America's Got Talent Quarterfinals 1: Meet the 11 Acts, Including Howie’s Golden Buzzer Pick

Ashford Sanders returned to the America’s Got Talent stage for Quarterfinals 1, hoping to build on the emotional story that earned him a spot in the live shows. The Atlanta kitchen owner performed Illenium and Teddy Swims’ “All That Really Matters,” earning a standing ovation from Mel B, who told him, “You are a fighter, you really are.” Sofia Vergara called Sanders “adorable” but admitted she felt “nervous” for him at the beginning of the performance. Howie Mandel, however, felt it wasn’t quite a Golden Buzzer-worthy moment, while Simon Cowell criticized the production track as “horrible” and “mushy.”

Brook returned to the stage with an original song that began softly before building into a more powerful, upbeat performance. Her vocals earned standing ovations from Sofia Vergara and Mel B, with Sofia calling it “amazing” and Mel B praising her, saying, “Your voice is just amazing.” Simon Cowell also applauded Brook’s songwriting, comparing the song to “a James Bond soundtrack.”

The mentalist duo James & Marina began by asking the host, Terry, to throw a teddy bear into the audience. Then they guessed the random audience member Anna’s zodiac sign and her birthday. It was Scorpio and November 15. Another audience member, Dash, was chosen, and they asked his dog’s name and guessed it correctly. After Simon pressed the red buzzer, the two moved to another audience member, Madison, and revealed a portrait of the three, along with Mel B, on stage; their pre-drawn art had come true.

Cris Sosa took the stage with a comedy set packed with jokes about his parents, his brief boxing career, social media, and his childhood “killer dolphin” nickname. Host Terry Crews noted that Sosa “never shies away from showing his true self,” while Howie Mandel praised his physical comedy and urged America to vote for him. Mel B said her only complaint was that she wanted more of his act, while Simon Cowell praised Sosa’s natural comedic ability, saying, “I think America’s gonna really like you.”

To prepare the “most difficult magic” act for the Quarterfinals, the group practiced 15 hours for six days a week. After they delivered an amazing performance, Howie reached to press his Golden Buzzer. With that, Hundred Fingers made it to the finals. The judge added, “That’s the best thing I’ve seen. One word: Magic!” He added,  “That was a million-dollar performance.”

The dance group performed a live virtual screen, which ended with a surprise appearance of a blue-light figure at the judges’ desk. Simon noted that it was “breathtaking” while Mel noted that Terry’s pick for this Golden Buzzer was the “right” one. Howie stated that the latest performance might not be as incredible as their Golden Buzzer performance, but “America will decide.”

Sando’s act included many dancers, including children. After witnessing the performance, Simon quipped, “Now we’re in a different place altogether.” He predicted that it would receive “tens of millions’ of views. Mel liked the dancers but also admitted, “I don’t get it.” Sofia added that she understood why Sando “goes viral” for his dancing. As for Sando, he hoped his reach would expand through TikTok videos, as AGT is the “biggest stage on Earth.”

The group featured members aged 9 to the 90s, and the stage was filled with their various dances and flips. The audience cheered, and the judges appreciated their performance. “I love what you do for the community…You don’t care about age,” said Sofia. Simon thought that it was “better,” while Howie stated it was “Twice as fast as the last act.”

The Cuban-born rapper, inspired by Eminem, was also one of the acts on AGT. His performance received a standing ovation from all the AGT judges. Mel B’s reaction was “wowza,” while Howie noted, “After tonight, I’m gonna start spelling ‘Eminem,’ ‘LT’”

Olivia’s performance featured balancing, dancing, and jumping across the stage, which judges praised. Mel B noted that it was “joy” watching the act as the puppies were having “so much fun.” Sofia talked about the dog trainer being a self-taught and “not a professional” one. Howie and Simon also appreciated the act, and the latter predicted that the audience would vote her through.

The fan-favorite choir CommUNITY ATL performed Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten,” which the audience cheered to. Throughout the performance, the live audience also danced and enjoyed the act. Sofia, Howie, and Mel B gave the group a standing ovation. Since it was the first performance, Sofia noted that it was “the perfect way to start the live shows!” Soon, based on the audience voting, selected performances will be announced and they will move forward to the next stage of the competition.