Your Guide to the AGT Season 20 Live Semifinals
America's Got Talent Season 20 is heating up as the Live Semifinals commence! This guide provides everything you need to know about the voting process, semifinalists, and what to expect on NBC. Tune in on Tuesday, September 16 at 8/7c to witness the competition and cast your votes for a chance to see your favorite acts win the million-dollar prize.
Semifinalists and How to Watch
The Semifinalists consist of the Quarterfinalists who placed in the Top 3 after their performances, along with Live Golden Buzzer winners who went straight to the finals. There are 11 Semifinalists competing for a spot in the finals. Watch America's Got Talent Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock.
The Semifinal Golden Buzzer
This season, AGT introduces a surprise element: the Live Semifinal Golden Buzzer. This buzzer will send one lucky act straight to the Final, bypassing the public vote. It's unclear whether all the Judges, Terry Crews, or just one person can press it, but it's sure to add excitement to the night.
How to Vote
Cast your votes for your favorite acts by visiting NBC.com/AGTVote on your browser or downloading the AGT App or the NBC App. Voting opens at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesdays, coinciding with the start of the Live Show, and closes at 7 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning. Remember, you can vote up to ten times!
Advancing to the Finals
The Top 5 Acts who receive the most votes from America will advance to the Final. This means six acts will be eliminated. They will be joined by the four Quarterfinal Golden Buzzers, completing the Top 10.
Semifinal Results and the Finale
The results of the Semifinals will be revealed on Wednesday, September 17, during a live one-hour results show airing at 8/7c on NBC. The Finale performances will take place on Tuesday, September 23, with voting opening at 6 p.m. ET. The winner, who will take home the $1 million grand prize and the title of winner of America's Got Talent Season 20, will be announced on the Wednesday, September 24 Finale.
AGT Semifinals Recap: Performances and Judges' Comments
The America's Got Talent live shows continued on Sept. 16, with the 11 semifinalists competing for America's votes. Unlike previous rounds, there would be no judges' Golden Buzzer. Host Terry Crews will announce the voting results on Sept. 17. The judges are Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofía Vergara, and Mel B.
The Semifinalists
The 11 acts competing in the semifinals included five Golden Buzzers from the auditions: Birmingham Youth Fellowship Choir (chosen by Simon), singer Jessica Sanchez (chosen by Sofia), singer Jourdan Blue (chosen by Howie), multimedia dance group Light Wire (chosen by Simon), and dance group Unreal Crew (chosen by Howie).
They were joined by six other competitors: singer-guitarist Bay Melnick Virgolino, freestyle rapper Chris Turner, chorale group Leo High School Choir, trapeze duo Sirca Marea, acrobatic duo TT Boys, and magician Zak Mirz. AI magician Mastermind had to withdraw for personal reasons.
TT Boys
Act: Acrobatic Duo
Hometown: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Performance: Set to a Red Hot Chili Peppers soundtrack. The boys performed their tricks amidst a fiery background and then added a counter to show consecutive flips.
Mel B: "These guys didn't just step it up, you added fire, you added height... it was magnificent."
Howie: "People are still giving me trouble online because I didn't give you the Golden Buzzer last week, but if I had the power I would give you the Golden Buzzer right now."
Sofia: "You guys really never disappoint... I think America's gonna go crazy for you tonight."
Simon: "You should have given them the Golden Buzzer last week... you've just got better and better and better... I think that was so clever doing the numbers coz then you could really understand how much you really do in a short period of time."
Zak Mirz
Act: Magician
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Performance: Evoking childhood memories, Zak Mirz used predictive magic, leading the judges to pick "bubbles" as the childhood memory he had predicted.
Sofia: "I love that you make magic interactive... you made it very fun. I did love last week before more."
Simon: "I genuinely, I swear I don't know how that happened... I don't think it was as good as last week."
Howie: "This time I disagree... I love what you're doing in magic where you're integrating even the people at home... these guys were really confused... I landed on everything you said."
Mel B: "I love how family is so important to you... I was one of the people that was confused at the beginning... that end result was priceless."
Birmingham Youth Fellowship Choir
Act: Choir
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Performance: The youth group performed a version of Alicia Keys' "No One."
Howie: "This was the medicine that I needed. This was pure audible joy... it just makes me feel good."
Mel B: "That was a song I walked down the aisle to... and you made it sound so happy and heartfelt."
Sofia: "You guys bring a smile to everyone... you keep getting better and better every time you come up here."
Simon: "I am really happy. I'm happy for you... you know when it's working in the way you perform. You've got a real confidence... it was a brilliant choice of song, I didn't expect it."
Chris Turner
Act: Freestyle Rapper
Hometown: Manchester, England
Performance: Chris Turner asked the judges and audience to grab random objects to serve as the lyrical basis for his freestyle.
Howie: "Best act of the night. That was amazing."
Mel B: "Chris Turner. Chris Turner. Chris Turner... amazing."
Sofia: "You're so clever. The way your mind works so quick... I think you should win."
Simon: "That was so funny. That was absolutely brilliant. That is gonna get you in the Final, I promise."
Unreal
Act: Dance Group
Hometown: Jaipur, India
Performance: The guys brought their culture to the stage in an elevation of their body-twisting choreography.
Howie: "You should be proud. I am proud. I have never seen the originality that you are bringing to dance before... everything is perfection."
Mel B: "Oh gosh. I don't think you could have done any better - that was seamless and flawless. I wasn't confused. I understood the story."
Sofia: "You guys always manage to surprise us... creative and humor. The music is amazing."
Simon: "I'm slightly on the fence I think. I don't know what it is, it just got a bit boring... I wanna love everything, but for some reason... maybe better music at the end or something."
Bay Melnick Virgolino
Act: Singer & Guitarist
Hometown: New York
Performance: Bay Melnick Virgolino's vocals were drowned out by his guitar playing on "Born to Be Wild."
Sofia: "You were born for being a mini rock star."
Mel B: "I do worry about you, you're 10 years old... you're in this industry that's kind of... but you are born to do this. I just hope you're enjoying it and you keep your grades up."
Howie: "You were amazing... it was like a kids festival... you were born to do this, keep doing it."
Simon: "I know where you're coming from, Mel, but right now you don't have to worry about the business coz you're having a great time."
Howie Mandel's Continued Success
Howie Mandel, known for his humor and energy, continues to be a captivating presence in television, podcasts, and live performances. He is a judge on NBC's America's Got Talent, co-hosts the podcast "Howie Mandel Does Stuff," and continues to perform stand-up comedy across North America.
He is also a judge on the new AGT spin-off series, “AGT: Fantasy League” on NBC, and is the Executive Producer of the new series, “Deal or No Deal Island” on NBC.
In 2009, Mandel released his memoir, “Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me,” detailing his struggles with OCD and ADHD.
