The top 10 acts of America’s Got Talent Season 20 saved the best for last in their “Finale Performances,” airing Sept. 23 on NBC. In this final round of the competition, the acts competed for the viewers’ votes in hopes of becoming the latest AGT Champion and winner of the $1 million prize. Host Terry Crews will announce those results on Sept. 24 when the finalists will each perform an encore alongside guests Ciara, Eric Lloyd, and Season 19 winner Richard Goodall.
The 10 finalist acts are: freestyle rapper Chris Turner, singer Jessica Sanchez (Sofia Vergara’s Golden Buzzer), singer Jourdan Blue (Howie Mandel’s Golden Buzzer), chorale group Leo High School Choir, multimedia dance group Light Wire (Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer), rapper Mama Duke (Mel B’s Live Golden Buzzer), rapper Micah Palace (Simon’s Live Golden Buzzer), trapeze duo Sirca Marea, singer Steve Ray Ladson (Sofia’s Live Golden Buzzer), and dance group Team Recycled (Howie’s Live Golden Buzzer).
Chris Turner, ‘America’s Got Talent’Trae Patton/NBC
One by one, the acts competed live on Tuesday night at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, and voting officially opened at the end of the two-hour episode. Read on for our America’s Got Talent 20, “Finale Performances” live show recap.
Jessica Sanchez
Act: Singer
Hometown: Chula Vista, California
Performance: Acknowledging that her unborn daughter has been “kicking out the notes” and that she wants to be able to say “we won together,” they took the stage for a finale performance of the global hit “Die with a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.
Sofia’s comments: “What can I say? It’s perfection. You look like a little pregnant angel.”
Mel’s comments: “Every time you sing, you bring us into your world more and more. You give us more emotion, more passion… no matter what song you sing, your vocals are just flawless and pitch perfect every single time.”
Howie’s comments: “So far this is the best act of the night.”
Simon’s comments: “I felt that there was an extra 10% from you from before. It was so important for our 20th anniversary that you came back to show that even if you don’t win the first time, you’ve got to always believe in yourself… and I think that was a beautiful arrangement and I think you sounded amazing. It was the best performance we’ve heard from you so far.”
Light Wire
Act: Multimedia dance group
Hometown: São Paulo, Brasil
Performance: Last week in the semifinals, one member of the group had a mishap with their costume that caused it to not light up on stage. Now they know that everything has to be perfect, despite having less than a week to put all the different elements together in order to make tonight’s rainforest creature showcase shine.
Simon’s comments: [motions to audience] “Wow. I actually got quite emotional watching that because your message is so beautiful. It made me remember that an act like this… it is a bunch of really talented people that came up with a brilliant idea that is executed by a bunch of brilliantly talented people… that deserves to win.”
Sofia’s comments: “I am in shock that you were able to pull this off… I think this is your best act to date.”
Mel’s comments: “It was very similar to last week, but I don’t mind that because I know what you do is super intense and super creative.”
Mama Duke
Act: Rapper
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Performance: Receiving Mel’s Live Golden Buzzer was deeply meaningful to Mama Duke because she looked up to her as an inspiration of a woman who looks like her being herself in the public eye. Tonight she knew she’d have to “go out with a bang” competing against “all these powerhouses.”
Mel’s comments: “I could literally listen to you all day long. I’ll be the first one to buy front row tickets to your concert because you’re real, you’re honest, you describe the struggle, you give promise… I just adore your heart and soul and strength.”
Howie’s comments: “You are incredibly authentic and likable… to come up with lyrics every week like that… so intricate.”
Sofia’s comments: “You’re so unique, your creativity and obviously the people are loving you.”
Simon’s comments: “I really like you a lot and I have a lot of respect for you. You never compromise yourself. You’ve always done your own material… that alone deserves a lot of respect.”
Sirca Marea
Act: Trapeze Duo
Hometown: Argentina & Chile
Performance: In their final act of the competition, Sirca Marea turned tricks faster than ever before and brought back their now signature blindfolded tricks where they rely on the touch and sound of each other in order to complete their daring act. The performance finished with an elegant one-armed catch before receiving a standing ovation.
Howie’s comments: “It’s so graceful, it’s so much strength… death-defying…. I thought it was a little repetitive.”
Mel’s comments: “That was seamless. I felt like my eyes and my tongue were in my belly.”
Sofia’s comments: “That was breathtaking, you guys get better and better.”
Simon’s comments: “With you it’s just about the talent and that was, seriously, honestly, genuinely… that was the best, genuinely, I have ever seen. And you are really pushing yourselves. That was an 11 out of 10.”
Micah Palace
Act: Rapper
Hometown: Connecticut
Performance: Having always struggled to find his place in the industry because they didn’t know where to put a bilingual artist, Micah chose to stand by who he is because of the support he received from his family and now from AGT. Tonight’s return of his original “No Sabo” was a whole party vibe that thumped through the entire theater.
Sofia’s comments: “Now that is a party, you have everybody on their feet. It was so intelligent of you to bring that song back because that’s what you do when you have a hit.”
Simon’s comments: “That’s what I call a final performance. That to me had everything: I love your performance, I love the song, I love your energy… I am so happy for you.”
Mel’s comments: “The party vibe was definitely there… I just wanna give you a few words of advice: you’ve got to be nice to everybody, the people that dress you coz if not you’re gonna meet them on the way back down anyway.”
Howie’s comments: “For me, this wasn’t as good as your last two. I loved your audition, you were surprising, but…”
Simon’s additional comments: [referencing Mel’s comments] “I’ve just gotta butt in here. I’ve seen you backstage… you’ve been really polite and sweet to everybody so that was out of order.”
Leo High School Choir
Act: Choir
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Performance: The student testimonies about why they were inspired to join choir in the first place serve as an example of the power that music has to transform lives and inspire positive outlooks. Tonight the guys came together for another rousing interpretation of an anthem – this time “Hall of Fame” by The Script.
Mel’s comments: “Every time you’ve got up on that stage, you’ve delivered time and time again… I don’t care what you sing, I just love you guys.”
Simon’s comments: “I am thrilled for all of you. It doesn’t matter what we say, it’s what’s happening behind us… you just have this ability to make people feel great.”
Howie’s comments: “You’re the kings of the saying, don’t judge a book by its cover… you guys are a vibe.”
Sofia’s comments: “I think you guys never disappoint. You’re the coolest choir that has ever been on AGT.”
Chris Turner
Act: Freestyle rapper
Hometown: Manchester, England
Performance: Following a masterful semifinals performance that left Simon in absolute stitches, Chris knew he had to return to the stage with another improv song that raises the bar. He took the risk tonight by taking eight challenging suggestions with the beat getting faster with every new reference up to 150bpm: no tampon this week, Sunday dinner in a fanny pack, viva las latinas, bought a baby elephant to play to bongos with bananas, Howie Mandel, Jamaica, California, Brazil and breathe.
Simon’s comments: “Oh gosh. You weren’t on our radar, then suddenly I’ve just got a feeling you might be the one to beat.”
Mel’s comments: “I’ve never seen such raw talent and such a humble guy. And you just own that stage.”
Sofia’s comments: “Genius. Everything that you’ve done on this stage is genius. I want my Golden Buzzers to win, but if you win I will be very happy.”
Howie’s comments: “I think you’ve just set a world record. I don’t think anybody’s doing it like you do it.”
Jourdan Blue
Act: Singer
Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana
Performance: Based on Simon’s feedback in the semifinals that he was “playing it safe” with his song choices, Jourdan decided that he’d need to take a risk this week in order to redeem himself. For that reason he took on the big vocal that is the current hit song “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters.
Howie’s comments: “It’s over. You’ve got a great voice, you’re a great talent… you couldn’t have done it better.”
Simon’s comments: “I think we’ve been waiting for you to sing something like this since your first audition. That was a very, very smart song choice… now I’m saying you could win after that.”
Mel’s comments: “I’ve been waiting to see you like this.”
Sofia’s comments: “You took a risk and it paid off. That was spectacular.”
Team Recycled
Act: Dance group
Hometown: Berlin, Germany
Performance: The 45 performers in the group come from all over the world, but testify to each other that they’ve built a family together through their team effort to win. Tonight they performed from the upper and lower decks of the theater before coalescing on stage as the audience joined in with lights.
Howie’s comments: “The best yet. I loved you at the beginning… even better.”
Simon’s comments: “That was the best performance you’ve done so far. The work that went into that.”
Mel’s comments: “Yes, you recycled a lot of the moves we’ve seen but the way that you put it together was kind of genius because you kept me wanting more and more.”
Sofia’s comments: “I agree with all of them – this is the best that you have been. It was energetic, the moves for me were different… congratulations.”
Steve Ray Ladson
Act: Singer & musician
Hometown: Hopkins, South Carolina
Performance: In his pre-performance package, Steve Ray described growing up in a rural community where his father didn’t trust that he’d become a “million dollar singer” with his rock style of country music. Tonight was the first time his parents have seen him perform live outside of church. They got to see him close out the show with the slow country jam “Do the Rodeo.”
Sofia’s comments: “You are already a superstar… from here you smell delicious.”
Mel’s comments: “From the back of your truck to right now, right here. I’ve never seen an artist like this on AGT that has so much individuality and sticks in his lane and knows who he is as an artist.”
Simon’s comments: “I have a lot of respect for people like you that have done it the hard way. I think this is your moment coz your songs… they all sound like hit records.”
Howie’s comments: “You brought fun to the country… funtry is what you created.”