Deemed “the summer’s biggest show,” reality competition America’s Got Talent is coming back this month for its nineteenth season. Created by Simon Cowell in 2006, the series is known for highlighting an incredibly wide variety of talent and focusing on its contestant’s lives and backstories. The series has had an ever-changing panel of judges, which at times has included Howard Stern, Piers Morgan, David Hasselhoff, Brandy, and Sharon Osborne. While it was originally hosted by icon Regis Philbin, the hosting duties were later transferred to Nick Cannon, then Tyra Banks, with the emcee duties now residing with actor Terry Crews.
The series has had multiple spin-offs, including the recent America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League in which judges Cowell, Howie Mandel, Mel B, and Heidi Klum made their own dream team of previous contestants, as well as America’s Got Talent: Champions and America’s Got Talent: Extreme, which featured the biggest, most dangerous acts ever. With fan-favorite judge Sofía Vergara returning to the judge’s table and a trailer that previews some jaw-dropping acts, it’s certain to be a season to remember. For all the information on Season 19, check out the answers below.
When Is The Premiere of ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 18?
America’s Got Talent Season 19 premieres on NBC on Tuesday, May 28 at 8:00 pm EST.
Will ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 19 Be on Streaming?
Each episode of America’s Got Talent Season 19 will be available to stream the next day on Peacock. Subscriptions for the streaming service begin at $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year and go up to $11.99 a month or $119.99 a year.
Does ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 18 Have a Trailer?
America’s Got Talent has released two previews of the upcoming season. The first is an extended look at Season 19, with quick glimpses at some of the auditions fans will get to see when they tune in. There’s an outdoor drone show, acrobatics, and, of course, lots of fire. For the extended trailer, check out the video below:
The second features a look at some of the contestants who audiences will get to see audition, including a janitor and the youngest competitor in America’s Got Talent history: a two-year-old with a very surprising talent. Also highlighted in the sneak-peak are some of the incredible dancers that will be featured throughout the audition process. For the first trailer, check out the link below:
What Judges Are Returning For ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 18?
Sofía Vergara fans will be happy to see her back at the judge’s table this season, as she was not a part of the recent spin-off America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League. Vergara is most well-known for her role as Gloria on the long-running ABC comedy Modern Family, which ran from 2009 to 2020. In addition to her role as Gloria, Vergara has appeared in the films Hot Pursuit, New Year’s Eve, Chef, and the recent film by Jennifer Lopez, This is Me…Now. Vergara recently received praise from critics and audiences alike in her leading role in the Netflix limited series Griselda. She will soon appear in the upcoming animated film Despicable Me 4.
Long-time judge Howie Mandel will return for Season 19. The Canadian comedian has been sitting at the judge’s table since 2010, and tends to enjoy the performances of fellow stand-ups most as they take the stage to audition. Mandel is known for his role as Gizmo in The Gremlins and The Gremlins 2: The New Batch, as well as his role on St. Elsewhere and the popular game show Deal or No Deal. Mandel himself has even competed in reality television, appearing in the 2023 season of The Masked Singer as “Rock Lobster.”
Heidi Klum has been a judge on America’s Got Talent since 2013, except for the 2019 season, in which she didn’t appear. A German-American model, Klum is known for hosting the popular reality show Project Runway alongside fellow host Tim Gunn. A six-time Emmy Award nominee, Klum has also made cameos in films like Ella Enchanted starring Anne Hathaway, Ocean’s Eight starring Sandra Bullock, and Perfect Stranger starring Halle Berry. Her TV appearances include Parks and Recreation, Sex and the City, and Desperate Housewives.
Simon Cowell has not only been a part of the judging panel since 2016, but created The X-Factor and the original Got Talent, both based and airing in Britain. He is also responsible for co-creating American Idol with Simon Fuller, a show in which Cowell was also an original judge. Named one of Time Magazine’s most “Influential People in The World,” Cowell has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is responsible for bringing together popular pop groups like One Direction, Little Mix, and Fifth Harmony.
What is ‘America’s Got Talent’?
America’s Got Talent was created by Simon Cowell and premiered in 2006 on NBC. The premise of the show was different to that of other talent competitions in that it wasn’t limited to a single talent. Instead, America’s Got Talent was a place for magicians, singers, and acrobats alike to perform on the same stage for the same cash prize. Previous talent shows like American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance were limited in who they could compete in their time slot. Still, year after year, America’s Got Talent has featured talents like shadow puppets, storytelling through sand art, and ventriloquists like Season 2 winner Terry Fator. Some other big names to come out of America’s Got Talent are singer/songwriter Grace WanderWaal, magician Shin Lim, comedian Drew Lynch, magician Matt Franco, and dance group Jabbawockeez.
The series, co-created by Jason Raff and Ken Warwick, has been such a success for NBC that the network has been host to three spin-off versions of the show: America’s Got Talent: The Champions, America’s Got Talent: Extreme, and America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League. In AGT: The Champions, fans of the show get to watch some of the best acts return to the stage to compete against one another to become the best of the best. In AGT: Extreme, the show invited the most dangerous acts to come and audition for judges Cowell, WWE Wrestler Nikki Bella, and motorsports athlete Travis Pastrana.
AGT: Fantasy League, the most recent addition to the spin-offs, had judges Cowell, Klum, Mandel, and Mel B picking previous contestants to make their “Fantasy League” of competitors. This team-based gameplay not only gave each player a mentor in the judge that chose them but also added a fun element of a head-to-head battle between the judges themselves. In Season 1 of America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League, which premiered in January 2024, had Howie Mandel as the winning judge, with his team, The Ramadhani Brothers, taking the prize.
Who Won ‘America’s Got Talent’ Last Season?
Season 18 was a tough competition, with lots of terrific acts and a wide variety of talent. The acts ranged from magic to singing to sword swallowing to acrobatics, with contestants coming from Japan, Mexico, England, Canada, France, South Korea, Ukraine, and all over the United States. Interestingly, none of the Golden Buzzer acts given out by the judges made it to the final round, a rarity since the Golden Buzzer was introduced in Season 9.