Show «America's Got Talent» is back! Season 21 kicked off with the first round of auditions on June 2nd. Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Mel B, and Sofia Vergara stood at the judges' table, deciding which contestants would advance to the live shows.
All four judges, as well as host Terry Crews, each had two Golden Buttons to hand out during the auditions, and three of them were used in the first episode. Contestants who received Golden Buttons automatically advance to the live shows without fear of elimination during the judges' deliberations.
Scroll down for a recap of the premiere performances and to see who won Golden Buttons on the first night.
Aggie
The first to take the stage was Aggie, a software engineer, who conveyed a variety of emotions through her dance. "I have no idea what's going on," Cowell admitted, and Mel asked, "Would you call this interpretive dance?"«
Aggie
Chris Huston/NBC
Aggie called his routine "body language," and the judges were completely baffled. "It was too early," Vergara said. "I was just sitting at that table. I wanted to slowly get into the rhythm. I wasn't ready for it.".
Despite the protests of the other judges, Cowell suggested that Aggie prepare a routine with music and return for a second chance. "If you want to come back later with music, I personally invite you," he said.
Aggie followed Cowell's advice and returned later in the show. He danced to Pharrell's "Happy" to convey happiness and to "All By Myself" to convey loneliness. Cowell said it was "a big difference," but it still wasn't enough to move Aggie on. "You're great and incredibly sweet, but I don't think you can win." AGT "with that number," Vergara said, and Mandel agreed.
While Cowell and Mel gave Aggie a positive response, Vergara and Mandel's rejection meant he would not move forward.
Lai Noel
Lai Noel's audition was released before the episode aired, so it's no surprise she was the star of the evening. The 14-year-old contestant's performance of Sienna Spiro's "Die on This Hill" received rave reviews from the judges.
Lai Noel
Chris Huston/NBC
«"Maybe I should just say what I think? Words are redundant," Cowell said before pressing his Golden Buzzer. Vergara was stunned, as she'd told Cowell she wanted to press her Golden Buzzer for Lai, and he'd told her not to.
«"He took it away from me!" Vergara complained. Cowell, however, was delighted. "I closed my eyes for a second and thought… 'That's not you singing,'" he exclaimed enthusiastically. "You have such talent, and now you're taking this opportunity and making it happen. It's amazing. That's why we do this.".
Tyrone and Margot
Tyrone and Margot were a married couple who came on the show to "do something that had never been done before," and they succeeded. Their act involved throwing knives and shooting arrows at each other, but hitting targets other than each other.
Tyrone and Margot
Chris Huston/NBC
Cowell was shocked and couldn't resist asking the couple if anything bad had happened during their previous performances. "Two years ago, we had a serious accident during a live show, and one of the knives hit her in the face and got lodged in her eye," Tyrone confirmed. Margot now has only 30% vision in one eye.
The judges were impressed that she returned to performing and didn't give up. "You seem so confident in what you're doing, I would never have guessed you'd survived such an injury," Vergara admitted. All four judges voted for Tyrone and Margot to advance to the next round.
Nolan Ross Palmer
Nolan Ross Palmer admitted he never told his family about his talent, and it quickly became clear why. His trick? Setting sausages on fire and swallowing them whole.
Nolan Ross Palmer
Chris Huston/NBC
«"In a couple of years, you'll get severe heartburn," Vergara warned him, and Cowell agreed: "I think you need to stop doing that." All four judges voted against it, eliminating Nolan from the competition.
Josh Sherman
Professional trumpeter Josh Sherman also disappointed the judges. Instead of demonstrating his trumpet skills, he pulled out a beetroot and played something like "Beetroot Jam" on it. All four judges pressed their red buttons, automatically stopping his performance.
Josh Sherman
Chris Huston/NBC
When Josh assured them he could do better, the crowd began chanting "one more time," and Cowell allowed it. This time, Josh pulled out an apple to play Roan's "Pink Pony Club" by "C-Apple," and endured another round of red buttons.
«"I think this is the first time AGT , "When we pressed the red button twice," Vergara noted.
Acrobatic team
After these two numbers, the Acro Crew's performance was a welcome respite. The group of artists, aged 7 to 21, performed an incredible acrobatic routine with dogs. Vergara jumped out of her chair in delight.
Acrobatic team
Trey Patton/NBC
«"Those are my two favorite numbers: the dancing and the dog act," she beamed. "Together? I really didn't expect that. It was too much for me. It was amazing." Mandel said the number "blew him away," and Crews emerged from the wings and declared, "I've never seen anything like it in my life," before pressing the golden button.
Vergara was caught again, and she complained, "I was about to do it! He didn't even give me time!"«
Kev Adams
Kevin Adams, a French comedian, always dreamed of performing in America, but he spoke little English. He only recently learned the language before his audition, but it didn't show. His performance was filled with jokes about the differences between America and France, and the judges couldn't help but laugh.
Kev Adams
Trey Patton/NBC
«"I'm absolutely in awe of you," Mandel admitted. "What you just did was incredible. People don't realize how hard it is to stand up and talk." Vergara also noted that "it's hard to be funny in another language," while Mel called Kevin "crazy, sexy, cool.".
All four judges voted for Kevin, with Mandel declaring, "He's the best comedian we've ever had.".
Luke Taleno
Next up was an aspiring rapper named Luke Taleno, who met with Cowell in August 2025 and told him he could win the Golden Buzzer next season. AGT . He was even present in the hall. AGT last season to support her friend Jordan Blue, also a street performer who finished third in Season 20.
Luke Taleno
Chris Huston/NBC
Luke performed his original song "Seat to Stage," and Vergara said he "deserved" to be there. Mel B noted that "it wasn't the best or most successful audition," but Cowell reminded her, "He was excited. I saw you get emotional halfway through the performance. I really admire people who just do that.".
Mel agreed that she really appreciated Luke's "kindness" and said it "means a lot to him." However, Mandel was most impressed. "You are the embodiment of what I consider authenticity," he said. "You predicted something last year, and I only have one question: how did you know?" Then he pressed his "Golden Button" for Luke.
KOSE 8ROCKS
Dance group KOSE 8ROCKs received positive reviews for their performance, with Vergara telling them, "Amazing. Perfect audition. I wouldn't change a thing. Everything was perfect.".
KOSE 8ROCKS
Trey Patton/NBC
Unitry
Unitry is a full-time engineer, and in his spare time, he dances, even if it means staying up until the early hours of the morning to practice. His dance routine includes dancing with robots, and Cowell said, "It was crazy. It was insane. But brilliant.".
Unitry
Vergara remarked that she had "never seen anything like it" and praised both Unitree and the robots for their dancing. The judges responded with unanimous approval for all to see.
Atlanta Community Choir
The evening's final performance was a concert by the Community ATL Choir, who performed "Lovely Day." After the performance, Cowell noted that Mel was "jumping up and down with delight," so impressed was she.
Atlanta Community Choir
Chris Huston/NBC
«"It was absolutely amazing for me," Mel confirmed. "The harmonies, the vibe, the style. I absolutely loved it." Mandel said the performance made him smile, and Vergara called it "perfection.".
After all the judges praised the group's performance, Cowell remarked: "Honestly, I think it was one of the best choirs we've seen in years.".
Show «America's Got Talent» , Season 21, Tuesdays, 8/7c, NBC.
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