America's_Got_Talent_season_16

<i>America's Got Talent</i> season 16

America's Got Talent season 16

Season of television series

The sixteenth season of the American talent show competition series America's Got Talent was broadcast on NBC from June 1 to September 15, 2021. Although production was still impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, live audiences were involved during audition sessions and live round stages of the competition. After Simon Cowell returned to his role on the program after an accident the previous year,[1] the Judges Cuts round was replaced by him with a new deliberation format arrangement similar to that used in Britain's Got Talent.[2]

Quick Facts America's Got Talent, Hosted by ...

This season included the first group Golden Buzzer in the program's history,[3] and the creation of a "Wildcard" special (which aired via online streaming service Peacock on August 10, 2021), following the withdrawal of a Golden Buzzer participant.[4] The sixteenth season was won by magician Dustin Tavella, with aerialist Aidan Bryant finishing second, and stand-up comedian Josh Blue placing third.[5] During its broadcast, the season averaged around 6.6 million viewers, excluding its online Wildcard special.

Production

On February 24, 2021, the new season's line-up of judges and host was announced, revealing that Cowell would be returning, following an accident the previous year that had forced him to be absent in the fifteenth season's live episodes.[6] Closed auditions were held across March and April, with footage taken from these undergoing final editing before the season's premiere at the beginning of June.[7] A two-week hiatus in the broadcast schedule was also made, to avoid the NBC's live coverage of the postponed 2020 Summer Olympics between July and August.[2]

The Judge Cuts round, which had been significantly modified in the previous season due to the disruption of production,[2] was replaced by the deliberation format used by Britain's Got Talent. The judges conferred after the conclusion of auditions, to determine which acts would proceed to the live rounds.[8] Some deliberations were filmed and used to fill in the remaining portions of the final audition episode for the season, as was done for the British edition.[9]

Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the auditions were conducted with smaller audiences, augmented with stock footage of audiences from previous seasons and other editing techniques.[10][11] With restrictions eased in California effective June 15,[12] the live rounds returned to their usual home of the Dolby Theatre, but with audience members required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 and wear masks.[13]

Season overview

During auditions, the judges and host agreed to grant a group Golden Buzzer for the first time in the program's history.[3] Although this would have meant six guaranteed places in the quarter-finals, singer Nightbirde later withdrew from the competition to focus on her battle with cancer, despite receiving a Golden Buzzer.[4] As a result of this, her place was converted into a Wildcard slot, with the process conducted via a special episode on the streaming service Peacock on the same night as the first quarter-final. The process involved five participants picked from those who were eliminated during the deliberation phase, with viewers voting via Twitter over a three-day period on which of these would be their Wildcard in the third quarter-final.[14]

Of the participants who auditioned this season, thirty-six secured a place in the live quarterfinals, with twelve quarter-finalists in each quarterfinal episode. Among these included: Northwell Nurse Choir,[15][16] quick-change artist Léa Kyle, singer Jimmie Herrod, World Taekwondo Demonstration Team and classical singer Victory Brinker, who each received a Golden Buzzer; and singer Storm Large, a Wildcard act voted for during the Peacock special.[17] About twenty-two quarter-finalists advanced to and were split between the two semi-finals, with 10 semi-finalists securing a place in the finals. The following below lists the results of each participant's overall performance in this season:

  Winner |   Runner-up |   Third place |   Finalist |   Semi-finalist |   Quarter-finalist
America's Wildcard | Wildcard Semi-finalist | Golden Buzzer Audition
More information Participant, Age(s) 1 ...
  • ^1 Ages denoted for a participant(s), pertain to their final performance for this season.

Quarter-finals summary

Buzzed Out | Judges' choice |   Advanced to Semi-finals
  Won Online Public Vote |   Won Judges' Vote |   Lost Judges' Vote

Quarter-final 1 (August 10)

Guest Performers, Results Show: Brandon Leake & Darci Lynne[18][19]

More information Quarter-Finalist, Order ...
  • ^2 Beyond Belief Dance Company were later brought back as a Wildcard act for the Semi-finals.[20]

Quarter-final 2 (August 17)

Guest Performers, Results Show: Kodi Lee, The Clairvoyants,[18][19] and H.E.R.[21]

More information Quarter-Finalist, Order ...

Quarter-final 3 (August 24)

Guest Performers, Results Show: Shin Lim & Lindsey Stirling[18][19]

More information Quarter-Finalist, Order ...

Semi-finals summary

Buzzed Out | Judges' choice |   Advanced to Finals
  Won Online Public Vote |   Won Judges' Vote |   Lost Judges' Vote

Semi-final 1 (August 31)

Guest Performers, Results Show: Ben Platt[22] & Preacher Lawson[23]

More information Semi-Finalist, Order ...
  • ^3 Due to the majority vote for World Taekwondo Demo. Team, Mandel's voting intention was not revealed.

Semi-final 2 (September 7)

Guest Performers, Results Show: Deadly Games[26] & Duo Transcend[27]

More information Semi-Finalist, Order ...

Finals (September 14–15)

Guest Performer, Finale: Idina Menzel[28][29]

  Winner |   Runner-up |   3rd place |   Top 5
More information Finalist, Performed with (2nd Performance) ...
  • ^4 Aidan Bryant and World Taekwondo Demo. Team conducted a joint routine for their second performance, and thus shared the same guest performers.
  • ^5 Jimmie Herrod and Northwell Nurse Choir conducted a joint routine for their second performance, and thus shared the same guest performer.

Ratings

More information No., Title ...
  • ^6 This episode was made available only online, via streaming service Peacock.

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