Meet the 36 Acts Performing During the ‘America’s Got Talent’ Live Shows
Trae Patton/NBC Reading Time: 11 minutes
America’s Got Talent has officially announced the lineup for Season 16’s first live shows. This round of the competition will feature 36 acts, including one wildcard to be chosen by the viewers. It’s just one way the show is changing things up this season.
The show skipped Judge Cuts this year, with the judges deliberating offscreen about which acts should move on. Thirty-five acts have been announced, and the final spot will be decided by viewers. Five acts will perform in an hour-long special on Peacock next Tuesday, August 10. Viewers will vote for their favorites.
This new wildcard twist could be a result of Golden Buzzer act Nightbirde dropping out of the competition due to her battle with cancer. It’s been a crazy week for America’s Got Talent announcements, as the show posted and deleted the first 12 acts on social media earlier this week.
SEE ALSO: SOMETHING THAT FEELS ILLEGAL BUT ISN’T: ‘AGT’ LEAVES STANDOUT ACTS OUT OF TOP 36
Which ‘America’s Got Talent’ Acts Are Up for the Wildcard?
Five acts will perform for a final chance to appear in the live shows during a special titled AGT: America’s Wildcard. The one-hour special will be hosted by Terry Crews and will be available on Peacock starting Tuesday, August 10.
Fans will be able to vote for either Matt Mauser, Storm Large, Mike Goodwin, Patrick Kun, or Dylan Zangwill on Twitter starting on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, until Friday at 7 a.m. ET. The winner will perform during the August 24 live show. Check out the list of acts up for the wildcard below.
Which ‘America’s Got Talent’ Acts Are Performing on August 10?
Each episode of the live shows will feature 12 acts, including Golden Buzzer acts who were sent straight to this round after their audition. On Thursday, America’s Got Talent announced the 36 acts who will be competing, minus one spot for the audience wildcard. The first episode airs August 10 on NBC.
1. 1aChord
This trio of singers showed off angelic voices in their audition, performing “Fix You” by Coldplay while one member played the piano. The singers, who attend the same college, met only recently. All four judges voted to send the group to the next round, and now they’re headed to the live shows.
2. Beyond Belief Dance Company
RuPaul’s Drag Race star Alyssa Edwards leads this group of young dancers, who blew the judges away with their fabulously sassy routine. The group received four “yes” votes to move on, and the judges liked them enough to send them to the live shows.
3. Dustin Tavella
This magician performed an emotional routine for his audition, sharing the heartwarming story of adopting his son Xander. The judges seemed to predict the details of Xander’s adoption, which were revealed in an email to Terry Crews. They were so inspired, they all voted to send Dustin to the next round.
4. Gangstagrass
This music group combines bluegrass with hip-hop. They performed an original song called “Bound to Ride” for their audition, playing instruments such as the banjo and violin. The judges gave them a standing ovation for their performance and voted to send them through.
5. Gina Brillon
This New York comedian made the judges laugh with her audition, in which she joked about writing her own vows for her wedding and having an identical twin sister. Simon Cowell said it felt more like a conversation than a routine. The judges all voted to send Gina through to the next round.
6. Jimmie Herrod
This singer earned Sofia Vergara’s Golden Buzzer for his performance of “Tomorrow” from the musical Annie. Cowell tried to get him to sing something else, but Jimmie proved him wrong with his amazing audition. Jimmie went straight to the live shows thanks to Vergara.
7. Kabir Singh
The first night of live shows will feature not one, but two comedians. Kabir’s audition had the judges giggling as he talked about watching documentaries about serial killers and not being able to remember all his passwords. The judges gave him a standing ovation and voted to send him through.
8. Madilyn Bailey
This YouTuber has over 8 million subscribers. For her America’s Got Talent audition, she performed an original song featuring hate comments she’s received on her videos. Although Heidi Klum wasn’t totally sold on the act, she chose to give Madilyn another shot, sending her to the next round.
9. Matt Johnson
This escape artist previously competed on Britain’s Got Talent. In his stateside audition, Matt performed a nail-biting trick in which he was almost cut in half by a giant saw. The judges were terrified as he just barely escaped. They all voted to keep Matt in the competition, and now we’re nervous about his next performance.
10. Peter Rosalita
This 10-year-old Filipino singer performed “All By Myself” by Celine Dion in his audition. Peter has a powerhouse voice that wowed the judges, who voted to send him through. We can’t wait to hear what he has up his sleeve for the live shows.
11. Sethward
This addition to the live shows is likely to cause some controversy among fans. Sethward has been trying out for America’s Got Talent for years now, and he finally made it through this season. Now he’s bringing his weird routine to the live shows of Season 16.
12. The Canine Stars
This was one of the most unique dog acts we’ve ever seen on the show. Several adorable pups imitated the judges for their audition, while sending a message about animal adoption. The judges loved the hilarious skit, and we’re excited to see what they do in their next performance.
Which ‘America’s Got Talent’ Acts Are Performing on August 17?
We’ll find out which of the first 12 acts will move on to the Semifinals during a results show on Wednesday, August 11. Then the following Tuesday, 12 more acts will perform for a chance to go to the next round, including two Golden Buzzer acts.
13. Aidan Bryant
This teenage aerialist is self-taught, practicing in a tree. Aidan showed off an incredible routine for his audition, involving a hoop hanging from the ceiling. The judges were blown away by his talent, with Cowell calling it “ridiculously good.” They all voted to send Aidan through.
14. Dokteuk Crew
This dance group from South Korea shared that their style is influenced by anime. They showed off some seriously cool moves in their audition, earning four “yes” votes to move on. We can’t wait to see what kind of badass routine they bring to the live shows.
15. Johnny Showcase
The judges were initially confused by this quirky singer, but he eventually won them over with his audition. Johnny sang a funny original song called “Sensual,” supported by three backup singers. The judges were won over by it, and they voted to give Johnny a chance. Will he earn the audience’s support?
16. Josh Blue
You might recognize this comedian as the winner of Last Comic Standing Season 4. For his AGT audition, Josh performed a hilarious routine in which he talked honestly about living with cerebral palsy. The judges laughed along with him, and all four of them voted “yes” to sending him through.
17. Korean Soul
There were quite a few boy bands who auditioned for the show this year, but Korean Soul showed off some seriously special talent in their audition. The group of four guys from South Korea performed a soulful rendition of “All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo, sending them to the next round.
18. Northwell Nurse Choir
This choir of healthcare workers earned the first Golden Buzzer of the season, from judge Howie Mandel. The group members talked about their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, before performing a mash-up of “Stand By Me” and “Lean on Me.” They went straight to the live shows.
19. Peter Antoniou
This mentalist performed a mind-blowing audition in which he found Vergara’s engagement ring in a room full of boxes, without knowing where it was hidden. Peter earned four “yes” votes from the judges, and now he’s taking his mind-bending act to the live shows.
20. Positive Impact Movement
This group of four men combines weight-lifting with acrobatics in a seriously impressive act. For their audition, they stood on each other’s shoulders and passed weights to each other. Crews declared that he’s “never seen anything like this.” The judges agreed, sending them to the next round.
21. Shuffolution
This group of energetic dancers brought the act of shuffling to the AGT stage, after only practicing together for three months. The judges were seriously entertained by the dancers’ routine, giving them a standing ovation and voting them through.
22. T.3
This episode will feature another boy band called T.3. The members had been performing together for about a year before their audition. They sang “Into the Unknown” in a performance that clearly took the judges by surprise. Will they perform another Disney song in the live shows?
23. Tory Vagasy
This young singer said she dreams of being on Broadway. For her audition, she performed “Into the Unknown.” Although three of the judges were wowed by Tory’s talent, Mandel wasn’t quite as impressed. He voted “no,” but that didn’t stop Tory from making it to the live shows.
24. Victory Brinker
This 9-year-old opera singer made history on America’s Got Talent by earning the first-ever group Golden Buzzer from all four judges and host Crews. She showed off a voice beyond her years, sending her straight to the live shows. We can’t wait to hear what she does next.
Which ‘America’s Got Talent’ Acts Are Performing on August 24?
The second results show of the season will air live on Wednesday, August 18. The next week, on August 24, we’ll get to see the final 12 acts perform for their chance at the Semifinals. This will include the winner of the audience wildcard, who will round out the top 36 performers.
25. Anica
This singer showed off a rocker voice in her audition, performing “Piece of My Heart” by Janis Joplin. Cowell wasn’t as impressed by the performance as the other judges. He voted no, but Anica still made it through, and now she’s going to the live shows.
26. Brooke Simpson
You might recognize this singer from The Voice Season 13. She shared that she dreams of being “the first major indigenous pop star.” For her America’s Got Talent audition, Brooke performed “Cuz I Love You” by Lizzo, while her husband played the keyboard. The judges gave her a standing ovation for the performance.
27. ChapKidz
This group of young dancers ranges in age from 12 to 18. They train at Chapkis Dance Studio, which might be familiar to Season 10 fans. For their audition, the group brought down the house with an energetic routine that earned four “yes” votes from the judges to move on.
28. Keith Apicary
Here’s yet another act that might cause some controversy. Keith auditioned for the show with a dance routine, telling the judges he’s “not a dancer.” Keith is actually a character created by YouTuber Nathan Barnatt. He made the judges laugh with his silly moves, earning four “yes” votes to move on.
29. Klek Entos
This spooky magician previously competed on France’s Got Talent. He freaked the judges out with his audition, which ended with a live tarantula. Klek Entos’ true identity is former France’s Got Talent magician David Stone. We wonder if he’ll ever reveal himself after making it to the live shows.
30. Léa Kyle
This quick-change artist earned Heidi Klum’s Golden Buzzer with her magically stylish act, in which she instantly changed outfits right in front of the judges’ eyes. Thanks to Klum, the talented French performer was sent straight to the live shows.
31. Michael Winslow
This performer is known for creating incredible sound effects using just his voice. He famously appeared in Police Academy and Spaceballs, and now he’s taking his talent to the America’s Got Talent stage. The judges chose to send Michael’s unique act to the live shows.
32. Rialcris
This trio of brothers from Colombia performed an impressive hand balancing act for their audition. They showed off moves we’ve never seen before, even balancing with one hand on each other’s heads. So it’s no surprise that the judges chose to send them to the live shows.
33. The Curtis Family C-Notes
This family band performed “I Was Made to Love Her” by Stevie Wonder in an energetic audition that had the judges dancing. Crews called their performance “what we need right now.” The band earned four “yes” votes to move on, and now they’re going to the live shows.
34. UniCircle Flow
This group from Japan delivered one of the most unique auditions we’ve ever seen, as they showed off a dance routine on unicycles. We only got to see four members out of 12, so hopefully even more people will participate in their live show performance.
35. World Taekwondo Demonstration Team
This group includes members from South Korea and the United States. They earned the Golden Buzzer from host Terry Crews thanks to their incredible audition, in which they broke boards and leapt through the air. They’re sure to bring even more power to the live shows.
