NBC revealed Wednesday night which six acts would advance to the finals of America’s Got Talent season 21, after the show’s semifinals trimmed down its field of 10 contestants. The remaining competitors will now compete for the grand prize of $1 million, plus a starring role in a Las Vegas live performance.
Who Made the Finals
Six acts made it through after ten took part in the semifinals, with America voting them down to that number. Here is the list of those who qualified:
- Acro Canine Crew (an animal act)
- Come Here (dancers)
- Geno Ploeger (magician)
- Olivia Befus (animal act)
- Royal Lasers (laser dance act)
- Veronika Goroshkova (aerial pole)
Two people did not advance. Luke Taleno, a rapper from Cuba, and Travis Garland, a vocalist who appeared on Dancing with the Stars, were eliminated.
The Golden Buzzer Winners
The four Golden Buzzer winners were announced earlier, and now they’re joined by those six finalists. Here’s who the winners are:
- Hundred Fingers (a magic group)
- Lai Noelle (a singer)
- Nene Royal (a singer and musician)
- Unitree (robots)
Judges were given the authority to advance an act directly to the live shows, bypassing public voting entirely, through the Golden Buzzer round. This year, they received a larger total supply of 10 Golden Buzzers than before.
The Judges and Their Picks
Throughout the season, the judges made the big calls. Howie Mandel and Sofía Vergara were joined by Spice Girl Melanie “Mel B” Brown. Simon Cowell, veteran judge and executive producer, recently had surgery and temporarily stepped away from his judging duties.
In recent weeks, Heidi Klum and Kenan Thompson took over hosting duties while the Brit was away. Terry Crews, who hosts AGT, told Us magazine earlier this week about Cowell’s return, saying: “We are praying that he can be back anytime soon. We know we got one week left. There is a chance. We can cross some fingers.”
The Judges’ Callbacks Round
The format changed this year, with a new Judges’ Callbacks round giving certain contestants a second performance opportunity before the judges selected who would move forward into the live portion of the competition.
Judges got a second chance to reconsider acts that may have slipped past them during the first round of auditions, thanks to the callback round.
The Final Two Nights
Tuesday, Sept. 22, marks night one of the AGT season 21 finale, with every remaining contestant performing during that first night.
Wednesday, Sept. 23, is when the results and winner announcement take place.
The Prize at Stake
The top prize stands at a total of $1 million dollars, accompanied by a featured appearance on stage during a live show held in Las Vegas.
Wednesday night brought Chris Turner back for the semifinals results episode of the talent quest’s 20th season. Turner is the improv rapper who placed second overall in that season.
| Night | Event |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, Sept. 22 | Finalists perform |
| Wednesday, Sept. 23 | Results and winner announcement |
Ten performers in total will be competing for the grand prize, with six of them coming from the ranks of finalists and four having secured their place through the Golden Buzzer route. The purse on offer stands at $1 million dollars.
See the video the story is built around at Billboard.
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