The “America’s Got Talent” season 20 auditions have come to an end, and now NBC is giving a special episode of “AGT” tonight. The judges — Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara, and Melanie “Mel B” Brown — and host Terry Crews will be taking a look back, as they have the 20th Birthday Celebration special.
‘America’s Got Talent: 20th Birthday Celebration’ Special
The two-hour primetime special tonight will take a look back at some of the amazing acts that have graced the “AGT” stage.
From mesmerizing magicians and ventriloquists to powerhouse singers, we will relive some of the most unforgettable moments in AGT history and get exclusive behind-the-scenes stories. The show will end with an all-star performance you won’t want to miss!
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD: THIS LIVE RECAP WILL BE UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE EPISODE, SO DO NOT KEEP READING IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ SPOILERS.
August 12 Live Recap – 20th Birthday Celebration
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Strong Opening Performance
It looks like things kick off with some of your fan favorites coming together to perform for an electric crowd. For this performance, we see Richard Goodall, The Pack Drumline, Los Osos High School, Avery Dixon, Sara James, Billy & Emily England, and Alan Silva.
Excitement is in the air, as we then go back to where it all started. Simon said the pilot episode didn’t even air. Season 1 premiered in the summer of 2006. He said he would have been surprised the show made it four seasons, but here we are now on season 20.
We may be on season 20, but the judges said the acts just keep impressing them. We then look at Jessica Sanchez’s Golden Buzzer performance from this season, as she also competed on the first season of “America’s Got Talent.”
Current Judges Join ‘America’s Got Talent’
Howie Mandel said he had watched every episode of “AGT,” so he was excited to join the cast. He joined during season 5. A standout act for him was Michael Grimm, who had a story we all would love to hear. Grimm went on to win season 5.
Mel B joined during season 8. The first act she saw was David “The Cobra Kid” Weathers, who had a rattlesnake in a box. She said it stood out to her and she’ll never forget it.
Simon Cowell actually joined the show during season 11. The first act he saw in auditions was Jackie Lee, who was an older woman who sang and did some singing and it was an immediate X from Simon. He told producers that if he was going to come on the show, it couldn’t be too serious, and boy, did they take that seriously.
Sofia Vergara joined during season 15. She said she was excited to hit the X button, but said she doesn’t have the talents of some of these people and was nervous. Her first X went to a lady dressed as a whoppie cushion.
Hitting That X Button
While the judges could be nervous, they are not afraid to hit the X button on these acts. We take a look at Sethward, who dressed up as a character for many seasons during the auditions and got an X every time.
Then we see the one time the X buttons stopped working for the judges on “AGT.” Turns out, Mel B unplugged the X button so she could charge her phone!
Then we got a special message from Piff the Magic Dragon, who went on to headline his own show at the Flamingo in Las Vegas.
The ‘America’s Got Talent’ Audience
Simon said the audience is more important than what they do. He takes time and interacts with them every time.
Terry Crews said he would like to box their energy and bring it with him to the gym every morning. One audition came from Ben Lapidus, who was singing, and the judges all hit their X for him. However, the audience started singing with him. After he was done, the audience was booing the judges. Turns out, it worked, and Ben moved on.
We then take a closer look at Mel B and her crazy moments on the show. Crews said a lot of the history of the show involves Mel B, so we look at her crazy antics. She and Simon have had a lot of wild moments, but he said they are great friends and he has a ton of respect for her.
Another check-in video, as Darci Lynne says hi. She went on to headline her own tour and even hosted a Christmas special on NBC.
The Judges Hit the Stage
We often see the judges and Terry Crews asked to come on stage to take part in some of the acts. They are often nervous, as they don’t have a clue what is going to happen.
While the judges are nervous, one act may have sent Howie over the edge. He hypnotized Howie and got him to shake hands with the contestant, Mel B, and Heidi Klum while he was under. He would never do this normally.
Then we see Simon hit the stage and asked one of the contestants to throw knives at him, as he has always wanted to experience it.
Time for some love for Terry Crews, as they joke about his pecs always coming out on that stage. He said he works too hard not to show them off. The judges said he is the best person to greet the contestants before and after they come off the stage.
Then we see Flau’jae send a special message. Since being on “America’s Got Talent,” she has been featured on a song with Grammy-winning artists Lil Wayne and will be headlining her own tour this summer.
Keeping It New & Fresh
While there have been hundreds of acts over the years, Mel B said she loves it when people keep it young and fresh. One of those happens to be Kenichi Ebina, the winner of season 8.
Then we see Light Balance, and a few seasons later was Light Balance Kids. Now with AI, we see drone shows doing these light shows now with Sky Elements on season 20, getting a Golden Buzzer from Simon.
“America’s Got Talent” is such a big show, so we see acts coming from all over the world to audition. We highlight some of those acts, like V.Unbeatable from season 14 and The Mayyas, winners of season 17.
We then get to see a look at Sofia Vergara and how she has brought her quirkiness to the show. She has had a lot of funny moments, including where she was interpreting for Simon when he lost his voice.
The Power of Social Media
Mel B said that “AGT” goes hand in hand with social media. It helps promote the show and the acts. We see how some of these acts have been seen by hundreds of millions of people.
Simon said literally the whole world is watching the show, which can be seen with the number of views on these videos. Also, we see how the show has spread to many other countries. We then see one of the biggest surprises and most viral moments of the show, which was Susan Boyle from “Britain’s Got Talent.”
Another special moment is Kodi Lee taking the stage for his audition. He, of course, is blind and autistic. He took a while to start singing, but then he started singing, and everyone knew this was something special. He is still the #1 most viral act in “AGT” history.
Variety Acts
One of the most popular acts on “America’s Got Talent” has to be the variety acts. Whether it’s animals taking the stage, or death-defying acts taking the judges outside. There have definitely been some scary and some funny acts over the years.
We see The Professional Regurgitator, who swallows stuff and then just brings it all back up. As wild and scary as some of them are, they always entertain.
Simon created the show, and now we take a look at Simon on the show. They all seem to enjoy him, and the acts know how to move on; they need to impress him. He is often known for stopping auditions, as he thinks they won’t air them on the show, and he is giving them a second chance.
The Acts Come With a Dream
All of these acts on “America’s Got Talent” come to the show with a dream. They want to do what they love to do, but do it full time.
We see some of the acts look back at their first auditions and then see where they are now. Producers talk to Richard Goodall, who was the winner of season 19, and all he has done since that win. Detroit Youth Choir went on to perform at Carnegie Hall. JABBAWOCKEEZ became one of the first dance acts to get a show in Las Vegas.
Kodi Lee performs five shows a week in Las Vegas. Terry Fator said he came to the show and wanted to someday become a headliner in Las Vegas. Well, that time has finally come, and Fator is a headliner in Vegas. We also see Mat Franco, who now has a theater with his name on it in Vegas.
Angelica Hale, a runner-up on season 12, is now in New York, starring on Broadway.
Breaking Guinness World Records
If there is one thing that can happen on “America’s Got Talent,” besides acts possibly getting a show in Las Vegas, it’s the acts breaking world records.
We’ve seen acts trying to break the most coconuts in one minute, as well as hula hooping records. Howie Mandel even joined the record books for most fist bumps. Some have been successful, but there have been some bad ones too, including one act that made everyone put underwear on their head.
Prank Time
The judges and cast love to play pranks on each other, and even on members of the audience. We see Howie do a prank on Piers Morgan, who didn’t take it well.
Then we see Howie and Mel B do a prank on the audience, as she posed as a psychic. Then we saw Heidi Klum, Mel B, and Howie pretend to be their wax statues at Madame Tussaud’s. They “came alive” and scared the people at the museum.
We then see Nick Cannon come out dressed as a mime and do a terrible audition, which he shocked the judges when he revealed himself. Then Simon scared Sofia by pretending he got hurt when she helped an act who was auditioning shoot an arrow at him.
The Winner Is…
We then look back at each season and the winners being announced. From Bianca Ryan to Richard Goodall, it has been such a variety of acts that have won it all.
The moments were so spectacular. Some were shocking, and some everyone felt they were going to win. I mean, who didn’t think Mat Franco was going to win the moment he auditioned? Simon said they have met and seen so many amazing people, and they are still out there. So, if you think you have a talent, get out there and audition for “America’s Got Talent.”
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‘AGT’ Live Recap & Spoilers – 8/12/2025