These are the 11 acts competing for $1 million in the ‘America’s Got Talent’ finale

Lottie Elizabeth Johnson
·13 min read
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“AGT” judges Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara and Simon Cowell.
“AGT” judges Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara and Simon Cowell. | Casey Durkin, NBC
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“America’s Got Talent” has officially reached the finale, with 11 acts competing for $1 million and a headlining slot in Las Vegas.

As the Deseret News previously reported, here’s a breakdown of all the acts that have claimed a spot in the finale.

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Lavender Darcangelo

Lavender Darcangelo has been a strong contender from the start, earning a golden buzzer from “AGT” judge Heidi Klum during the audition round, the Deseret News reported.

Ahead of Darcangelo’s “AGT” audition, which has more than 4 million views on YouTube, Darcangelo told the show’s judges that she is blind and autistic, and one day wants to create a school with classes that cater to kids’ specific interests — a school she said she would’ve thrived in.

Before performing Irene Cara’s “Out Here On My Own,” Darcangelo introduced the judges to her father, who adopted her several years after they met in an after school music program he created. Darcangelo’s father and his husband, Jamie, were beaming with pride as their daughter performed and received a massive standing ovation from the audience and judges.

“That was sensation,” Simon Cowell said. “Honestly, everything about that was just magical. You have such a talent, you have such an amazing personality, and you know what, we make the show because we get to meet people like you occasionally. And I’m so happy that you’ve come on our show to share your talent with us, because this is an audition I’ll never forget. It was amazing.”

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Sofia Vergara said she got so wrapped up in the performance that she forgot she was supposed to be judging. And Klum was moved enough to award her golden buzzer to Darcangelo, allowing the contestant to immediately advance to the live portion of the show.

“I feel like I just fell in love,” Klum said. ”And you know this ‘AGT’ journey is an amazing journey. And I would love to be your cheerleader and hold your hand all the way to the finish line.”

For her appearance in the live shows, Darcangelo performed Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love is.”

Adrian Stoica and Hurricane

When he took the “America’s Got Talent” stage for the first time, Adrian Stoica told the show’s judges that he was going to “play with his dog.” What unfolded was a comedic routine of Stoica waking up in the morning and trying to get ready for the day with his dog, Hurricane, aiding — and sometimes interfering — along the way.

Mandel called it one of his favorite dog acts of all time.

For the semifinals, Stoica and Hurricane performed a routine where Stoica attempts to do garden work — a comedic bit that led the judges to proclaim that the act is “Vegas ready,” per the entertainment site Gold Derby.

Ahren Belisle

Ahren Belisle is fairly new to the world of comedy, but that hasn’t put him at any sort of disadvantage on “America’s Got Talent.” The 28-year-old comedian, who is an engineer by day, garnered 2 million views on YouTube with his audition and is now moving on to the show’s finale.

During his “AGT” audition, Belisle shared that he got into comedy last year when he went to a comedy show in Portugal and ended up making all of the comics laugh. Belisle, who has cerebral palsy, uses text-to-speech for his standup routines — something he said works to his advantage because it builds tension as people wait for his punchlines.

In his routines, Belisle opens up about disabilities and mental health.

“It’s important to me to spread the lessons I’ve learned and try to make things better not only for me but also for everybody else, too,” he recently told Parade. “I see comedy as a way of letting people into my world. Communicating my experiences and letting them see what it’s been like to be me. I certainly plan to expand on it. I think every comic I look up to talks about what it’s been like to be them and finds a way to bring joy about it and that’s what I want to do.”

Following his audition, “AGT” judge Sofia Vergara said she hopes Belisle is “the one comedian that finally wins ‘AGT.’”

“I cannot believe you’ve only been doing this for one year,” judge Howie Mandel added. “Because you seem to have a grasp of timing and humor. You open up the conversation and normalize humanity and originality, and you’re funny. I think, Sir, you’re not going to be doing engineering much longer. I think you’re going to be full-time performance. That’s my prediction.”

Murmuration

Murmuration, a group of 65 dancers from France that performed a routine perfectly in sync while blindfolded, earned a golden buzzer from Mandel during the audition round.

“Wow, I mean you guys were so amazingly in sync — even though you couldn’t see anything,” “AGT” judge Heidi Klum said. “And there’s so many of you. But it was so elegant with so much grace. I thought it was fantastic.”

Vergara said it reminded her in some ways of the dance group Mayyas, an act from Lebanon that won this past season of “AGT.”

“I was mesmerized,” Mandel added before awarding the group his golden buzzer. “I find what you do hypnotic, and I think it’s very original. I find it almost more magnificent when you get a large group of people and the movements are smaller, but perfect. It blew me away.”

Mandel’s enthusiasm for the group continued following their appearance in the live shows.

“They have to be in the finals!” he exclaimed.

Mzansi Youth Choir

During the 2021 season of “AGT,” singer-songwriter Jane Marczewski — who went by the stage name Nightbirde — took the stage and performed an original song titled “It’s OK.”

The song chronicled the past year of the 31-year-old singer’s life. At the time of her audition, Nightbirde had a 2% chance of survival, with cancer detected in her lungs, spine and liver, the Deseret News previously reported.

“Two percent is not 0%,” she said during her audition clip, which to date has 62 million views on YouTube. “Two percent is something, and I wish people knew how amazing it is.”

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Before singing “It’s OK,” Nightbirde told the judges “it’s important that everyone knows I’m so much more than the bad things that happen to me.”

The singer later dropped out of the competition as her cancer took “a turn for the worse.” She died in February 2022, per NBC.com. But her one appearance on “AGT” had a wide-reaching effect.

This season, the Mzansi Youth Choir from South Africa took the stage and performed “It’s OK.” The singers said the song has been “a pillar of strength” for them, and that Nightbirde had heard their recording before her death and “responded so beautifully” to it, the Deseret News previously reported.

“I’ll always remember Nightbirde,” “AGT” judge Howie Mandel said. “And seeing that it touched people on the other side of the globe — unbelievable.”

Simon Cowell — who has called Nightbirde his favorite golden buzzer act in “AGT” history — was visibly emotional after the choir’s rendition of the song.

“I know how much this would’ve meant to her,” he said, per Deseret News. “Right until the end she was so passionate about sharing her music, and this has gone all over the world and you’ve come back here with the most amazing tribute. It was just breathtaking, honestly.”

In the background, the audience’s chants of “golden buzzer” grew louder, prompting “AGT” to allow the audience to award a golden buzzer for the first time in show history.

“That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” Mandel told the choir as golden confetti rained down on the stage.

For their appearance in the live shows on Sept. 5, the choir performed Fleetwood Mac’s “Everywhere.”

“I think this act is spectacular,” Cowell said. “Your energy and just the way you perform, it just draws you in.”

Putri Ariani

Before she sat at the piano to sing, Putri Ariani, a 17-year-old singer from Indonesia, told the “AGT” judges this was her first time in the United States and that she hopes to attend The Juilliard School and, eventually, win Grammy awards, the Deseret News previously reported.

“My biggest challenge is people look at me just as a blind person, not as a musician,” she told “AGT” producers ahead of her performance. “But when I’m singing, I feel like a superstar.”

After Ariani’s performance — which led to an enthusiastic standing ovation — Cowell left his chair behind the judges’ table and walked onto the stage.

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“Her voice is amazing,” he told Ariani’s father before asking for another song.

Ariani was happy to oblige and performed Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word.” After the teenager’s last note, the audience seemed to sit in silence, stunned, for a couple of seconds before erupting into applause.

“We’re all mesmerized by you, your voice,” “AGT” judge Sofia Vergara told the emotional contestant. “You’re an angel.”

“A lot of people don’t believe in angels, and I think one just landed on our stage,” Mandel added. “You’re a superstar.”

When Ariani revealed that the first song she performed for the audition was actually an original, she received another massive standing ovation.

Before pressing his golden buzzer for Ariani, Cowell, who was visibly stunned, praised the teenager’s “amazing, distinctive voice.” At one point backstage, he told the teen she is “one of the best singers” they’ve ever had on the show.

“I am blown away,” he said.

Ariani was one of seven acts to earn the coveted golden buzzer, which sends acts straight through to the live portion of the show, the Deseret News reported.

For her appearance in the live shows on Sept. 5, Ariani performed U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” In less than a day, it accrued nearly 3 million views on YouTube. To date, it has 4.7 million views.

“I’m actually kind of speechless right now,” Cowell said. “This is why I still do this job, for moments like this.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard something more beautiful in my life,” Vergara added.

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Chibi Unity

Going into the final audition episode of Season 18, all of the golden buzzers had been awarded. But then the dance team Chibi Unity took the stage.

The dancers from Japan — who were the final audition of the season — wowed the judges and audience with their synchronization and high-energy performance.

“The dance category on ‘AGT’ for Season 18 is off the charts, but you took it to another level,” Howie Mandel said. “The emotion that comes out of your dancing is inspirational. You added everything. It was so wonderful. I loved the speed, the dexterity, and the moves you had. I would love to see a show, an hour of you, in Las Vegas.”

“AGT” judge Sofia Vergara — who last season awarded the dance group Mayyas her golden buzzer (the dance group ended up winning) — told Chibi Unity it was “the perfect ‘AGT’ audition.”

“I was getting goosebumps and my heart was beating,” she said. “It was the best dancing I have ever seen in my life.”

Cowell was so impressed with the performance that he called host Terry Crews on stage and, along with his fellow judges, issued a surprise group golden buzzer to the dance act.

“You are going to make this season very, very special,” Cowell told the dancers as gold confetti swirled around them.

The group continued to wow the judges during the live shows, delivering a performance that had all four judges on their feet.

“You did not disappoint,” Heidi Klum said. “You gave us so many special moments.”

“I could watch you guys perform for hours,” Sofia Vergara added. “That was amazing.”

Anna DeGuzman

Anna DeGuzman has been visibly nervous during her routines on “AGT” — to the point that she was actually surprised she pulled her magic act off during her audition. But her unique card tricks and engaging personality has warmed audiences to her act and earned her a spot in the finale.

Deguzman, 24, has been practicing magic for five or six years, she told the judges during her audition, which has more than 2 million views on YouTube. During her audition, she showed off her entertaining way of shuffling cards and performed a few tricks, including throwing the deck of cards and catching with her mouth the card Mandel picked.

“It was the most adorable, fun magical thing I have seen so far this season,” Mandel said.

DeGuzman continued to show off her card tricks — and stun the judges — during the live shows.

“I think you have a big career ahead of you,” Vergara said.

Ramadhani Brothers

The Ramadhani brothers have stunned — and terrified — the “AGT” judges and audience throughout their run in the competition. Following their audition, which included one man climbing and descending a ladder while balancing the other man on his head, Simon Cowell said it was “unbelievable.”

“That’s the most amazing balancing I’ve ever seen,” Cowell said partway through the head-balancing act. After it was over, the judge said it was “as close to perfection” as he’s seen over the years on the show.

“That is the scariest, most dangerous act I have ever seen on ‘America’s Got Talent,” Howie Mandel added. “I’m speechless.”

For their appearance in the live show, the brothers upped the game with a blindfold, and later, two ladders. Cowell called it “spellbinding” and declared it a $1 million act.

The 82nd Airborne Division All American Chorus

The 82nd Airborne Division All American Chorus, a group from North Carolina, dedicated their audition performance to Elijah Crawford, a fellow soldier who had recently died, “and all of the soldiers that have passed before him.”

The group surprised the judges as they opened up and began dancing and singing, putting on a performance of The Temptations’ “My Girl.” The element of surprise continued in the live shows, when they performed “I Am Here” by Pink.

“Thank you for your service. And also, thank you for not doing an obvious song. I mean this is a Pink song which you turned around with the perfect lyric,” Cowell said with a big smile, calling the group one of his favorite acts this season.

Avantgardey

Avantgardey, a dance group of 20 girls from Osaka, Japan, won the Instant Save vote to claim the final spot in the finale. The group has wowed throughout the competition with their unique look and choreography.

“You are so beyond in sync, and you really think outside the box. I really feel like I saw your Japanese soul,” Klum said during the audition, which has more than 4.5 million views on YouTube.

“That was genius,” Cowell said. “I’m really, really, really happy you’ve come all the way from Japan to here, so thank you.”

The judges were equally enthusiastic during Avantgardey’s appearance in the live show.

“You’re so good! You look like 20 dolls that have come to life all of a sudden. You set yourself apart from all the other dancers because of this unique look that you have and the unique movements that you make,” Klum said. “One of my favorite dance troupes.”