Simon Cowell says this mind-blowing dance act on ‘AGT’ is still his favorite and it wasn’t from season 21
Simon Cowell returned to deafening cheers from the audience as 'America's Got Talent' Season 21 officially got underway on Tuesday, June 2. The judge made his presence felt with his signature expressions, the accuracy of his decision-making, and well-thought-out feedback. While the new season brought a slew of new talent, Cowell made headlines for revealing the act that left him spellbound recently.
For Cowell, the act that stood out the most was The Mayyas, the Lebanese dance troupe, who won 'America's Got Talent' (AGT) Season 17. The group was an all-female alternative precision dance troupe, with their routines choreographed by Nadim Cherfan. The company has 36 dancers and was the recipient of judge Sofia Vergara's Golden Buzzer of that season's contest. Two years later, they also made the semifinals of 'Britain's Got Talent: The Champions', and won first place in 'Arabs Got Talent'. Adding to their list of accolades was their performance with American singing sensation Beyoncé at the opening of the Atlantis The Royal Dubai hotel in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They worked together again in Paris at Stade de France during their 2025 Cowboy Carter Tour. "I thought they were sensational," he said, per Deseret News. "That was for me, perfection. From their first performance to their final performance, about as good as I've ever seen. That act just blew me away."
In related news, the judge believed 'AGT' was a launchpad of sorts for most talented individual or a group. "I genuinely believe that these shows, they have to have a purpose,” he said. "It puts you on the ladder, so to speak. So if you do a great audition or a great live show performance, ... I've seen it happen so many times now, a massive, massive knockout effect in terms of their careers, their lives, their confidence. That's one of the best parts of doing the job. If that didn't happen, I promise you I wouldn't do shows," he added. "That moment where you can sit there and go, 'Wow, I was there on their first audition, and I've got a feeling great things are going to happen,' I really still get a buzz out of that."
On Tuesday, the acts in Episode 1 included: Comedian Kev Adams, 14-year-old singer Lai Noelle, Rapper Luke Taleno, Dance/dog act Acro Crew, Crossbow stunt duo Tyrone and Margo, Breakdance team KOSE 8ROCKS, and Unitree Robotics. Noelle's performance saw her receive the Golden Buzzer from Cowell himself, while Taleno received one from Howie Mandel. The new season is hosted by Terry Crews. The judges panel alongside Cowell and Mandel include Sofía Vergara, and Mel B. This season's new move will be the Judges' Callbacks twist, where select acts receive one last chance to prove themselves. 'AGT' Season 21 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC, and streams the next day on Peacock.
