‘America’s Got Talent’ finale recap: Who won season 19? [UPDATING LIVE BLOG]
The “America’s Got Talent” season 19 finale on September 24 concluded with the announcement of this year’s million dollar winner. Ten acts competed in a two-hour edition of “AGT” on September 17 after earning enough votes from the public in the qualifiers. Some also needed the support of this season’s panel of judges — Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara — to make it this far.
The 10 finalists are: dance troupes AIRFOOTWORKS and Brent Street, acrobatic group Hakuna Matata Acrobats, singer Richard Goodall, comedian Learnmore Jonasi, quick change artist Solange Kardinaly, dog act Roni Sagi & Rhythm, aerial duo Sebastián & Sonia, singer Dee Dee Simon, and drone group Sky Elements.
Among those slated to appear on the live results show are: Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles & the Gold Over America Tour, singer and “The Voice” coach Michael Bublé, guitarist Neal Schon alongside members of Journey, DJ and producer Steve Aoki, stand-up comedian Gabriel Iglesias, the cast of “Magic Mike Live Las Vegas,” singer and actress Andra Day, and former “AGT” act Detroit Youth Choir.
SEE ‘America’s Got Talent’ judges rankings: All 13 judges ranked from worst to best
Below, follow along as we find out who won season 19 of “America’s Got Talent” in our minute-by-minute live blog recap of episode 20.
9:02 p.m. – The big night in talent began with a drone showcase by Sky Elements outside the theater and the return of the legacy act Detroit Youth Choir with their rendition of “High Hopes,” supported by their Golden Buzzer benefactor Terry as a supporting dancer in their routine.
9:13 p.m. – As a representative of what it means to be a champion, Simone Biles took the stage to tell Terry that it takes “hard work, dedication and sacrifice” in order to come out on top.
9:17 p.m. – Grammy nominee Steve Aoki brought his turntables on stage to spin for AIRFOOTWORKS as they delivered an encore performance of what made them such a hit with audiences this season.
9:25 p.m. – Performing with each other for the first time was a super mash-up with Hakuna Matata Acrobats balancing in front of the judges, Roni Sagi & Rhythm setting tempo with some dance moves on stage, and then Brent Street crashing the stage with their large formations.
9:31 p.m. – Following his debut as a first time coach on “The Voice” last night, crooner Michael Bublé dropped a smooth version of “L.O.V.E.” in promotion of his new greatest hits album.
9:38 p.m. – The next singer to perform was Andra Day with her 2024 song”Probably” featuring a showcase from the ceiling by Sebastián & Sonia. Andra also introduced a second performance by Detroit Youth Choir with Dee Dee Simon as their frontwoman as they all joined for “Come Together.”
9:51 p.m. – For the encore of Richard Goodall’s first audition of “Don’t Stop Believin’,” he was joined tonight by guitarist Neal Schon and members of Journey for what was truly one of the most iconic performances of the season.
9:56 p.m. – The special treat for Learnmore Jonasi for finale week was a phone call and invitation from Gabriel Iglesias to join him in Las Vegas to perform live on stage at The Chelsea theater inside The Cosmopolitan.
10:05 p.m. – Solange Kardinaly was lucky enough to be joined by the cast of “Magic Mike Live” for a duet of who can change up their clothing quickest.
10:18 p.m. – Simone took the stage as part of a medley of tumbling tricks turned by the gymnasts of the Gold Over America tour.
10:26 p.m. – Prior to the start of results from the vote, Terry shared some messages from home for the finalists, including videos from grandparents, spouses, children, students and friends of the talented artists.
10:28 p.m. – In the first set of results, Brent Street was eliminated while Sky Elements advanced as a top five finalist.
10:30 p.m. – From the second pairing, Learnmore earned a spot in the top five and Sebastián & Sonia were eliminated.
10:32 p.m. – The third act to advance as part of the top five was Richard Goodall, but Dee Dee Simon was eliminated.
10:34 p.m. – The fourth act to earn enough votes to remain in the running was Solange, which meant that Hakuna Matata Acrobats had to leave the competition.
10:35 p.m. – The last two to hear of their fate was Roni Sagi & Rhythm and AIRFOOTWORKS. Of the two, only Roni & Rhythm earned the votes to continue.
10:43 p.m. – Based on America’s vote, the act that finished in fifth place was Learnmore.
10:49 p.m. – The act that finished in fourth place was Solange Kardinaly.
10:50 p.m. – Third place went to Sky Elements.
10:58 p.m. – With the competition narrowed down to the top two acts of the season, Terry announced that the next champion and winner of the $1 million prize was singer Richard Goodall!
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