All 19 'America's Got Talent' Winners and Their Amazing Talents
By Megan Vick,
23 hours ago
It's kind of hard to believe that America's Got Talent has been running for 19 summers now, but it's true. We've watched talented singers, dance troupes, magicians, ventriloquists and *checks notes* dogs compete for the big pay check and Las Vegas residency stints to take their careers to the next level.
There have been jaw-dropping moments and so many standing ovations, but can you remember every winner from almost two decades of seasons? Don't worry. We're taking a trip down memory lane and recounting all 19 past winner of America's Got Talent . And while there are certainly plenty of singers in the mix, it's surprising how many non-singing acts have taken home the crown (including a SHOCKING amount of ventriloquists.
Here is everyone who's won AGT from Season 1 to Season 19.
Every winner of America's Got Talent
Bianca Ryan America's Got Talent
NBC
Season 1: Bianca Ryan (2006)
Singer Bianca Ryan set the bar very high in the first season. She was only eleven years old when she won Season 1 due to her out-of-this-world belting skills. She released a solo album later that year and Christmas singles in 2007 and 2010. Health issues then took Ryan out of the public eye. She had several vocal surgeries in 2016 that gave her a new voice, and she returned to sing on America's Got Talent: The Champions season in 2018. She also returned in 2019 to perform as a guest performer for the first live show.
Judge David Hasselhoff and winner, ventriloquist Terry Fator on August 21, 2007.
Ventriloquist and singing impressionist Terry Fator won the second season of the show. Even though then-judge David Hasselhoff initially dreaded Fator's performance when he auditioned with his puppet, the tide soon turned. Executive producer Simon Cowell reportedly told Fator that he was one of the top two entertainers on the planet, which is high praise coming from the surly judge.
AMERICA'S GOT TALENT Season 3 Live Finale -- Pictured: Neal E. Boyd, Winner
America's Got Talent went back to favoring singers in Season 3 by crowning opera crooner Neal E. Boyd the winner. He headlined a show in Las Vegas and went on to unofficially be dubbed "The Voice of Missouri." Boyd tragically passed away in 2018 at the age of 42 due to a combination of heart and kidney failure.
Country singer Kevin Skinner took home the AGT trophy for Season 4, beating out opera singer Bárbara Padilla and percussionists R ecycled Percussion . Skinner went on to perform a headlining show in Las Vegas and released two solo albums, Long Ride in 2010 and Kevin Skinner: Live and Unplugged in 2011.
Michael Grimm brought the AGT prize home for the singer-songwriters in Season 5, winning a headlining spot on the first-ever America's Got Talent Tour along with the $1 million prize and a top-billing Vegas show. He's released four albums since winning the show, with the last, Grimm , being released in 2015.
Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.
NBC
Season 6: Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. (2011)
Another singer was crowned AGT king when Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. beat out dance groups Silhouettes and Team iLuminate for the Season 6 top prize. He released his first album later that year, which sold over 150 thousand copies in the United States. He's released three independent albums since then, including 2024's I'm Not Messing Around .
The show moved to New York in Season 7, added Howard Stern as a judge and, surprisingly, singers were not in the top two. Dog tricks act Olate Dogs took home the top prize, beating comedian Tom Cotter . The father-son duo and their performing dogs went on to headline the America's Got Talent Live in Las Vegas show in the fall of 2012 and in early 2013. They also launched their own Holiday Rescue Tour and continue performing today.
Martial arts dancer and mime Kenichi Ebina made it to the winner's circle of AGT Season 8, beating out stand-up comedian Taylor Williamson and singer/guitarist Jimmy Rose . Ebina also returned to the show for the Champions season in 2019 but did not get enough votes to advance to the finals.
The first magician to win AGT was Mat Franco in Season 9, whose illusions helped him top singer Emily West and acrobatic troupe AcroArmy in the finals. Franco has returned for guest appearances on AGT multiple times since his 2014 win. He's also still gainfully employed as a Las Vegas magician with rave reviews on Vegas.com and TripAdvisor.
"America's Got Talent" 10 winner, ventriloquist Paul Zerdin performs during "America's Got Talent Live" at The PH Showroom at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on October 22, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The next ventriloquist to make a big splash on AGT was Season 10 winner Paul Zerdin . He impressed audiences so much with his vocal skills that he beat out comedian Drew Lynch and mentalist Oz Pearlman for the top prize that year. Zurdin also returned for Champions but did not make it to the finals.
Winner of "America's Got Talent" Season 11 Grace Vanderwaal arrives at the "America's Got Talent" Season 11 Finale Live Show at the Dolby Theatre on September 14, 2016 in Hollywood, California.
Grace VanderWaal became only the second female (and second child) winner in the show's history with her Season 11 win . The ukulele performer and songwriter made a big impression with her original song "I Don't Know My Name," which she performed at her golden-buzzer audition and in the finale episode. The young performer is still pursuing music and acting, appearing in Stargirl on Disney+ in 2020 and most recently in Francis Ford Coppola's epic Megalopolis .
Season 12 winner ventriloquist Darci Lynne Farmer attends NBC's "America's Got Talent" season 12 finale at Dolby Theatre on September 20, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Darci Lynne was the third ventriloquist to win AGT , earning the $1 million top prize and a headlining show in Las Vegas. She returned for Champions in 2019, and was originally eliminated in the preliminaries but scored a wildcard spot in the final, where she eventually came in second.
Shin Lim is the winner of "America's Got Talent" Season 13 Finale Live Show Red Carpet at the Dolby Theatre on September 19, 2018 in Hollywood, California.
Shin Lim might be the ultimate AGT champion. The magician won Season 13 and scored his own headlining show in Las Vegas. He then returned for the Champions season in 2019 and won the whole thing, earning the title of "Best in the World." He currently headlines a show in Vegas called Limitless .
Kodie Lee , a blind, autistic, musical prodigy, won Season 14 of AGT. He was the first blind contestant on the show and the first person with known autism to reach the finals. He returned for AGT: All Stars in 2023 and the Fantasy League season in 2024. He reached the finals for both, but did not take home the top prize again.
America's Got Talent Season 15 winner poet Brandon Leake performs during the America's Got Talent Las Vegas LIVE preview event at the Luxor Hotel and Casino on November 03, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Brandon Leake was the first poet to win AGT with his Season 15 win in 2020. He returned for the All-Stars season in 2023 but was eliminated in his preliminary round. He is still performing his poetry around the country.
Dustin Tavella attends "America's Got Talent" Season 16 Finale at Dolby Theatre on September 15, 2021 in Hollywood, California.
Magicians made a comeback with Dustin Tavella on Season 16. He took home the $1 million prize and headlined a show in Vegas as a result. He returned to AGT for a guest appearance in Season 17 and competed in the 2023 All-Stars season, but did not make it past the preliminaries.
Mayyas, winners of Season 17arrives at the Red Carpet For "America's Got Talent" Season 17 Finale at Sheraton Pasadena Hotel on September 14, 2022 in Pasadena, California.
Dance troupe Mayyas became the first big group to win AGT with their Season 17 win. The group used their win to start touring around the world. They most notably performed in Dubai with Beyoncé .
Winners of AGT Season 18 Adrian Stoica and Hurricane arrives at the Red Carpet For "America's Got Talent" Season 18 Finale at Hotel Dena on September 27, 2023 in Pasadena, California.
It's shocking that only two dog acts have made it to the winner's circle of AGT, but Adrian Stoica and Hurricane are, in fact, only the second dog tricks act to win the whole show. They returned for the Fantasy League season in 2024, playing for Simon Cowell's team, but were eliminated in the semifinals.
AGT Season 19 winner Richard Goodall walks the "America's Got Talent" Season 19 Winner's Red Carpet at Hotel Dena on September 19, 2024 in Pasadena, California.
After a string of seasons moving away from traditional musicians as winners, the reigning AGT champ Richard Goodall is, once again, a singer. The former janitor shocked viewers with his Golden-Buzzer rendition of Journey 's "Don't Stop Believing." At age 56, he is the oldest winner of AGT and Heidi Klum ' s first Golden Buzzer win.
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