AGT Season 21 Premiere: All the Acts That Advanced to The Next Round and Golden Buzzer Moment

Aggy, a software engineer, kicked off the America’s Got Talent Season 21 premiere with an unconventional dance routine that used body movements to express emotions without any music. The performance left the judges confused, but Simon Cowell saw potential and invited him to return later with a music-backed routine. Aggy accepted the challenge and came back with performances set to Pharrell’s Happy and All By Myself to portray different feelings. The judges agreed it was an improvement, but the votes were evenly divided. Cowell and Mel B voted yes, while Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel voted no, preventing Aggy from moving on to the next round.

Fourteen-year-old Lai Noelle delivered one of the most memorable auditions of the Season 21 premiere with her performance of Sienna Spiro’s Die on This Hill. The young singer earned glowing reactions from the judges, particularly Simon Cowell, who was so impressed that he immediately awarded her his Golden Buzzer. Before doing so, he told her, "Shall I tell you, honestly, what I think? Words aren’t necessary." Sofia Vergara was disappointed because she had wanted to use her own Golden Buzzer on Lai, joking, "He took her from me!"

Tyrone and Margo, a married performing duo, stunned the judges with a dangerous act involving knife throwing and archery. The couple explained they wanted to "present something that [was] not done before." During the judges' feedback, Simon Cowell asked whether anything had ever gone wrong in a previous performance. Tyrone revealed, "Two years ago, we had a big accident in a live show, and one of the knives hit her face and was stuck in her eye." Despite Margo losing 70% of her vision in one eye, she returned to performing. Sofia Vergara praised her determination, saying, "You look so sure of what you’re doing, I would have never guessed you had a traumatic experience like that." The pair earned four yes votes and advanced to the next round.

Nolan Ross Palmer introduced a secret talent that even his family did not know about: setting hot dogs on fire and swallowing them. The unusual stunt failed to impress the judges, who were more concerned about his safety than entertained by the act. Sofia Vergara warned, "You’re going to get major acid reflux in a couple of years," while Simon Cowell added, "I think you have to stop doing it." The panel unanimously voted no, ending his AGT journey.

Professional trumpet player Josh Sherman surprised the judges by ignoring his actual instrument and instead playing music on a beet, calling it 'Beet-hoven.' The performance was met with four Red Buzzers. After the audience chanted for another chance, he returned with an apple and performed 'Ch-apple' Roan’s Pink Pony Club, only to receive four more buzzers. Reacting to the unusual moment, Sofia Vergara remarked, "I think this is the first time on AGT we gave the Red Buzzer two times."

Acro Crew energized the AGT audience with a creative routine that combined acrobatics and trained dogs. The act, featuring performers between 7 and 21 years old, left the judges thrilled. Sofia Vergara raved, "This is my two favorite acts: dancing and dog acts." Howie Mandel said the performance "blew [him] away," while host Terry Crews declared, "I have never seen anything like this in my life," before awarding the group a Golden Buzzer. Vergara jokingly protested, "I was about to do it! He didn’t even give me time!"

French comedian Kev Adams impressed the judges with a stand-up routine about cultural differences between France and the United States. Despite only recently learning English, he delivered his jokes with confidence and earned strong reactions from the panel. Howie Mandel told him, "I am so bowled over by you," and praised the difficulty of performing comedy on stage. Sofia Vergara noted that it is "hard to be funny in another language," while Mel B called him "crazy, sexy, cool." Kev received four yes votes, with Mandel declaring, "That is the best comedian we have ever had on."

Luke Taleno’s AGT audition came with a remarkable backstory. A year earlier, he had met Simon Cowell and confidently predicted that he would earn a Golden Buzzer on the next season. During the premiere, the aspiring rapper performed his original song Seat to Stage and won over the judges. Sofia Vergara said he “deserved” to be there, while Mel B admitted “it wasn’t the best or greatest audition.” Cowell defended him, saying, “He was excited... I really admire people who just do it.” Howie Mandel was especially moved, telling Luke, “You are truly the image of what I believe authenticity is,” before rewarding him with a Golden Buzzer.

Japanese breakdance crew KOSE 8ROCKs impressed the judges with a fast-paced performance that had the entire panel standing by the end. Although the audition was only briefly shown as part of a montage, Sofia Vergara was full of praise, telling the group, "Spectacular. Perfect audition. I wouldn’t change one thing. All of it, perfect." The act advanced after receiving strong support from the judges, and viewers are already eager to see more of the talented dance crew in the next round.

Unitree, an engineer who spends his free time practicing dance, brought a unique act to the AGT stage by performing alongside robots. His futuristic routine impressed the judges and audience alike. Simon Cowell praised the performance, saying, "That was insane. That was nuts. But brilliant." Sofia Vergara was equally amazed, admitting she had "never seen anything like this" and complimenting both Unitree and his robotic partners. The act earned enthusiastic support from all four judges and advanced to the next round.

Community ATL Choir closed out the AGT Season 21 premiere episode with a performance of Lovely Day that earned rave reviews from the judges. Mel B was especially enthusiastic, saying, "That was just everything to me. The harmonies, the vibes, the swag. I loved it, loved it, loved it." Howie Mandel said the act made him smile, while Sofia Vergara called it "perfection." After receiving four yes votes, Simon Cowell praised the group, saying, "I honestly think this was one of the best choirs we’ve seen in years."