After losing their home to wildfires, this family's performance on 'AGT' leaves Sofia Vergara in tears
Thanks to its unique format, 'America’s Got Talent' has welcomed countless artists from all walks of life. With Season 20 currently on air, contestants are performing solo, in pairs, or even in groups, offering a platform where all kinds of talent can flourish. One such standout was a talented family who not only impressed the judges with their heart-melting performance but also touched viewers with their emotional backstory. So much so that Sofia Vergara and Mel B were seen tearing up with fans demanding a Golden Buzzer for their moving performance.

The group in discussion is the Benn Family Band, whose audition aired on Monday, June 25th. The talented family group then delivered a powerful blend of talent and emotion, per MJ's Big Blog. Before the performance, fans were introduced to the full family, which included seven siblings in total. However, the group that took to the 'AGT' stage included three sisters, one brother, and their mom, while dad watched proudly from the audience. The family hails from Altadena, California, a hillside city just behind Pasadena.
They shared with the judges that they had tragically lost both their home and their city to devastating fires in January. One of the members emotionally explained, "We come from a very big and beautiful family, a lineage of people that live in Altadena, and our legacy was the homes that we owned and that beautiful community. The loss of that is something that we are having a hard time getting over." With tears and strength, they dedicated their performance to their hometown, with the mom adding, "This is a salute to Altadena."
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Judge Howie Mandel was deeply moved by The Benn Family’s performance, saying, "The choice of song, the emotion that it was delivered in is one of the most beautiful, heartfelt, incredibly emotional messages I think we have heard this season." Simon Cowell also praised their courage and message, calling it 'brave and important." He also highlighted the importance of spotlighting "regular people who lost homes, jobs, and businesses," rather than focusing solely on celebrities affected by the fires.
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Vergara was also visibly touched, as she said, "I cannot even understand what you guys went through," and then called the performance "amazing." Mel B was momentarily speechless and simply said, "Can I just say, yes?" All four judges then gave resounding yeses. Notably, The Benn Family Band's 'America's Got Talent' audition barely scratched the surface of their potential, as Cowell noted in his critique, per Collider. Though they face tough competition from acts like the Leo High School Choir and Citilimitz, the Benn Family Band has a unique edge, and it's their emotional story and message of hope, which also makes them a strong contender to win 'America's Got Talent.'
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Even fans were also in awe of the talented family and demanded the coveted Golden Buzzer in a YouTube video. A fan commented, "Golden Buzzer worthy fs! Wish they would have gotten a Golden Buzzer," while another added, "I want to hear more!!!!!!! I love them! They already won against!!! If you have Simon or Mel B in tears, you have them at a gold buzzer!!!!" A fan remarked, "I would have hit that Golden Buzzer even before they started to sing." A fan noted, "Now this was a golden buzzer performance."