Reality television show America’s Got Talent (abbreviated AGT) is a popular show on NBC. Talented performers of all ages compete for a $1 million grand prize. The show premiered in June 2006 for the summer television season.
One of its most notable aspects is that it enables amateurs and unknown performers the chance to shine, with the outcome determined by a vote from the public.
History of AGT
America’s Got Talent is the brainchild of X Factor creator and Sony Music Exec Simon Cowell, who wanted to establish a talent competition that would rival the most prestigious televised competitions in the industry. In 2005, he originally pitched the idea to the British television network ITV for a talent competition open to anyone of any age or region who had a special talent to showcase. The network liked the idea and gave the go-ahead to produce a pilot episode with Cowell and two other judges, including tabloid writer Piers Morgan.
Simon Cowell’s reality show prompted an offer from NBC, which Cowell accepted and signed a contract to create fifteen episodes for the network’s summer schedule in 2006. As a result of the show’s initial success, NBC has commissioned more seasons, and ITV has reached out to Simon Cowell to resume production on the British version in time for 2007. Because of Britain’s Got Talent popularity and the American equivalent, Simon Cowell was forced to accept offers for the rights to the competition and its concept, resulting in the Got Talent franchise.
Votes of the Judges
The judges cast a “Yes” or “No” vote at the end of each round of auditions to determine whether an act moves on to the next stage. In seasons with three judges, two “Yes” votes are required to advance to the following round. With four judges, three “Yes” votes advance an act to the next round in seasons.
Season 1 live shows used a check for “yes” votes and a buzzer for “no” votes. In the following seasons, the judges state their decisions verbally after each act’s performance has concluded.
The Golden Buzzer
As of Season 9, only one Golden Buzzer can be pressed by each judge per season. Season 9’s Golden Buzzer was designed to break ties by sending the act that received it to the next round, regardless of the other judges’ votes. In Season 10, the Golden Buzzer was improved to send acts directly to the live shows.
Starting with Season 10, each judge could push the Golden Buzzer for an act they thought stood out for them during the auditions, which sent that act to the live shows. Golden Buzzers were also handed to each guest judge in Judge Cuts. Season 11 brought with it the addition of allowing the show host to make use of one during the audition round.
For sixteen seasons, the show has produced two spin-off competitions: America’s Got Talent: The Champions, which began in January 2019, and AGT: Extreme, which started in February 2022.
AGT: Extreme
NBC announced the second AGT spin-off to focus on daredevil acts on May 14, 2021. The show’s creator, Simon Cowell, serves as an executive producer a judge on the show. Filming for the show took place at the Atlanta Motor Speedway between September 27 and October 20, 2021. It was completed in early January 2022, much ahead of its original mid-season summer 2021 launch date.
On October 1, 2021, Terry Crews was revealed as the host of the spin-off, with former WWE wrestler Nikki Bella and motorsports competitor Travis Pastrana joining Cowell as judges. On February 21, 2022, the show premiered. AGT Extreme 2022 winner is Alfredo Silva and his team.
