute between himself and
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
concerning remarks he had made during his Showtime comedy special ''Stand Up, Don't Shoot''. As a result, despite Cannon being under contract, the network replaced him with supermodel
Tyra Banks Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973), also known as BanX, is an American television personality, model, producer, writer, and actress. Born in Inglewood, California, she began her career as a model at the age of 15, and was the first Africa ...
. This season is notable for the death of American physician Brandon Rogers (who died in an automobile accident on June 11, 2017), shortly after securing his place on ''America's Got Talent'' during the audition's stage. Rogers became involved in the program, following his involvement with American R&B vocal group
Boyz II Men Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan ...
earlier that year, after the group had seen footage of him singing on YouTube. In the wake of his death, his audition was postponed before eventually airing during the final audition episode of the season on July 11, as a tribute to his memory. The guest judges who featured in the Judge Cuts for the twelfth season consisted of
Chris Hardwick Christopher Ryan Hardwick (born November 23, 1971) is an American comedian, actor, television and podcast host, writer, and producer. He hosts '' Talking Dead'', an hourlong aftershow on AMC affiliated with the network's zombie drama series '' ...
, DJ Khaled,
Laverne Cox Laverne Cox (born May 29, 1972) is an American actress and LGBT advocate. She rose to prominence with her role as Sophia Burset on the Netflix series ''Orange Is the New Black'', becoming the first transgender person to be nominated for a Pr ...
and
Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...
. This season was won by singer ventriloquist
Darci Lynne Darci Lynne Farmer (born October 12, 2004) is an American ventriloquist, singer and actress. Lynne has been credited with the revival of ventriloquism, earning praise and numerous accolades for her work. Born in Oklahoma, Lynne developed an int ...
, with singer
Angelica Hale Angelica Hale is an American singer. She competed in the 12th season of ''America's Got Talent'', and became the runner-up to winner Darci Lynne. Early life Angelica Hale was born in Atlanta, Georgia on July 31, 2007, to American father James Ha ...
coming in second, and Ukrainian dance act Light Balance placing third.


Season 13 (2018)

The thirteenth season aired during 2018, between May 29 and September 19. Open auditions were held in late 2017 until early 2018, within Orlando, Cincinnati,
Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
, Milwaukee, Houston, Las Vegas, New York, Nashville and Los Angeles. The Judges' auditions were filmed in March 2018 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles. A minor change was made to the format of the Judge Cuts in terms of the number of participants in this stage from the auditions being reduced to seventy-two, with about eighteen performing each week. The guest judges featured in the Judge Cuts for the thirteenth season consisted of
Ken Jeong Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong (, ; born July 13, 1969) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, producer, writer and licensed physician. He rose to prominence for playing Leslie Chow in ''The Hangover'' film series (2009–2013) and Ben Chang in the ...
,
Olivia Munn Lisa Olivia Munn (born July 3, 1980) is an American actress and former television host. After an internship at a news station in Tulsa, she moved to Los Angeles where she began her professional career as a television host for the gaming network ...
,
Martina McBride Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, born July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record producer. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material. McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and reloca ...
and
Chris Hardwick Christopher Ryan Hardwick (born November 23, 1971) is an American comedian, actor, television and podcast host, writer, and producer. He hosts '' Talking Dead'', an hourlong aftershow on AMC affiliated with the network's zombie drama series '' ...
. This season was won by magician
Shin Lim Liang-Shun Lim (born September 25, 1991), known professionally as Shin Lim, is a Canadian-American magician, recognized for his use of card manipulation and sleight of hand. He is known for elaborate close-up card magic routines, during which he ...
, with acrobatic group
Zurcaroh Zurcaroh (pronounced ZOO-CA-ROW) is an acrobatic show group based in Götzis, Vorarlberg (Austria), and directed by Brazilian choreographer Peterson da Cruz Hora. The group became internationally known after they won a golden buzzer on the 2017 sea ...
coming in second, and violinist Brian King Joseph placing third.


Season 14 (2019)

The fourteenth season aired during 2019, between May 28 and September 18. Following the previous season, Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum and Mel B, all opted to leave the program. Banks announced her resignation in December 2018, while Klum and Mel B announced their respective departures two months later. Due to this, replacements were sought in February 2019. Terry Crews was appointed as Banks' successor, following his role on the program's spin-off ''The Champions'', while both
Julianne Hough Julianne Alexandra Hough (; born July 20, 1988) is an American dancer, actress, and singer. In 2007, she joined the cast of ABC's ''Dancing with the Stars'' as a professional dancer, winning two seasons with her celebrity partners. After leavin ...
and
Gabrielle Union Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade ( Union; born October 29, 1972) is an American actress. Her career began in the 1990s, when she made dozens of appearances on television sitcoms, prior to landing supporting roles in 1999 teen films ''She's All That ...
were appointed as new judges for the upcoming season. Both auditions and filming began on March 3, 2019. On November 22, 2019, it was announced that Hough and Union were let go from the series, marking their only season as judges. Along with the guest judges for the fourteenth season's Judge Cuts were
Brad Paisley Bradley Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting with his 1999 debut album '' Who Needs Pictures'', he has released eleven studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nashv ...
,
Dwyane Wade Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. (; born January 17, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Wade spent the majority of his 16-year career playing for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and won three NBA champ ...
, Ellie Kemper and Jay Leno. This season is notable for two additional guest judges being added for the live semi-finals:
Sean Hayes Sean Patrick Hayes (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He is best known for playing Jack McFarland on the NBC sitcom ''Will & Grace'', for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award, four SAG Awards, and one American Come ...
and Queen Latifah. This season was won by singer and pianist Kodi Lee, with choir group Detroit Youth Choir coming in second, and stand-up comedian Ryan Niemiller placing third.


Season 15 (2020)

The fifteenth season aired during 2020, between May 26 and September 23. Following the previous season, replacements were made for Union and Hough, after both were let go from the program in November 2019. This resulted in the return of Heidi Klum, along with Sofía Vergara as a new judge. Although filming had begun by late February with auditions, the onset of
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United States, it has resulted in confirme ...
towards March caused production delays. Live audiences were discontinued, per the advice against large gatherings by health experts. Production was eventually suspended after Klum fell ill during filming, raising concerns about the risk of infection. While production on the live rounds went under discussion, the program confirmed the season would premiere in May with audition episodes, after footage for these was completed and edited for broadcast. Production for the remainder of the season resumed in mid-June, while the season was being broadcast. Several changes were made to minimize the potential for infection among those involved, including participants and judges. While the Judges Cuts round was drastically changed, effectively condensing the stage into a single episode, the live rounds featured several measures. These included being filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood, the use of a virtual audience, and an expansion in the number of quarter-finalists. Prior to the first quarter-final, Cowell was seriously injured in an accident and absent from the remainder of the season. Guest judges appeared for two of the quarter-finals, before opting to maintain the use of three judges for the remainder of the episodes. The season was won by spoken word poet Brandon Leake, with country duo Broken Roots coming in second, and singer Cristina Rae placing third.


Season 16 (2021)

A sixteenth season was announced in late February 2021 by NBC, confirming both the host and its judges, including the return of Cowell. Production began after auditions were opened up with participants asked to provide these for judgment, either virtually or via recorded video. On March 9, 2021, it was announced that the season would premiere on June 1. This season was won by magician Dustin Tavella, with aerialist Aidan Bryant coming in second, and stand-up comedian
Josh Blue Josh is a masculine given name, frequently a diminutive ( hypocorism) of the given names Joshua or Joseph, though since the 1970s, it has increasingly become a full name on its own. It may refer to: People A–J * "Josh", an early pseudonym o ...
placing third.


Season 17 (2022)

The seventeenth season was announced on March 31, 2022, with the same judging panel and host from the previous two seasons set to return. The season premiered on May 31, 2022. This season was won by dance group Mayyas, with pole dancer Kristy Sellars coming in second, and singer and guitarist
Drake Milligan Drake Milligan (born June 1, 1998) is an American actor and singer best known for portraying Elvis Presley on the CMT (American TV channel), CMT series ''Sun Records (TV series), Sun Records'' and starred in a film called “Nobody” where he port ...
placing third.


Related programs


''America's Got Talent Live''

In 2009, production staff opted for creating a post-show made up of the best finalists from that year's competition, and conducted over a ten-week run between October to January at the
Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Planet Hollywood Las Vegas (formerly the Aladdin) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Eldorado Resorts, Caesars Entertainment. The property was previously the site of an earlier resort known ...
in Las Vegas. Titled ''America's Got Talent Live'', it featured performances by season four winner Kevin Skinner, and by ten of the finalists from that season. It was hosted by Jerry Springer, in between taping his self-named show in Stamford, Connecticut. The show proved a success and was renewed for 2010, with Springer remaining as host, and featuring the finalists of the fifth season. It was remade into a 25-city tour that began at the Caesars Palace Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, and concluded at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center in Orlando. The live show was put into hiatus following its 2010 run, and resumed in 2012 with a new host and performances from the finalists of the seventh season: Olate Dogs, Spencer Horsman, Joe Castillo, Lightwire Theater, David Garibaldi and his CMYK's, Jarrett and Raja, and Tom Cotter. In 2013, another tour was scheduled consisting of the best acts from the eighth season: Kenichi Ebina, and finalists Collins Key, Jimmy Rose, Taylor Williamson, Cami Bradley, The KriStef Brothers, and Tone the Chiefrocca. In 2014, a new tour was scheduled, consisting of performances from top finalists of the ninth season: Mat Franco,
Emily West Emily Marie Nemmers (born July 9, 1981) is an American music artist, who performs and records under the name Emily West. Signed to Capitol Records Nashville, she debuted on ''Billboard's'' Hot Country Songs charts in early 2008 with the single ...
, Quintavious Johnson, AcroArmy, Emil and Dariel, Miguel Dakota, Sons of Serendip, and season 8's runner-up Taylor Williamson. In 2015, ''America's Got Talent Live'' discontinued operating as a live tour, instead functioning as a series of shows at the Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas. Performances from the top acts from the tenth season included winner
Paul Zerdin Paul Zerdin (born 21 August 1972) is a British comedian and ventriloquist from London. He was the winner of the 10th season of ''America's Got Talent''. Early life When Zerdin was 10, a family friend made him a puppet theatre which he used ...
, runner-up Drew Lynch, and fan favorite
Piff the Magic Dragon John van der Put (born 9 June 1980) is a magician and comedian from the United Kingdom who performs under the stage name Piff the Magic Dragon. A winner of multiple awards from British magic societies, he toured as a supporting act for Mumfo ...
. In 2016, four more shows were scheduled at the same venue, and featured performances from the top acts of the eleventh season's final:
Grace VanderWaal Grace Avery VanderWaal (born January 15, 2004) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is known for her distinctive vocals and has often accompanied herself on the ukulele. VanderWaal began her musical career by posting videos of her ...
, The Clairvoyants and Tape Face. In 2017, another four shows were scheduled at the same venue, and featured performances by the top acts of the twelfth season's final:
Darci Lynne Darci Lynne Farmer (born October 12, 2004) is an American ventriloquist, singer and actress. Lynne has been credited with the revival of ventriloquism, earning praise and numerous accolades for her work. Born in Oklahoma, Lynne developed an int ...
,
Angelica Hale Angelica Hale is an American singer. She competed in the 12th season of ''America's Got Talent'', and became the runner-up to winner Darci Lynne. Early life Angelica Hale was born in Atlanta, Georgia on July 31, 2007, to American father James Ha ...
, Light Balance and Preacher Lawson. In 2018, three new shows were scheduled at a new venue in Las Vegas, and featured the top acts from the thirteenth season:
Shin Lim Liang-Shun Lim (born September 25, 1991), known professionally as Shin Lim, is a Canadian-American magician, recognized for his use of card manipulation and sleight of hand. He is known for elaborate close-up card magic routines, during which he ...
, Samuel J. Comroe,
Courtney Hadwin Courtney Hadwin is an English singer-songwriter. She rose to fame by competing prominently on ITV's '' The Voice Kids UK 2017'' and the 13th season of the NBC competition show ''America's Got Talent''. Early and personal life She lives in H ...
, Vicki Barbolak and Duo Transcend.


Holiday specials

In 2016, NBC commissioned a festive two-hour special of the program, titled ''America's Got Talent Holiday Spectacular''. Broadcast at the
Dolby Theatre The Dolby Theatre (formerly known as the Kodak Theatre) is a live-performance auditorium in the Ovation Hollywood shopping mall and entertainment complex, on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. Sin ...
on December 19, 2016, the special was hosted by Nick Cannon and featured a mixture of performances by acts that had participated across the program's history with several special guests. Among those involved were
Grace VanderWaal Grace Avery VanderWaal (born January 15, 2004) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is known for her distinctive vocals and has often accompanied herself on the ukulele. VanderWaal began her musical career by posting videos of her ...
,
Jackie Evancho Jacqueline Marie Evancho ( ; born April 9, 2000) is an American classical crossover singer who gained wide recognition at an early age. Since 2009, she has issued a platinum-selling EP and nine albums, including three ''Billboard'' 200 top 10 ...
,
Andra Day Andra may refer to: People *Andra (singer) (born 1986), Romanian singer *Andra (musician), Zimbabwean-American musician *Andra Karpin (born 1979), Estonian footballer *Andra Neiburga (1957–2019), Latvian writer *Andra Day (born 1984), America ...
, Penn & Teller, Pentatonix,
Terry Fator Terry Wayne Fator () is an American ventriloquist, impressionist, stand-up comedian, and singer. Born in Dallas, Texas, he developed an interest in ventriloquism from a young age, developing both this and a talent for singing. After initially per ...
, Mat Franco,
Piff the Magic Dragon John van der Put (born 9 June 1980) is a magician and comedian from the United Kingdom who performs under the stage name Piff the Magic Dragon. A winner of multiple awards from British magic societies, he toured as a supporting act for Mumfo ...
, Olate Dogs,
Professor Splash Professor Splash (born March 8, 1961) is the show name of Darren Taylor. Taylor is an American show diver from Denver, Colorado. He is well known for breaking high diving records using small pools. He holds the ''Guinness World Records'' for hig ...
and
Jon Dorenbos Jonathan Paul Dorenbos (; born July 21, 1980) is a former American football long snapper and magician. He played college football at the University of Texas at El Paso and was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2003. Doren ...
(as well as the judges from the season 11). The special proved a ratings hit, achieving around 9.5 million viewers during its broadcast. In 2018, NBC commissioned a second special centered on
Darci Lynne Darci Lynne Farmer (born October 12, 2004) is an American ventriloquist, singer and actress. Lynne has been credited with the revival of ventriloquism, earning praise and numerous accolades for her work. Born in Oklahoma, Lynne developed an int ...
, the winner of the twelfth season. Titled ''Darci Lynne: My Hometown Christmas'', it was hosted by Farmer, and involved
Lonnie Chavis Lonnie Chavis, Jr. (born November 23, 2007) is an American actor and activist. He is known for playing young Randall Pearson on NBC's drama, ''This Is Us''. Chavis has been nominated for several awards and shared the win for the Screen Actors Guil ...
from ''
This Is Us ''This Is Us'' is an American family drama television series that aired on NBC from September 20, 2016, to May 24, 2022. The series follows the lives and families of two parents, and their three children, in several different time frames. It ...
'' as the special's announcer. It broadcast at the
Alex Theatre The Alex Theatre is a landmark located at 216 North Brand Boulevard in Glendale, California, United States. It is currently owned by the city of Glendale and operated by Glendale Arts. The theater’s capacity is 1,400. Architecture The Alex The ...
on December 11, 2018. The special featured a special sketch involving Farmer and that season's judges: Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Mel B. A series of duets included Farmer with Lindsey Stirling,
Toby Keith Toby Keith Covel (born July 8, 1961), known professionally as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. He released his first four studio albums—1993's '' Toby Keith'', 1994's ''Boomtown'', 19 ...
and
Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...
, respectively. Guest performances were by Pentatonix and
Hunter Hayes Hunter Easton Hayes (born September 9, 1991) is an American multi-genre singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is proficient at more than 30 instruments. Hayes released his self-titled debut album in 2011. It reache ...
.


''America's Got Talent: The Champions''

In May 2018, NBC commissioned executive producer and ''Got Talent'' creator
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...
with producing an all-star
spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work * Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
competition, titled ''America's Got Talent: The Champions''. Cowell had conceived of an idea for a global competition consisting of participants that had appeared across the ''Got Talent'' franchise across the years, including notable acts and winners. The format for the spin-off would be similar to the main program, though episodes would be pre-recorded when the spin-off contest was held in autumn, and then later broadcast during the network's winter schedule. The spin-off premiered in January 2019, and as of February 2020, has aired two seasons. ''AGT'' season 13 winner
Shin Lim Liang-Shun Lim (born September 25, 1991), known professionally as Shin Lim, is a Canadian-American magician, recognized for his use of card manipulation and sleight of hand. He is known for elaborate close-up card magic routines, during which he ...
, and ''AGT'' season 14 finalists V.Unbeatable, won their respective season's contest.


''AGT: Extreme''

On May 14, 2021, NBC announced its second spin-off of the main ''AGT'' show, with a focus on daredevil acts. ''Got Talent'' creator Cowell serves as an executive producer and judge for the series. Originally planned for a mid-season summer 2021 debut, filming for the series occurred at the
Atlanta Motor Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly known Atlanta International Raceway from 1960 to 1990) is a 1.54-mile entertainment facility in Hampton, Georgia, United States, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It has annually hosted NASCAR Cup Series s ...
between September 27 and October 20, 2021, and wrapped in early January 2022. On October 1, 2021, main series host Terry Crews was announced to continue the role in the spin-off, with former
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
wrestler
Nikki Bella Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace (born November 21, 1983), known professionally as Nikki Bella, is an American professional wrestler and television personality. She is currently signed to WWE as an ambassador. In 2007, Bella signed with WWE an ...
and motorsports competitor Travis Pastrana to join Cowell as judges. The series premiered on February 21, 2022.


''America's Got Talent: All-Stars''

On October 7, 2022, NBC announced its third spin-off of the main ''AGT'' show. Similar to '' America's Got Talent: The Champions'', ''America's Got Talent: All-Stars'' will feature winners, finalists, fan favorites, and others from previous seasons of ''AGT'' across the ''Got Talent'' franchise, competing for the All-Star title. The series, with judges
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...
, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel as well as host Terry Crews, will begin production in October 2022, and will premiere in 2023.


Reception


U.S. television ratings

Since the show began, its ratings have been very high, ranging from 9 million viewers to as many as 16 million viewers (generally averaging around 12 million viewers). The show has also ranked high in the 18–49 demographic, usually rating anywhere from as low as 1.6 to as high as 4.6 throughout its run. Audition shows and performance shows rate higher on average than results shows. Although the show's ratings have been high, the network typically keeps the show's run limited to before the official start of the next television season in the third week of September, with some reductions or expansions depending on
Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
years. Finale ratings are usually lower due to returning programming on other networks. The highest rated season in overall viewers to date is season four (2009). The most-watched episode has been the finale of season five (2010), with 16.41 million viewers. The series premiere and an episode featuring the first part of Las Vegas Week in season six (2011) have each tied for highest rating among adults 18–49, both having a 4.6 rating.


Awards and nominations


International broadcasts

Broadcasts of the program were made available for distribution to other networks on the international television market, and include the following: * In the United Kingdom, episodes of ''America's Got Talent'' are broadcast by ITV and TruTV (since the program's first season), including through simulcasts on the Local Television Limited network. * In Canada, the program is broadcast by
Citytv Citytv is a Canadian television network owned by the Rogers Sports & Media subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The licence of the original Citytv station, granted the callsign of CITY-TV by the CRTC on November 25, 1971 to Cable Television As ...
. It became a replacement in its scheduling for the Canadian franchise, ''
Canada's Got Talent ''Canada's Got Talent'' is a Canadian television reality talent show, which debuted on the Citytv network on March 4, 2012. It is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise. As with other series in the franchise, the show is a competition i ...
'', after 2012. In June 2021, it was announced that ''Canada's Got Talent'' will be returning in spring 2022. * In Indonesia, ''America's Got Talent'' has been broadcast by NET. since October 2016. Originally on a weekend schedule for its first week, it was allocated to the network's weekday schedule as a replacement for a concluded TV drama. * In Singapore, the show is broadcast on Mediacorp Channel 5, though with a select number of seasons. * In the Philippines, originally aired on
ABS-CBN ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Philippine commercial broadcast network that serves as the flagship property of ABS-CBN Corporation, a company under ...
from 2008 to 2010, before the premiere of ''
Pilipinas Got Talent ''Pilipinas Got Talent'' (PGT) is a Philippine reality talent competition show on ABS-CBN that began on February 20, 2010, replacing '' The Singing Bee''. It is based on the ''Got Talent'' franchise, a British TV format conceived and owned by ...
''. The program was then moved to
Studio 23 Studio 23 (officially Studio 23, Inc. and previously AMCARA Broadcasting Network) was a Filipino television network owned by ABS-CBN Corporation. The network was named for its flagship station in Metro Manila, DWAC-TV and carried on UHF ch ...
until January 2014, before it was re-branded to
ABS-CBN Sports+Action ABS-CBN Sports and Action (stylized as ABS-CBN Sports+Action or simply S+A or S and A), was a free-to-air television network based in Quezon City. It was owned by ABS-CBN Corporation with some of its programs produced and licensed by ABS-CBN S ...
(now branding as ABS-CBN S+A), and then
The Game Channel The Game Channel (abbreviated TGC, stylized as tgc from January 2014 – February 2015) was a Filipino cable and satellite television network owned and produced by Solar Entertainment Corporation who also created the networks My Movie Channel, ...
until its closure in 2015. Since 2016, episodes of ''America's Got Talent'' air on AXN Philippines and on
RTL CBS Entertainment Rock Entertainment (formerly RTL CBS Entertainment and Blue Ant Entertainment; stylized as ROCK entertainment) is a 24/7 Southeast Asian English-language television channel owned by Rock Entertainment Holdings. Launched in 2013, it was initially ...
(now Blue Ant Entertainment).


See also

* ''
Got Talent ''Got Talent'' is a British talent show TV format conceived and owned by Simon Cowell's SYCOtv company. It has spawned spin-offs in over 69 countries, in what is now referred to as the 'Got Talent' format, similar to that described by Fremantl ...
'' * ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
''


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:America's Got Talent 2006 American television series debuts 2000s American variety television series 2010s American variety television series American television series based on British television series Competitions in the United States English-language television shows American live television shows NBC original programming Talent shows Television series by Fremantle (company)