The first stage of the 2018 edition of “America’s Got Talent” wrapped up on July 10 when NBC aired the last of six pre-taped episodes dedicated to the auditions. These showcased the best (and worst) acts to try out for the four judges – Simon Cowell, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel. Each of them got to single out one act for special treatment by pressing the Golden Buzzer and sending them straight through to the live shows. But when do those start?
Turns out we still have quite the wait before we’ll see the return of that quartet of talent – singers Courtney Hadwin, Michael Ketterer, Amanda Mena and Makayla Phillips — as well as the dance group Zucaroh, which was tapped by host Tyra Banks.
First up are four episodes of “AGT” dedicated to the judges cuts. The first of these, which were taped in mid April, will air on July 17 while the last will be seen on August 7. Each episode features a guest judge who gets a Golden Buzzer too.
After these are over, we will have the 36 acts in all (nine Golden Buzzers, two dozen from the judges cuts rounds, and three wildcards chosen by the producers) that will compete on the live shows. There will be three weeks of quarterfinals every Tuesday and Wednesday from August 14 to 29. Each week, 12 acts will perform with seven making it through to the semi-finals.
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The semi-finals go live on September 4, 5, 11 and 12. Aside from the 21 acts put through during the quarter-finals there will be one additional wildcard. Each week, 11 acts will perform with five making it through to the finals. The two-part finale will air live on September 18 and 19. On the last night, the top five will be revealed before a countdown to the ultimate winner. Besides bragging rights, the champion act gets $1 million and a a chance to headline at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
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