America’s Got Talent 2024 LIVE — Golden Buzzer winner Liv Warfield leaves judge with ‘big problem’ after shock audition
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AMERICA'S Got Talent has left fans stunned with its latest Golden Buzzer winner.
Singer Liv Warfield blew the audience away with her powerful performance, featuring a live band, that left judge Simon Cowell clutching his chest.
"Liv, I have a big problem - that wasn't long enough," Simon said before pressing his Golden Buzzer, sending her to the live shows alongside drone show Sky Elements and last week's Golden Buzzer winners singer Richard Goodall and comedian Learnmore Jonasi.
Fans were left shocked by Liv's audition and shared their reactions on social media.
"Cold chills I had watching her & the band last nite so Amazing," one fan praised on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"I was Simon from the jump, my jaw dropped as soon as she opened her mouth to sing! Her alter ego and Tina Turner LITERALLY possessed her body! Also, the vocals!!! She ate that down! Whoa!" another wrote on YouTube.
AGT returns for another round of auditions next Tuesday at 8 pm EST on NBC. You can also stream the show with a Sling subscription here or a Peacock subscription here.
Read our AGT blog for the latest updates...
Last night's acts
The following acts auditioned during last night's episode of AGT:
- Chrisyius - Five-year-old percussionist
- Ashes and Arrows - pop/rock band
- Hakuna Matata Acrobats - an acrobatic quartet from Tanzania
- Alexander - dancer (did not make it through)
- Otama Collective - a trio of "classical" performers (did not make it through)
- Nini - folk metal musician
- Liv Warfield - singer (won Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer)
- Kat & Jay - acrobatic duo (did not make it through)
- Sabrina Japanese dance group - dance troupe
- Phil Lewis - baton thrower and dancer
- Kung Bao - danger act
- Sky Elements - drone show (won Simon Cowell's second Golden Buzzer)
Tune in next Tuesday at 8 pm EST on NBC for more auditions!
Golden Buzzers used so far
Below are the contestants who have received the Golden Buzzer so far on Season 19:
- Learnmore Jonasi – Terry Crews
- Richard Goodall – Heidi Klum
- Liv Warfield - Simon Cowell
- Sky Elements - Simon Cowell
Watch janitor Richard Goodall's Golden Buzzer performance
Who is AGT star Richard Goodall? Indiana janitor gone Hollywood
Howie Mandel bashed as ‘new Simon Cowell,’ concluded
Fans reacted to Howie Mandel's criticisms on X, formerly Twitter after he was the only judge who voted no to send Ashes and Arrows to the next round.
"Howie Mandel is the 'new Simon' in terms of true constructive criticism that may be brutally honest," one wrote.
"He needs to get off this show," a second raged.
"Thought that was really foolish and irresponsible judging from Howie," a third added.
Howie Mandel bashed as ‘new Simon Cowell,' continued
The other three judges disagreed with Howie's harsh critiques of Ashes and Arrows.
"I love you [and] the people love you," Sofia Vergara said.
Simon agreed, "You can't fake how you feel and I really felt that.
"This is absolutely the right thing that you've done to come on because I think people are really gonna like you."
Simon, Sofia, and Heidi voted to send Ashes and Arrows onto the next round, while Howie said no.
Howie Mandel bashed as 'new Simon Cowell'
During last night's episode, Howie Mandel took a strong stance against contestants Ashes and Arrows.
The band performed an original song that received high praise from the other three judges and a standing ovation from the audience.
"The audience loves you, you have great voices, great harmony, but personally," Howie began.
"This was a great song in a pub. If I was in a bar and you guys are playing, I would have the best night ever."
He added that he didn't think the band was special enough for AGT and the crowd was quick to voice their disapproval.
Contestants who rose to fame without winning, part six
Jon Dorenbos competed in Season 11 of America’s Got Talent but lost to singer Grace VanderWaal.
Jon is multi-talented as he played for the Philadelphia Eagles before competing on the show.
He was a two-time pro bowler and received an honorary Super Bowl ring in 2018 when the Eagles defeated the Patriots.
Despite coming in third on AGT, Jon went on to perform magic shows in Las Vegas and Hollywood.
Jon Dorenbos also competed on the AGT spinoff, The ChampionsCredit: Getty Contestants who rose to fame without winning, part five
The Texas Tenors competed in Season 4 of America’s Got Talent and finished fourth on the show.
The group is comprised of country singer JC Fisher, pop singer Marcus Collins, and opera singer John Hagen.
They earned a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Classical Chart in 2014 and performed a PBS Special with The Phoenix Symphony, which was nominated for five Emmys.
The Texas Tenors won three Emmy Awards for their PBS SpecialCredit: Getty Contestants who rose to fame without winning, part four
Jabbawockeez, a hip-hop dance crew competed in Season 2 of America’s Got Talent in 2007.
They were cut early on in the competition but found luck on America's Best Dance Crew the following year.
Jabbawockeez went on to headline their own Vegas productions at the Luxor and MGM Grand.
The dance crew even performed with Taylor SwiftCredit: Getty
Contestants who rose to fame without winning, part three
Melissa Villasenor competed on Season 6 of America’s Got Talent and was eliminated during the semi-finals.
Despite not winning the show, she went on to become a cast member of Saturday Night Live in 2016.
Melissa appeared on the sketch comedy show for the first time in Season 42 and was promoted to a regular cast member in Season 44, making her the first Latina to do so.
She left SNL in 2022 and went on to star as Nellie Ramirez Humphrey in the animated Disney Channel series, Primos.
Melissa Villasenor lost Season 6 to jazz singer Landau Murphy Jr.Credit: Getty Contestants who rose to fame without winning, part one
Many contestants competed on America’s Got Talent and still found fame after the show without winning their seasons.
Jackie Evancho was featured on Season 5 of the show and finished runner-up to singer Michael Grimm.
Jackie was only ten years old when she competed on the show, and even though she lost, her debut EP was the best-selling debut album of 2010.
She also became the youngest top-10 debut artist in US history and was the youngest solo artist ever to go platinum.
Jackie's first full-length album, Dream With Me, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Jackie also performed for Donald Trump's inauguration in 2017Credit: Getty Contestants who rose to fame without winning, part two
Lindsey Sterling also competed on Season 5 of America’s Got Talent and was eliminated during the quarter-finals.
Then judge Piers Morgan told her that she wasn’t "good enough to mix playing and dancing."
She went on to prove Piers wrong as her music video Crystallize was the eighth-most watched video on YouTube in 2012.
Lindsey sold 1 million singles worldwide in 2014.
Lindsey was nominated at the Billboard Music Awards after her elimination from AGTCredit: Getty AMERICA'S GOT TALENT WINNERS
America's Got Talent has launched the careers of several singers, magicians, musicians, comedians, and dancers over its 18 season run. Here are a list of the winners from each season:
- 11-year-old singer Bianca Ryan won the inaugural season of AGT on August 16, 2006. The runners-up were the male clogging group All That and singers/musicians The Millers
- Ventriloquist/singer Terry Fator won Season 2 on August 21, 2007, with singer/guitarist Cas Haley coming in second
- Opera singer Neal E. Boyd won Season 3 on August 2, 2008. The runner-up was singer/pianist Eli Mattson
- Singer/guitarist Kevin Skinner won Season 4 on September 16, 2009, beating out opera singer Barbara Padilla
- Singer/guitarist Michael Grimm won Season 5 on September 15, 2010, in the most-watched episode in the show's history. The runner-up was classical crossover singer Jackie Evancho
- Jazz singer Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. won Season 6 on September 14, 2011. The sixth season's runner-up was the dance group Silhouettes
- The father and son dog trick team Olate Dogs won Season 7 on September 13, 2012, defeating stand-up comedian Tom Cotter in the finale
- Dancer Kenichi Ebina won Season 8 on September 18, 2013. The runner-up was Dancer Kenichi Ebina won Season 8 on September 18, 2013. The runner-up was stand-up comedian Taylor Williamson
- Magician Mat Franco won Season 9 on September 17, 2014, with singer Emily West coming in second
- Ventriloquist Paul Zerdin won Season 10 on September 16, 2015. The runner-up was stand-up comedian Drew Lynch
- 12-year-old ukulele player Grace VanderWaal won Season 11 beating out the mentalist duo The Clairvoyants on the September 14, 2016 finale
- 12-year-old ventriloquist Darci Lynne Farmer won Season 12 on September 20, 2017. The runner-up was 10-year-old singer Angelica Hale
- Card magician Shin Lim won Season 13 on September 19, 2018, with the acrobatic act Zurcaroh coming in second
- Singer and pianist Kodi Lee, born blind and autistic, won Season 14, beating the Detroit Youth Choir on the September 18, 2019, finale
- Spoken word artist Brandon Leake won Season 15 on September 23, 2020. The runner-up was the singing duo Broken Roots
- Magician Dustin Tavella, who routinely used his family and personal experiences in magic tricks, won Season 16 on September 15, 2021. The runner-up was teenage aerialist Aidan Bryant
- The dance troupe Mayyas won Season 17 on September 14, 2022. The runner-up was pole dancer/animator Kristy Sellars
- Animal act Adrian Stoica & Hurricane won Season 18 on September 27, 2023. This season's runner-up was female magician Anna DeGuzman
Sofia Vergara ‘regrets’ ‘unprofessional’ career move
"When I went back, I was like so unprofessional," she continued.
"I went back to Griselda [and] the director [during] the first scene, I remember we were shooting outside an airport, and then [he] comes after the first two scenes like, ‘Sofia, I think, uh, during lunch I'm going to go into your trailer with my iPad and I'm going to show you the rhythm and the tone of voice that you were doing for Griselda because you're sounding like AGT.'
"I'm like okay, okay. It took me some time. I shouldn't have done that. I should have not stopped shooting Griselda to do AGT."
But Sofia managed to nail the role and was pleased with the reaction from viewers after the show's release, explaining it had been a passion project for more than 15 years.
Sofia Vergara 'regrets' 'unprofessional' career move
During a Netflix FYSEE event, A Conversation With Sofia Vergara in Los Angeles, she was asked how she coped with juggling America's Got Talent and her mini-series, Griselda.
She laughed, "I don't know what I was thinking. The most absurd thing. But I mean that tells you … if I was a real actress, I would have said absolutely not, I’m not doing this.
"Listen to how crazy this is... I agreed to become Griselda for three months, like three crazy, intense months."
"I think I had four days off to become Sofia, do AGT, which is completely another move to do AGT, that energy. And then finish that for a month and immediately, two days later, start again [filming] Griselda."
Cast pictured
Terry Crews hosts Season 19 of America's Got Talent while Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Simon Cowell sit on the show's panelCredit: Trae Patton/NBC More on Terry Crews
Terry Crews rose to fame after his blockbuster hit, White Chicks.
Terry went on to star in the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris until 2009 and then appeared in the successful sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine until 2021.
He's also been featured in films such as Blended, Idiocracy, The Expendables, and The Longest Yard.
The host with the most
Terry Crews was born in Flint, Michigan on July 30, 1968, making the actor 54 years old.
Crews previously played in the NFL but left in 1997 and moved out west to Los Angeles where he pursued a career in acting.
His first big role was alongside the musician Ice Cube in the film, Friday After Next back in 2002 but he’s best known for his role in 2004 comedy White Chicks.
More on the AGT panel – Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell started his tenure on America’s Got Talent in Season 11, replacing Howard Stern.
Simon is also the creator and co-executive producer of the show.
He is a veteran panelist, appearing on shows such as Britain’s Got Talent, The X Factor, and American Idol.
Simon is also an entrepreneur and record producer.
More on the AGT panel – Sofia Vergara
Sofia Vergara made her first appearance on AGT during Season 15, after replacing Gabrielle Union.
“I’m so happy to join my new family on AGT," she said in an announcement before her first season.
“This is a new and exciting next chapter for me and I’m extremely proud to be the first Latin judge on the show."
“I can’t wait to watch all the talent and have fun with all of you guys!”
Sofia Vergara is bet known for her roles as Gloria in Modern Family and Griselda Blanco in the Netflix mini-series, Griselda.
More on the AGT panel – Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum first appeared as a judge on America’s Got Talent from Seasons 8 to 13. She took a brief hiatus during Season 14 but returned the following year.
Julianne Hough briefly replaced Heidi during her hiatus.
Sharon Osbourne previously sat in Heidi's spot before the model joined the show.
Like Howie, Heidi has appeared on spinoffs of AGT including Fantasy League, All-Stars, and The Champions.
Heidi rose to fame after appearing in Sports Illustrated in 1988 and was the first German model to to become a Victoria's Secret Angel.
More on AGT panel – Howie Mandel
Howie Mandel is the longest-tenured current judge on America’s Got Talent.
He replaced David Hasselhoff on the fifth season of the show.
Mandel has also appeared as a judge on spinoffs including AGT: The Champions, All-Stars, and Fantasy League.
Howie rose to fame as a stand-up comedian, voice actor, and producer.
Watch Devan's performance during last week's episode
Youngest AGT contestant, 2, gives Howie Mandel 'the death stare' during hilarious audition as fans say tot's a 'genius'Youngest contestant ever auditioned last week
The youngest contestant that America’s Got Talent has ever seen auditioned during last week's episode.
Devan from Commack, New York, impressed the judges with his math skills at just two years old.
His father randomly asked each judge to give him a number as he wrote math equations for Devan to solve.
Tune in next week!
Tune in next Tuesday at 8 pm EST on NBC for another episode of America’s Got Talent!
More hopeful performers will take the stage and audition for a shot at the live shows.
Pre-recorded auditions are expected to continue until August 13, when the live shows begin.
