What Wikipedia Doesn’t know about America’s Got Talent?

When America’s Got Talent first aired in June 2006, it sought to find the most talented Americans in any field, from music, dance, magic, and stunts to comedy and stand-up. In the beginning, the contestants compete for the opportunity to appear in the live episodes. They’ll have to face a panel of celebrity judges.

The participants must work hard to get votes from the judges and win over the spectators at home. Like many other reality TV shows, AGT has been dissected and put in the spotlight by viewers who want to know what happens behind the scenes. Here are some facts regarding America’s Got Talent that aren’t included in Wikipedia.

What is America’s Got Talent?

NBC broadcasts the reality competition show America’s Got Talent, known as AGT. Performers of various ages compete for the promised $1 million prize, including a $1 million cash award for the winner.

One of its most notable qualities is that it enables amateurs and unknown performers the chance to shine, with the results determined by a vote from the public.

The show’s current edition is a 2005 British series called Paul O’Grady’s Got Talent, which was postponed due to the bitter divorce between O’Grady and broadcaster ITV. Because of this first entire season, the American edition was a part of the Got Talent brand.

● Who Is the Creator Of AGT?

Simon Phillip Cowell (born October 7, 1959) is the executive producer of America’s Got Talent, premiered in June 2006, and Fremantle producers of the Idol series.

● Who Owns AGT?

Simon Cowell’s SYCOtv firm, which conceived and developed Got Talent, owns AGT. Syco Entertainment is a British media and entertainment firm with London and Los Angeles headquarters. They specialize in TV production.

● Who is the director of AGT?

As a television director for almost 25 years, Russell Norman has worked on various productions, including some of history’s most high-profile live events. At America’s Got Talent, Russell has shown passion and skill for major live multi-camera events since he arrived in 2006.

● How to participate in AGT?

As long as all eligibility requirements are met, auditions are open to anyone, regardless of age, gender, or Talent. They ask that you register on their website so that they can send you the link to enter the Virtual Audition and know that you are coming.

● How to watch AGT?

On fuboTV and Hulu Plus, you may currently watch America’s Got Talent. You can watch America’s Got Talent online on the NBC website for free.

● Why Americas Got Talent is the best talent show in the USA?

It’s a wonderful blend of accessibility, audience intrigue, and genuine emotional response. It’s refreshing to see candidates on “AGT” who don’t seem like they’re in their twenties like others.

● Why is AGT so famous?

America’s Got Talent provides a platform for people with a wide range of talents that you don’t see daily to showcase their abilities. This isn’t only a singing and dancing show; it also has a variety of other performers. You may be witnessing a magician or a ventriloquist. Occasionally, you’ll see something so outlandish that it doesn’t even fit into a category. Because everything goes on “America’s Got Talent,” you see a more comprehensive range of Talent and some awe-inspiring ones.

● What is the goal of AGT?

The goal of America’s Got Talent is to reach our audience wherever they are. When you’re on TV, online, or on social media—and even when your mother tags you in one of her embarrassing posts.

How did AGT start?

Simon Cowell, the inventor of X-Factor and a Sony Music executive, came up with the idea for America’s Got Talent. He wanted to create something greater than past broadcast talent competitions. For the first time, he proposed a tournament open to people of any age and from any region, where they may compete in any skill they choose.

The network liked the idea and gave the go-ahead to produce a pilot episode featuring Cowell and two other judges, including tabloid writer Piers Morgan, to test the structure. As a result of this successful pilot, the original plan was for a British version of the show to air between 2005 and 2006, presented by British television personality Paul O’Grady, before Simon Cowell came up with the idea for American television. When O’Grady began working on the new show, he became embroiled in a contract dispute with ITV, which led to his departure from the network.

Since Cowell decided to stop working on an English version, he accelerated his efforts to introduce the format in America. Due to the positive response provided to the ITV pilot for Cowell’s show, multiple networks approached him. They offered him a contract to make fifteen episodes for the 2006 summer season, which Cowell accepted. With Fremantle’s firm Syco Entertainment, Cowell was actively involved in creating America’s Got Talent but chose to remain an executive producer instead.

America’s Got Talent hosts since its start

● Regis Philbin

TV host, actor, and singer Regis Philbin was an American television personality who hosted various television shows. He is widely regarded as the initial host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, the most-watched primetime shows in the United States during the 1999–2000 season. In addition to Million Dollar Password and the inaugural season of America’s Got Talent, Philbin was also the show’s host.

● Jerry Springer

Gerald Norman Springer is an American broadcaster, journalist, actor, producer, and politician born in the United Kingdom. Between September 30, 1991, to July 26, 2018, he presented the tabloid talk show Jerry Springer and started the Jerry Springer Podcast in 2015. Judge Jerry, a courtroom show hosted by Springer, premiered in September 2019.

● Nick Cannon

Cannon, born Nicholas Scott, is a multi-talented entertainer and television host from the United States. Cannon appeared on All That before hosting Wild ‘n Out, America’s Got Talent, Lip Sync Battle Shorties, and The Masked Singer as a youngster.

● Tyra Banks

Model, actress, producer, and television host Tyra Lynne Banks (better known as Banx) hails from the United States. From 1997 through 2005, she was Victoria’s Secret Angel. She is one of the world’s highest-paid models. The 12th season of America’s Got Talent featured Tyra Banks as the show’s host.

● Terry Crews

Terry Alan Crews is an American actor, TV host, and former linebacker. He starred in the UPN/CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris from 2005 to 2009 and in the Fox and NBC sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine from 2013 to 2021. Crews starred in the BET reality series The Family Crews (2010–11) and hosted Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (2014–15). Crews took over as host of America’s Got Talent in 2019 after serving in the same capacity for the show’s spinoff series America’s Got Talent: The Champions.

Get to know everything about Verge Aero AGT Golden Buzzer winner

AGT Judges all-time

● Piers Morgan

Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan is an English journalist, writer, and broadcaster. Morgan formerly presented ITV’s Life Stories from 2009 to 2021 and CNN’s Piers Morgan Live from 2011 to 2014. Morgan co-hosted Good Morning Britain with Susanna Reid on ITV from 2015–to 2021 and judged America’s Got Talent (2006–2011) and Britain’s Got Talent (2007–2010).

● David Hasselhoff

According to Guinness, American actor, singer, producer, TV personality, and businessman David Michael Hasselhoff (nicknamed “The Hoff”) have the most-watched man record. Hasselhoff has also served as a talent show judge on television shows like America’s Got Talent (2006–2009) and Britain’s Got Talent (2011).

● Brandy Norwood

Brandy Rayana Norwood, better known by her stage name Brandy, is a singer, songwriter, actress, and model from the United States. Her particular sound, defined by her unusual timbre, vocal layering, and complicated riffs, has earned her the moniker “the Vocal Bible.” Norwood was a judge on America’s Got Talent’s first season.

● Sharon Osbourne

Sharon Rachel Osbourne is a British-born American actress, music manager, and novelist. She is married to Ozzy Osbourne, a heavy metal singer and songwriter. Osbourne served as a talent show judge on series including The X Factor (2004–2007, 2013, 2016–2017) and America’s Got Talent (2007–2012).

● Howie Mandel

Howard Michael Mandel is a comedian, screenwriter, actor, producer, director, entrepreneur, game show host, and author from Canada. He presented the daytime and Canadian-English versions of the American CNBC (formerly NBC) Deal or No Deal game program. Since 2010, he’s been a judge on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, and since 2022, he’s been a judge on Canada’s Got Talent.

● Howard Stern

Howard Allan Stern is a comedian, novelist, and radio and television personality from the United States. He is most known for his radio show, The Howard Stern Show, widely syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1986 to 2005 and grew in popularity. He was a judge on America’s Got Talent from 2012 until 2015.

● Mel B

Singer, actor, and television personality Melanie Janine Brown MBE is famous for her stage names Melanie B and Mel B. In the 1990s, she rose to stardom as a member of the Spice Girls, where she was dubbed “Scarey Spice”. The group has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making it the best-selling female group. Mel B was a judge on the NBC reality series America’s Got Talent from 2013 to 2019.

● Heidi Klum

Heidi Klum is a model, television host, producer, and businesswoman of German and American descent. She was the first German model to become a Victoria’s Secret Angel and appeared on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover in 1998. Klum has been a judge on NBC’s America’s Got Talent since 2013, except in 2019.

● Simon Cowell

Simon Phillip Cowell is an English television personality, record executive, and entrepreneur. He has judged on Pop Idol (2001–2003), The X Factor UK (2004–2010, 2014–2018), and Britain’s Got Talent (2007–present), as well as American Idol (2002–2010), The X Factor US (2011–2013), and America’s Got Talent (2016–present).

● Julianne Hough

Dancer, actor and singer-songwriter Julianne Alexandra Hough hails from the United States. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was Hough’s first film appearance, but she had a far more prominent role in Burlesque in 2010. On America’s Got Talent in 2019, she served as a judge.

● Gabrielle Union

Gabrielle Monique Union is an actress from the United States. She began her acting career in the 1990s on comedies before obtaining minor roles in the teen flicks She’s All That and 10 Things I Hate About You in 1999. Her breakout performance came in the teen film Bring It On, released in 2000. She also appeared as a judge on America’s Got Talent in Season 14 in 2019.

● Sofía Vergara

The Colombian and American actress and model Vergara Sofa Margarita is famous for her roles on the big screen. 2013 to 2020, Vergara was the highest-earning TV star in America. Chasing Papi was her first major English-language role (2003). She also serves as a judge on America’s Got Talent from 2020 to the present.

also read: 90 years old grandma who wants a hug from Simon at AGT

AGT Structure/ Format

● Auditions

Production teams from throughout the US conduct “Producers’ Auditions” to gain entry into the competition. The “Judges’ Auditions” are held in public venues across the country and are attended by the judges overseeing that year’s contest.

Each participant who makes it to this level of auditions is assigned a number that indicates when they will perform. When called before the judges, each participant has 90 seconds to perform in front of a live audience. Each judge has a buzzer and may use it during a performance if they dislike the act or feel it is a waste of time. After a performance, the judges give constructive criticism and input before voting on whether or not to go to the next level. Due to the few spots available for the following round, producers may cut many acts. Every season starts with the Judges’ Auditions, with the show’s presenter standing in the wings of each venue’s stage, interviewing and commenting on a participant’s performance.

● Second Round

In a special session (or second “audition”), the judges select the contestants who will compete in the live rounds. The format of this stage has changed over the years. After the first season, Las Vegas Callbacks was introduced and was based around a “Bootcamp” format where competitors may practice to perfect their act before performing again in front of the judges. Unworthy performers would be removed from the season’s format by buzzers.

A new concept was introduced between the fourth and ninth seasons when contestants who had passed the preliminary auditions had their audition film assessed by the judges, who assigned them to a group.

“Judge Cuts” was a new format introduced between the tenth and fourteenth seasons. The second round of auditions before the judges was required for those who passed the preliminary auditions. A COVID-19 epidemic in the United States in 2020 necessitated the round being reduced into a single episode in the fifteenth season before being rearranged to meet Britain’s Got Talent in the sixteenth season.

● Live Rounds

Participants who pass their auditions advance to the competition’s live rounds. Each season’s live episodes of the competition broadcast weekly on the network from a certain location (the site has changed, with the current arrangement focusing on a LA venue) within a specific time frame. The format is unique to this country instead of airing its live episodes over a single week like Britain’s Got Talent. At this stage of the competition, the live rounds have varied but are most often organized as quarters, semis, and the final itself – earlier seasons varied, sometimes having the finals split into distinct rounds.

● Judges Votes

Each round of auditions ends with the judges voting “Yes” or “No” to advance a performer to the next stage. It takes two “Yes” votes from three judges to advance to the next round in seasons with three judges (1-7). Three “Yes” votes advance an act to the next round in seasons with four judges.

In Season 1, the “Yes” votes were represented by check, and a post-performance buzzer represented the “No” votes. In the following seasons, the judges merely express their opinions once each act’s performance is over.

● What is Golden Buzzer

The Golden Buzzer was introduced in Season 9, and each judge can only press it once per season. It can send the act to the next round independent of the other judges’ votes. The Golden Buzzer was improved in Season 10 to direct a performer directly to the live shows.

● Who can press Golden Buzzer?

Starting in Season 10, each judge could push the Golden Buzzer for an act that stood out to them during the auditions, which would send that act to the live shows. Each guest judge on Judge Cuts received a Golden Buzzer for the same reason. Beginning in Season 11, the show’s host had the authority to use one during the audition process.

● How many “Yes” do you need on AGT?

Two “Yes” votes advance an act to the next round in seasons with three judges (1 – 7). Three “Yes” votes advance an act to the next round in seasons with four judges (8 – current).

America’s Got Talent Winners (All time)

America’s Got Talent social media

There are 20.8 million subscribers to America’s Got Talent YouTube channel, 2 million followers on the Instagram account, 17 million Facebook fans, and 867 thousand Twitter followers for the show.

Americas Got Talent Extreme (AGT Extreme)

NBC announced on May 14, 2021, a second AGT spinoff focusing on risky stunts. The show’s executive producer and judge are Simon Cowell himself. Episodes were filmed at the Atlanta Motor Speedway from September 27 to October 20, 2021, and were released in early January 2022, ahead of schedule. This year’s host, Terry Crews, reprises his role, with judges Nikki Bella and Travis Pastrana joining Simon Cowell in the new series. The show started on February 21, 2022.

also read: Jon Courtenay Winner & Golden Buzzer BTG 2020

America’s Got Talent: The Champions

NBC announced America’s Got Talent: The Champions in May 2018. Cowell envisioned a global tournament featuring past Got Talent contestants, including significant acts and winners. The spinoff format would be similar to the main program, except those episodes would be pre-recorded during the autumn contest and then aired during the winter schedule. After two seasons, AGT season 13 winner Shin Lim and AGT season 14 finalists V. Unbeatable won their respective seasons’ contests.

Conclusion

America’s Got Talent allows contestants of various ages and abilities to perform for minutes in front of a panel of judges. The judges analyze each performance at the end. Judges choose which acts advance to the next round and which acts are eliminated in each season’s early rounds. Contestants perform live in subsequent rounds, after which American viewers can vote for the talents, they wish to see advance.

FAQ

also read: America’s Got Talent, AGT Extreme 2022 Golden Buzzer Winners