America's Got Talent's Season 20 Finale Live Blog: I'm Watching The Finalists' Last Live Performances With A Surprising New Frontrunner

The Season 20 Top 10

The Top 10 was determined after months of auditions, four live quarterfinals, and one last semifinals round. As usual, there are several singers who made it to the very end in pursuit of the grand prize, as well as some finalists who perform more outside of the box. Take a look at the final ten standing:

• Mama Duke - Singer/rapper
• Micah Palace - Singer/rapper
• Chris Turner - Freestyle rapper
• Leo High School Choir - Singing group
• Jourdan Blue - Singer
• Jessica Sanchez - Singer
• Sirca Marea - Acrobatics duo
• Steve Ray Ladson - Singer
• Team Recycled - Dance group
• LightWire - Dance group

Of those ten, only Chris Turner, Leo High School Choir, and Sirca Marea didn't get a golden buzzer at any point. Between that and my tendency to root for acts that aren't singers or musicians (with occasional exceptions like Richard Goodall with his Journey covers) when there are shows like The Voice and American Idol out there, I'm rooting for Sirca Marea to win Season 20 at this point. (I'm also rooting for Jessica Sanchez to make it through the last two episodes and then get to rest up for the rest of her pregnancy!)

Jessica Sanchez Goes First And LightWire Follows

The extremely pregnant Jessica Sanchez was the first AGT finalist to take the stage on finale night, with Sofia Vergara declaring that she looked like a "pregnant angel" after she blew the roof off the theater with her vocals.

For as much as I've felt that Season 20 has had too many golden buzzers and I don't usually root for singers above all others, Jessica Sanchez was a great way to start out the night, with Simon Cowell saying that he felt like there was an "extra 10%" in her finale performance, and that it was right that she made her comeback for Season 20.

I'd Definitely See LightWire In Las Vegas

I was pretty confident going into the finale that LightWire would have something fairly spectacular in store for their last shot at impressing voters, and I wasn't wrong. Their dance was Avatar-esque in a way, with a message that resulted in some judges getting emotional. This group hasn't been my favorite to root for in Season 20, but I will say that of all the AGT acts this fall, LightWire is one that I'd probably be willing to pay to see in Las Vegas.

Mama Duke Pretended To Be Mel B

Before Mama Duke took the stage with her last original song for AGT Season 20, she commented on how getting the live golden buzzer from Mel B was "full circle" for her since she used to pretend to be the Spice Girl. Whatever the future holds – and Simon Cowell said that he thinks this was a great "launch pad" for her – I have to commend her for making it as far as she has with her original songs. Cover songs can be the safer route to take on live TV.

I initially didn't think she was bringing her best work when she started in the finale, but she really seemed to get more comfortable with it and feel her own music about halfway through. Mel B was on her feet before the end, although Sofia Vergara didn't look entirely convinced.

Sirca Marea Dazzled And Defied Gravity

AGT has had plenty of acrobatic acts in the past, but these two performers brought the action for the live finale. Pyrotechnics? Check. Blindfolds? Check. Some adorable PDA? Check! There was even a moment toward the end when I briefly thought that there'd been a mistake that put them in danger, but there was no such issue. Simon Cowell said that they were "genuinely" the best he'd ever seen, and an "eleven out of ten."

Micah Palace Says He's The "Hottest Name In Spanglish"

Fresh off of getting Simon Cowell's quarterfinals golden buzzer, Micah Palace used his finale performance to show gratitude towards his mother and clap back at the people who never believed in him while bringing back a song that served him well the first time around. The energy of his backup dancers distracted me a bit from his vocals, but he definitely seemed to be a crowd favorite... if not quite Howie Mandel's or Mel B's.

Leo High School Choir Don't Feel Like Underdogs Anymore

The high school teens came to the finale with their take on The Script's "Hall of Fame," and it was easy to understand why they felt like underdogs when no choir has ever won AGT before. Still, I wouldn't say that they're the underdogs after "Hall of Fame." Not only were the judges vibing, but the audience seemed to be loving it. The energy in the room seemed a bit higher than for Mama Duke and Micah Palace, so perhaps this will be the year that a choir wins it all.

Chris Turner Found A Way To Go Bigger With His Raps

I won't say that I haven't been entertained by Chris Turner and his freestyle raps this season, but he hadn't really found ways to get bigger and better from one round to the next. He pulled it off for the finale, starting his rap at 80 BPM before working up to 150 BPM without missing a beat. I don't know that I expect him to win, but he has a lot to be proud of after this season of AGT.

Way to prove me wrong, Chris Turner! The judges were all raving about him and his newfound chances of winning, with Howie Mandel even wondering if he'd set a world record. Honestly, if there's any kind of musical act that could win me over this late in the game, I think Chris' style of rap might do it.

Jourdan Blue Made Smart Choices

I don't just mean the man-bun when I say "smart choices," despite Mel B naming that as a good one from Jourdan Blue! He unleashed his vocals and chose "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters, a.k.a. one of the biggest Netflix movies of 2025. The performance was so solid that Simon Cowell had to eat his words from just one act earlier, and said that Jourdan Blue has a great shot of winning the $1 million. At this point, it could be down to Jourdan and Chris Turner, and I genuinely might have to eat my words about not rooting for music acts.

The Judges All Agreed About Team Recycled

I spent most of Team Recycled's finale performance thinking to myself that this was by far the most I'd enjoyed them on stage all season, and the judges agreed when the time came for feedback. Howie Mandel was the most effusive, understandably since he'd hit the golden buzzer for them. Simon Cowell and Sofia Vergara were all-in, and Mel B turned what initially sounded like criticism about them recycling their choreography into a compliment.

Is it just me, or does it feel like AGT saved several of the most spectacular acts for the second half of the finale?

Last But Not Least: Steve Ray Ladson

Simon Cowell commented that every song he hears from Steve Ray Ladson sounds like a hit to him, which is high praise from the former American Idol judge. Howie Mandel predicted that he'll have another song playing everywhere by the next day. As for Sofia Vergara and Mel B, they both agreed that he smells good and that he crushed his performance. Was he my favorite of the night? No, but I applaud anybody who brings a banjo on stage to shred on it.

Time To Vote!

For the last time in America's Got Talent's milestone 20th season, you'll need to vote on agt.vote.nbc.com or via the AGT app to advance your favorite to the top prize of $1 million and a stage show. Voting is only open until Wednesday at 7 a.m. ET, with the results announced in the second half of the finale on September 24.

Chris Turner, Jessica Sanchez, Jourdan Blue, Leo High School Choir, LightWire, Mama Duke, Micah Palace, Sirca Marea, Steve Ray Ladson, or Team Recycled will have something huge to celebrate by this point tomorrow night. Tune in to NBC on September 24 starting at 9 p.m. ET for the very last episode of AGT Season 20.

I've surprised even myself by considering Chris Turner to be my frontrunner at this point, although I was of course impressed by Jourdan Blue going full KPop Demon Hunters and Sirca Marea keeping me on the edge of my seat. Those are my Top 3 heading into the results episode!