Victory is within reach for Leo High School’s choir.
The South Side Catholic school for boys is moving on to the “America’s Got Talent” finale after competing against 10 other acts in the live semifinals of the NBC reality talent show Tuesday night.
They were one of six acts that garnered enough public votes to advance in a live results show and were announced as finalists in a post from “America’s Got Talent” to Instagram on Wednesday night.
For their semifinals performance, the choir sang Fall Out Boy’s “Centuries.”
“You guys literally tear at my heartstrings because I can see how much this means to you. … That was brilliant. Brilliant,” judge and former Spice Girls singer Mel B told the group.
“I think you guys make being in a choir the most cool thing in the world. I mean, I forget you’re a choir,” fellow judge and former “Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara said.
“I think this act might be the act,” judge Simon Cowell said, “that has progressed the most, I would say. … I just really, really, really, really like you.”
Winning “America’s Got Talent” comes with a $1 million grand prize.
The choir had a certain amount of notoriety locally before appearing on “AGT” — from taking the stage at the Democratic National Convention last summer, to performing at Millennium Park’s Holiday Sing-Along this past December, to singing for the city of Chicago during Black History Month — but the “AGT” platform is its biggest yet.
The young men caught the attention of the show’s scouts after an Instagram video of their singing was posted by CBS Chicago in early 2024. The rest is history.
Leo High School will return to the “America’s Got Talent” stage next week for a culminating performance.
Originally Published: September 17, 2025 at 8:47 PM CDT