The auditions have wrapped on America’s Got Talent, but with Simon Cowell and the gang saying “yes” to more acts than there are spots in the live shows, some tough decisions had to be made. Tuesday night’s episode on the 2026 TV schedule promised “Live Acts Revealed,” except that’s not exactly how things played out. Cowell decided to add a twist to Season 21 (he can do that, you know), and I love how very The Voice-esque it is.
Now, Terry Crews did get around to revealing some of the acts to make the live shows in America's Got Talent's July 28 episode, including Chicago’s Jesse White Tumbling Team, who tragically lost a member following their audition. In other cases, though — like with the magician who nearly had his act ruined by Simon Cowell — no consensus could be reached. So Cowell initiated the first ever AGT Callbacks.
Mel B, Sofía Vergara, Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell himself all chose a handful of acts they want to see again. They’ll invite those people into their homes, offer advice and watch them perform again before choosing who will, in fact, move on to the live portion of Season 21.
The AGT Judges Are Forming Teams
OK, I am getting really strong vibes of The Voice here, and I can’t help but wonder if Simon Cowell is intentionally taking inspiration from its fellow NBC reality competition show. First of all, each America’s Got Talent judge picked a number of auditions that they personally liked — that sounds like choosing teams to me!
Simon, Mel B, Sofía And Howie Are Becoming Coaches
Also, never before have the judges worked with new acts such on a personal level. Sure, they’ll offer feedback and constructive criticism. Advise them on whether their next performance should be bigger or different in a specific way. Now, however, they’re going to work one-on-one with the contestants to hone the potential each judge saw during auditions.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call “coaching,” and The Voice is famous for casting superstar coaches, not judges.
AGT Is Adding Celebrity Mentors
Not only will the Callbacks allow the talented hopefuls to learn from the judges, they’re going to also get advice from celebrity mentors — a device used by both The Voice and Simon Cowell’s old stomping grounds, American Idol. Those famous faces include Normani, Poo Bear, Lele Pons, Sebastián Yatra, Emma Bunton and Nikki Glaser.
As a fan of The Voice, I think this is pretty exciting, and there’s extra intrigue with the Callbacks happening at each judge’s house. (I don’t see Kelly Clarkson opening her home up to artists on the singing competition, but I’d love to!) It looks like things get pretty dramatic, too, in a way that I’m not sure America’s Got Talent has ever seen.
There are plenty of details yet to be divulged, including how many contestants each judge gets to send to lives, or if the others will weigh in on their choices. But overall, I really like this twist and can’t wait to see how it plays out. America’s Got Talent continues with Callbacks at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, August 4, on NBC.
The Voice Season 30, meanwhile, premieres at 8 p.m. ET Monday, September 21, on NBC. Both series’ episodes can be streamed the next day with a Peacock subscription.
