‘AGT’ 2026 Preview: 21 Acts Auditioning This Season

 |  6 min read

Josh Sherman, Tyrone and Margo, Luke Taleno, and Lai Noelle on 'America's Got Talent' 2026

America’s Got Talent Season 21 is set to premiere on NBC on Tuesday, June 2. Ahead of the audition round, let’s take a look at 21 of the talented and interesting acts who will appear on this season of the show.

1. Mercedes Blanche

“Here we are at America’s Got Talent, and I’m not even American, and I have no talent,” this Hungarian actress and comedian joked in a video from the show’s set. Mercedes has over 2 million followers on Instagram.

2. Max Fox

This singer previously had the chance to audition for Britain’s Got Talent as an audience member, going on to earn Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer. Now he’s trying his luck on America’s Got Talent.

@maxfoxuk Last year I shouted out from the audience on Britain’s Got Talent and Simon Cowell changed my life. So I flew to Los Angeles… Sat in the audience at America’s Got Talent… And did it again. This is the moment I stood up and called out to Simon for another chance. Never stop taking chances! #maxfox #bgt #agt ♬ original sound – Max Fox

3. Malik DOPE

You might remember this talented drummer from Season 15 of AGT. Now he’s returning for Season 21, but this time he won’t be alone, as previews show him with a group of drummers. In an Instagram video, Malik promised to bring “crazy energy” to the stage.

4. Darrell Moten

This magician has a YouTube channel called SomethingAboutChickens, which has over 2 million subscribers. It involves him video chatting with people and impressing them with magic tricks.

5. Butter & Grit

Butter & Grit is a country soul duo from Nashville made up of Laurel Taylor and Luke Michael. Now they’re taking their music to the AGT stage for Season 21.

6. Maurice

You might recognize this singer from his appearance on Season 20 of American Idol, where he opened up about his experience growing up in foster care. Now he’s taking his talent to the AGT stage.

7. Peak Yukuta

We have a feeling this Japanese act will have the AGT audience laughing. In a preview post from the show’s set, he can be seen doing a handstand with a cartoon cutout of judge Simon Cowell attached to his backside.

8. Cris Sosa

Cris Sosa is a stand-up comedian originally from Houston, Texas. He’s currently based in New York but performs his comedy routine around the country. Now he’s bringing his humor to the AGT stage.

9. Tyrone & Margo

You might recognize Tyrone Laner from the Season 17 act Blade 2 Blade, as he performed with his brother Michael. Now he’s returning to the show with his wife Margo for an exciting knife-throwing act.

10. 2TurntPolo

This young dancer and rapper is bringing his talent to the AGT stage for Season 21. During his time on the show, he even got to teach host Terry Crews a few moves.

11. Barrio Dance Factory

This dance studio is based on Madison, Wisconsin. According to their Instagram account, they focus on everything from hip-hop to contemporary.

12. Nick Darnell

This actor has over 1 million followers on TikTok, where he calls himself the “Chocolate Jim Carrey.” It looks like he’ll be auditioning for AGT as The Grinch, which should be interesting.

13. Luke Taleno

According to his Instagram bio, this freestyle rapper from Florida is “turning struggles into anthems.” When announcing he auditioned for AGT, he shared some old footage from when he was a kid.

14. Veronika Goroshkova

This aerial pole artist is originally from Ukraine but is currently based in Las Vegas. She has over 400,000 followers on Instagram, where she posts clips of her impressive talent.

15. Acro Canine Crew

Have you ever wanted to see a dog act combined with acrobatics? It looks like this act will do just that when they appear on Season 21 of AGT.

16. The Beatbox House

As you can probably guess from the name, this act is a group of beatboxers. They’re based in New York City but made up of performers from around the country.

17. Michael Yo

You might remember this comedian’s audition for Season 15 of the show. He ended up being eliminated in the Quarterfinals, but now he’s back for Season 21.

18. Elsie

In her Instagram bio, this singer from Mississippi describes herself as “your new favorite country artist.” Her song “Ghetto Cowboy” is available to stream now.

19. PanikPunch

This burlesque act is made up of Viola Panìk & Mister Punch. Based on the colorful photos and videos posted to their Instagram account, their act is sure to be entertaining.

20. Erik Blackwell

This magician from Chicago is incredibly skilled at sleight of hand, as shown in various clips posted to social media. Will his magic skills impress the AGT judges?

21. Luke Gawne

This performer with half a million followers on Instagram calls himself the world’s fastest rapper. He teamed up with Beatbox House for an impressive performance backstage at the show.

Words by:

Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit

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