Who is Isaac Atkins? Meet the Army sergeant and TikToker behind ‘AGT’ Season 21’s Golden Buzzer moment
‘America’s Got Talent’ is back with another night of auditions, and one contestant made sure viewers would remember his name long after the episode ended. During the June 16 episode, U.S. Army sergeant Isaac Atkins walked onto the ‘AGT’ stage hoping for a shot at the next round. He ended up leaving with something much bigger: a Golden Buzzer. Atkins took on Måneskin’s hit ‘Beggin’, a song that is not exactly an easy choice. Yet the Army sergeant seemed completely comfortable. As he powered through the performance, he matched the track's pace while bringing his own style to the vocals. The excitement inside the theater started building almost immediately, and Judge Howie Mandel could be seen smiling as he nodded along to the music.
Simon Cowell also appeared to enjoy the performance, smiling while watching from the judges' table. Mel B appeared just as impressed, dancing in her seat while Sofia Vergara watched the moment play out with amusement. By the time the performance ended, the judges were ready to share their thoughts. Mel B was first to speak and did not waste any time getting to the point. She said, “Isa, let me tell you. You can sing.” Vergara followed with praise of her own, saying, “What a voice. What a sexy voice you have.” Before the rest of the judging panel could jump in, Mel B decided she had heard enough. She announced, “Hold on a minute. Before anybody else does this, I'm going to do it.” She then slammed the Golden Buzzer as confetti rained down from above, and Atkins stood on stage, taking in the life-changing moment.
Atkins has spent the last six years serving in the U.S. Army and is currently stationed in Honolulu. To attend the audition, he took a short break from his military duties and traveled to compete on one of television’s biggest stages. His path to ‘America’s Got Talent’ was not shaped by music industry connections or years of professional experience. Instead, it began with something much simpler: recording himself singing in his car. Like many aspiring singers, Atkins began posting his covers of songs online.
His videos featured tracks from a wide range of artists and genres, and those clips gradually attracted attention on TikTok, where viewers started following his journey. According to Atkins, encouragement from fellow soldiers played a major role in convincing him to audition for ‘AGT’. After discovering his singing videos online, many of his colleagues pushed him to take a chance and see what happens. That support appears to have paid off in a huge way. At the time of this writing, Atkins' TikTok account has roughly 85,000 followers. On Instagram, he has more than 1,700 followers as fans continue to discover his music following his television appearance.
