After months of auditioning and eliminating talent, ten acts wait to find out their fate in tonight’s America’s Got Talent season 13 finals.
The season 13 results show will air tonight on NBC at 8pm ET and the likes of singers Courtney Hadwin, Michael Ketterer and Glennis Grace, and card magician Shin Lim will find out who goes home with the $1 million prize and a headlining show in Las Vegas.
Here is all you need to know about what the judges thought about the America’s Got Talent season 13 finals performances.
Acts like Courtney Hadwin, Shin Lim and Glennis Grace will find out who wins tonight’s show
Courtney Hadwin
British singing sensation has been one of the favourites to win America’s Got Talent ever since she stunned the judges during the auditions with her rendition of Otis Redding’s Hard to Handle, receiving the Golden Buzzer that sent her through straight to the finals.
The County Durham, England, teen has been accused of having an unfair advantage given her participation on the UK talent show, The Voice Kids, but Hadwin continued her hot streak in the finals giving it all in her cover of Tina Turner’s River Deep – Mountain High classic.
Mandel called Hadwin a ‘superstar’, while Simon Cowell described her as a ‘trendsetter’.
‘Every time you perform you inspire people, you are more than a great singer, you are a trendsetter,’ the Brit said.
Michael Ketterer
Nurse and father-of-six Michael Ketterer, performed the Motown track ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ and despite the judges observing that Ketterer sounded nervous at times during the set, they all gave him a standing ovation.
Cowell later said that he hoped the nurse, and his Golden Buzzer pick, wins the grand prize for his family.
‘I would love to be able to give your family the million dollars and the chance because you’re an amazing guy. You were nervous, but that makes you human. You’re a great, great person,’ Cowell said.
Duo Transcend
The husband and wife trapeze act Duo Transcend, whose act nearly went horribly wrong just a few months earlier, wowed the judges with a space-themed performance featuring a blind-folded Tyce catching his wife Mary by her foot before the couple changed things up by having Mary hold Tyce.
The act stunned Mandel who said that ‘every week seems like a winning act’, while Mel B praised the couple’s strength. Heidi Klum described the act as sexy, while Cowell, who professed to not normally being a fan of this type of act, described the couple as being on a ‘different level’.
Zurcaroh
The act that got the Golden Buzzer from host Tyra Banks turned the stage into a vibrant jungle to perform dangerous stunts, lifts and choreography.
The performance from the troupe got an applause from the crown so loud that Mandel’s words were drowned out, with the judge ultimately saying: ‘They gave us the world. This is OMG!’
Mel B went one further and explicitly said that she thinks that performance may have got Zurcaroh the AGT season 13 crown: ‘I have a funny feeling that you could actually win this entire show. I kid you not. That’s all I have to say.’
Klum agreed, saying that troupe is ‘ready for Vegas’.
Shin Lim
Shin Lim began his finals act by playing the piano and revealing that the instrument was his first passion, one which he had to abandon after being diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel syndrome.
He then proceeded to take Tyra Banks’s nine of hearts selection to extreme levels, turning all the cards into the suit and number, before having a deck appear on the wall in the shape of a nine and a beating heart.
Mandel was effusive, saying Lim’s act was a ‘$1 million act worthy of it’s own show in Vegas’
Cowell was won over, saying his previous criticism of Lim’s ‘lack of showmanship’ was no longer applicable: ‘Tonight, you proved me wrong. The whole presentation and seeing something I have never seen before in my life, you could actually win.’
Mel B went as far as to say that Shin Lim proved that ‘magic does exist’.
Samuel J Comroe
Funnyman Samuel J Comroe was next with a set about about how he met his wife in school before going on to explain the nuances of his Tourettes condition and people’s ignorance about it.
The set won over Mel B, who said her cheeks were hurting too much from laughing, while Klum also admitted to being a fan: ‘Samuel, Samuel, you won me over tonight. I think this is your best performance. I wish you good luck’
Cowell recognised a desire to win in Comroe: ‘The great thing about watching a comedian is the audience loved you tonight. I could tell. Tonight, you had a sharpness to you. You want to win this. I respect you for that.’
Mandel described the Tuesday set as the day Comroe’s career ‘took off’.
Glennis Grace
Dutch singer Glennis Grace impressed the judges with her rendition of Run by Snow Patrol, receiving a standing ovation from the whole auditorium.
Cowell described Grace’s performance as ‘absolutely sensational’, saying that if he were the producer of The Greatest Showman play, he would be auditioning Grace for a role.
Mandel agreed, saying that the show was giving her a ‘career in the world’.
Mel B said, ‘You can sing, sing, sing! You have an undeniably beautiful voice. You had me at last week.’
Vicki Barbolak
Standup Vicki Barbolak opened her set by joking that she thought the AGT finals was a swimsuit competition, before saying that she was going to ‘do it anyway’ and began undressing.
Cowell had high praise for Barbolak, saying that she should have her own TV show, to serve as an alternative to Keeping Up With The Kardashians no less. Mandel was laughing throughout the whole set and said: ‘You did great. Your best act yet’.
Daniel Emmet
Opera singer Daniel Emmet sang Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect Symphony’ in Italian, winning over the judges after what was a tough run to the finals.
Mel B praised Emmet’s brave choice saying: ‘I am glad you brought back your original language [Italian]. I don’t understand it, but I love it. I am in heaven now.’
Cowell meanwhile said: ‘You needed that performance, not just for the show but for yourself so you can say, “I gave the best performance.” It was powerful. It was way better than last week — apart from the jacket, which is not great.’
Brian King Joseph
Electric violinist Brian King Joseph also went for a modern hit, performing Kanye West’s iconic song Heartless.
Mandel was very impressed by the violinist’s performance, saying that, King Joseph’s performance may have served as the show opener, but in reality he thought it ‘was a closer’.
Mel B described Brian King Joseph as the ‘best violinist ever’, while Cowell said: ‘Last week was sensational. This was better. This is everything the show should be. You started out good and got amazing. You have a shot and you deserve it.’
With all the acts having given it their all, it is all down to what the American public thought of their performances.