‘AGT’ Airs Greatest Golden Buzzers Special — Who Was Snubbed?
Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC Reading Time: 4 minutes
America’s Got Talent took a break from new Season 20 auditions this week. Instead, NBC aired a special titled “Greatest Golden Buzzers.” The two-hour episode took a look back at some of the most memorable acts to receive the honor over the years, with the AGT judges and host chiming in to share their thoughts.
AGT Airs Greatest Golden Buzzers Special
At the start of Tuesday’s special, judge Simon Cowell described the Golden Buzzer as “our version of a gold medal,” sharing that the idea first came about on Got Talent in Germany. The honor only goes to a select few acts each season, and it sends them directly into the live shows.
The acts featured in the special included performers who went on to win their season of AGT, including Grace VanderWaal. Judge Howie Mandel (the judge with the most Golden Buzzers over the years) did the honors for the young singer’s audition in Season 11. Mandel said he feels “like a parent” to the acts who receive his Golden Buzzer.
Another winner to receive the Golden Buzzer in their audition was Season 17 dance group Mayyas. Judge Sofia Vergara did the honors. She shared that she knew “from the moment I saw them start dancing” that she would press the Golden Buzzer for them.
The special also featured Brandon Leake’s Golden Buzzer audition from Season 15. Simon Cowell pointed out that this was the first Golden Buzzer to not have an audience, as it was filmed at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Howie Mandel did the honors, and Leake went on to win the entire season.
Then there was Darci Lynne, the Season 12 ventriloquist who earned the Golden Buzzer from this season’s returning judge Mel B. Darci went on to win the entire show. Now 20 years old, Darci shared that her time on AGT was “life-changing,” adding that she’s gotten to do “so many awesome things.”
![Where is Angelica Hale Now in 2025? [MAJOR UPDATES]](https://talentrecap.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Angelica-Hale-Where-Is-She-Major-UPDATES-v1-1-220x124.jpg "'AGT' Airs Greatest Golden Buzzers Special — Who Was Snubbed? 4")
SEE ALSO: ‘AGT’ AUDITIONS CONTINUE WITH TWO MORE GOLDEN BUZZERS
Which Golden Buzzers Made History?
Tuesday’s special also highlighted some of the milestones in the history of the Golden Buzzer. That includes the moment in Season 19 when Cowell pressed it for drone group Sky Elements. It was Cowell’s second Golden Buzzer of the season, and Mandel said he “changed the game” by allowing all the judges to have two Golden Buzzers each season.
Another history-making moment came during 9-year-old Victory Brinker’s audition. Not only was she the youngest Golden Buzzer recipient in the show’s history, but the opera singer also received the very first group Golden Buzzer, from all four judges and host Terry Crews.
Then there was AIRFOOTWORKS, who competed in Season 19, when the show introduced Golden Buzzers during the live shows. Simon Cowell famously tried to steal Howie Mandel’s Golden Buzzer for the group, but Mandel got there first.
And who could forget the very first host AGT Golden Buzzer pressed by a host? In Season 11, host Nick Cannon did the honors for 90-year-old burlesque performer Dorothy Williams. Host Golden Buzzers are now a tradition, with current host Terry Crews doing the honors for acts such as Detroit Youth Choir in Season 14 and Learnmore Jonasi in Season 19.
Did you know that Season 14 winner Kodi Lee is the Golden Buzzer act whose audition has received the most views? His performance has over 573 million views. Judge Gabrielle Union did the honors that season.
The Show Pays Tribute to Nightbirde
No Greatest Golden Buzzers AGT special would be complete without a tribute to Nightbirde, the singer who earned Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer in Season 16 of the show. Nightbirde told the judges about her battle with cancer, and she unfortunately had to drop out of the competition. Sadly, Nightbirde passed away in 2022.
Cowell shared that he and Nightbirde became “really close, right up until the end.” He recalled speaking to her the night of the Season 16 finale, after she dropped out. He told the singer that he thought she would have won the entire season.
Another special AGT Golden Buzzer performance happened in Season 18, when Mzansi Youth Choir took the stage to sing Nightbirde’s original audition song “It’s OK.” The performance made Cowell cry. This was the first and only Audience Golden Buzzer, with the judges and host hitting it on the crowd’s behalf.
Was Season 19 Winner Richard Goodall Snubbed?
The show was only two hours long, so obviously not all of the show’s memorable Golden Buzzers could be included. However, we were surprised to discover that last year’s winner, Richard Goodall, was not included in the episode.
The special included a lengthy section dedicated to acts who have received the Golden Buzzer in the current season, but there was no mention of the Season 19 winner. Goodall wowed the judges with his singing voice and his story of working as a school janitor. Judge Heidi Klum pressed the Golden Buzzer to send him into the live shows.
Since Klum is not currently a judge on AGT, it’s possible that the show omitted Goodall since they wouldn’t have been able to get her commentary about his performance. However, it definitely seemed like a glaring omission considering he just won last year.
What’s your favorite Golden Buzzer in AGT history? Did this week’s special leave any out that you were hoping to revisit? Let us know in the comments below.
