America’s Got Talent has picked its finalists for Season 21, and the voting has spoken — some of the judges’ Golden Buzzer recipients did not make the cut.
Four acts locked their spots with Golden Buzzers from the judges during the quarterfinals: magic group Hundred Fingers, rocker Nene Royal, singer Lai Noelle, and robot dance troupe Unitree. That left six spots open for the remaining semifinalists, who fought for them with Tuesday night’s performances. The judges — Howie Mandel, Mel B, and Sofia Vergara — sat in for Simon Cowell, who remains on medical leave, while host Terry Crews revealed the winners on Wednesday’s results show.
Here is who made the final:
- Acro Canine Crew
- Veronika Goroshkova
- Royal Lasers
- Olivia Befus
And here is who did not:
- Kameron Marshall
- Cesar Dias
Acro Canine Crew’s Pink Sleepover
The dog group brought the pink carpet to the stage for their semifinals performance. They performed flips and tricks from both humans and dogs to Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun.”
Mel B praised the act directly: “We’ve had dogs on the show before, but what you do and what you bring is something so different. So fun, so exciting. Your dogs are brilliant, your company is brilliant — I just have the biggest smile on my face. Thank you!”
The voters agreed. Acro Canine Crew moved on.
Marshall’s Tattoo Backfires
Kameron Marshall returned with another mind-bending act, complete with a new tattoo that matched the card Sofia Vergara had created. She praised him warmly: “Kameron, you really keep getting better and better and better. That is a commitment to tattoo part of your act! I helped you a lot, I did a great job. But I am so proud of you, you deserve to be here tonight!”
That pride did not save him. Marshall was the first act eliminated during the live broadcast.
Cesar Dias’s Night Of Mishaps
Cesar Dias tried to deliver a performance of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” Instead, he had a wardrobe malfunction and fell from the stage.
Howie Mandel called him a clown whose surprises were running out: “I said it last time, but you’re a clown, and now the surprise is kind of over as far as what’s going to happen.” He then turned to praise: “I’ll tell you what the joy is — the joy is when you’re performing, looking over at Sofia’s face and seeing the tears and the laughter and the joy that you are putting on that woman’s face is worth more than $1 million.”
It was not enough. Dias was eliminated.
Goroshkova Spins Through
Veronika Goroshkova performed to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Stupid Song,” and Mel B praised her precision: “You’re so elegant, and what you’re doing seems so seamless and effortless.” When asked if she ever gets dizzy spinning on stage, Goroshkova said no — but only after a lot of practice.
Terry Crews delivered the news: Goroshkova earned enough votes to spin her way into the finals.
Taleno’s American Dream Loses
Luke Taleno sang his original song “The American Dream,” and Howie Mandel called him the embodiment of the dream itself: “You are the American dream. You have had to battle your whole life through your health, and then you manifested yourself last year backstage, telling Simon you were going to end up on that stage. … You are making your dream come true, and now it is up to America. You’ve got to keep this dream happening! You are, to me, the new Eminem.”
The voters disagreed. Taleno was eliminated.
Royal Lasers And Olivia Befus Advance
Royal Lasers performed a video game-themed routine to Benson Boone’s “Mr. Electric Blue,” covered in streamers. Mel B was effusive, praising their choreography as precise and following along with the game.
Unsurprisingly, the voters sent Royal Lasers to the finale.
Olivia Befus, the other dog act, played volleyball with one of her companions. Sofia Vergara praised the bond between performer and animal, saying the dogs love Befus and cannot wait to be on stage with her.
Befus also advanced.
The Acts That Missed Out
Several semifinalists did not survive the night. Comedian Daniel Alvarez and magician Geno Ploeger competed but did not advance.
The full breakdown of the eliminations shows what the judges loved and what the voters wanted. Mandel called Taleno the new Eminem, but America did not choose him. Mel B called Acro Canine Crew’s dogs brilliant, and America agreed.
The finale begins Tuesday, September 22. The remaining acts will compete across two nights for the title.
America’s Got Talent Season 21 has narrowed its field, and the final stretch starts soon.
See the video the story is built around at Tvline.
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