On Wednesday night, singer Jessica Sanchez was announced as the winner of America’s Got Talent Season 20. Let’s take a look at what makes Jessica’s win so special, as well as her journey to the million-dollar grand prize.
Singer Jessica Sanchez Makes History as AGT Winner
Jessica Sanchez’s win is notable for a number of reasons, not least of which being that she’s currently in her ninth month of pregnancy with her first child. She may not be the first contestant to compete while pregnant (fans might remember the couple Us the Duo in Season 13), but she is the first pregnant winner as far as we know.
She’s also the first winner in a regular, non-spin-off AGT season to have competed on the show in the past. Jessica first competed on the show all the way back in Season 1, when she was just 10 years old. She unfortunately didn’t make it to the Finals back then.
Jessica is the fourth female singer to win the show, after Season 1’s Bianca Ryan, Season 11’s Grace VanderWaal, and Season 12’s Darci Lynne Farmer. However, all of those past winners were kids when they won, making Jessica the first adult female singer to win the show.
She’s also the first former American Idol star to win America’s Got Talent. Jessica was the runner-up on Season 11 of the singing competition, behind winner Phillip Phillips.
Jessica’s Journey from Golden Buzzer to Grand Prize
Jessica auditioned for Season 20 of AGT with a performance of “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone. It earned her a Golden Buzzer from judge Sofia Vergara, sending her straight into the live Quarterfinals, where she returned to sing “Ordinary” by Alex Warren.
Jessica earned enough votes from fans at home to send her into the Season 20 Semifinals, where she returned to the stage to sing “Golden Hour” by JVKE. She once again received enough votes to advance to the Finals. In the first part of the finale, Jessica performed “Die with a Smile” by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga.
During Wednesday’s results show, Jessica reprised her Semifinals song “Golden Hour” while fellow finalists Sirca Marea performed on the trapeze. Thanks to America’s votes, Jessica finished the competition in first place, followed by runner-up Chris Turner and third-place contestant Jourdan Blue.
What do you think about Jessica Sanchez’s win? Were you happy to see her make a comeback after performing on the show so many years ago? Let us know in the comments below.
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
