Since its creation in 2006, many different acts have claimed the top prize on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” — most of them singers. Who will join their ranks for “AGT” Season 18, which is expected to start airing in the summer of 2023? Tour our photos below that highlight all of the past winners from “America’s Got Talent” plus its spin-offs, “AGT: The Champions” and “AGT: Extreme,” from Bianca Ryan to the most recent. Originally published May 2018.
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Season 1: Bianca Ryan
Image Credit: NBC Bianca Ryan won Season 1 on August 16, 2006, an 11-year-old singer. The runners-up were male clogging group All That and singers/musicians The Millers.
Shortly after winning the first season of “Americas Got Talent,” singer Bianca Ryan released her eponymous debut studio album. The album was full of covers, including her audition song, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” This remains her only studio album, though she has released multiple singles and Christmas EPs over the years. In 2016, she underwent stomach surgery after being at risk for esophageal cancer. She is set to release another EP this year.
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Season 2: Terry Fator
Image Credit: NBC Terry Fator won Season 2 on August 21, 2007, a 42-year-old ventriloquist/singing impressionist. The runner-up was singer/guitarist Cas Haley.
Terry Fator has been one of the most successful winners in “AGT” history, with his singing ventriloquist impressions act finding great popularity in Las Vegas. In 2008 he signed a five-year deal with the Mirage on the Las Vegas Strip, where he performed on a nightly basis. He wrote a book and has released multiple DVDs of his performances. He also returns to “AGT” on a regular basis, most recently performing with Darci Lynne, fellow singing ventriloquist.
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Season 3: Neal E. Boyd
Image Credit: NBC Neal E. Boyd won Season 3 on August 2, 2008, a 32-year-old opera singer. The runner-up was singer/pianist Eli Mattson.
Neal E. Boyd released a studio album called “My American Dream” in 2009, featuring many songs he covered on the show, like “Nessun Dorma.” He performed for various presidents at political functions and even took a stab at running for public office. He ran as a Republican for Missouri House of Representatives in 2012, though he lost to Democrat Steve Hodges. Neal died on June 10, 2018.
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Season 4: Kevin Skinner
Image Credit: NBC Kevin Skinner won Season 4 on September 16, 2009, a 35-year-old singer/guitarist. The runner-up was opera singer Barbara Padilla.
Kevin Skinner is one of the least visible “AGT” winners, though mostly by choice. The country singer who performed classic songs like “If Tomorrow Never Comes” and “Always on My Mind” on the show, released an album in 2010 called “Long Ride” which featured the single “Like It’s the Last Goodbye.” Skinner went missing in 2014 in his home state of Kentucky, after battling mental illness and his divorce from his wife, who left him shortly after the show. He was eventually found, but has remained out of the spotlight.
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Season 5: Michael Grimm
Image Credit: NBC Michael Grimm won Season 5 on September 15, 2010, a 30-year-old singer/guitarist. The runner-up was classical crossover singer Jackie Evancho.
Michael Grimm released his self-titled major label debut album shortly after winning “AGT” in 2010. The album included covers of “Fallin’” by Alicia Keys and “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, and debuted at number 13 on the Billboard albums chart. He proposed to his girlfriend while appearing on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” He opened for Stevie Nicks in 2011.
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Season 6: Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.
Image Credit: NBC Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. won Season 6 on September 14, 2011, a 36-year-old jazz singer. The runner-up was dance group Silhouettes.
Jazz singer Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr., the fourth consecutive singer to win “AGT,” released his first album, “That’s Life,” in 2011. The album hit number one on the Billboard jazz album chart. He released a holiday album in 2013 called “Christmas Made for Two,” plus another Jazz album called “Landau” in 2016. While less mainstream these days, he is still touring the country performing Jazz standards.
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Season 7: Olate Dogs
Image Credit: NBC Olate Dogs won Season 7 on September 13, 2012, a father and son dog trick team aged 55 and 19. The runner-up was stand-up comedian Tom Cotter.
The only group act to win “AGT” to this day, the Olate Dogs is another act that is continuing to do well through extensive tours. Richard and Nicholas Olate and their litter of talented pooches have traveled all over America to show off their impressive tricks. They also perform in halftimes for the NBA. The dogs appeared on the TV special “Fox’s Cause for Paws: An All-Star Dog Spectacular” in 2014.
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Season 8: Kenichi Ebina
Image Credit: NBC Kenichi Ebina won Season 8 on September 18, 2013, a 38-year-old dancer. The runner-up was stand-up comedian Taylor Williamson.
Japanese performance artist Kenichi Ebina has kept a low profile since winning “AGT” in 2013. He has been dancing all over the world at various venues. He also released an app in 2015 called Dance-ish Me, where users can upload photos of their face into various dance situations, similar to JibJab.
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Season 9: Mat Franco
Image Credit: NBC Mat Franco won Season 9 on September 17, 2014, a 25-year-old magician. The runner-up was singer Emily West.
Mat Franco, who often performs card tricks in his act, started headlining at the LINQ Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in 2015. He has continued to perform there ever since, with the Las Vegas Review Journal naming it the best magic show in Vegas in 2016.
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Season 10: Paul Zerdin
Image Credit: NBC Paul Zerdin won Season 10 on September 16, 2015, a 42-year-old ventriloquist. The runner-up was stand-up comedian Drew Lynch.
Comedic ventriloquist Paul Zerdin is traveling with his group of puppets all around the world. In 2016 he headlined at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Vegas. As of now he is touring throughout his native Britain.
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Season 11: Grace VanderWaal
Image Credit: NBC Grace VanderWaal won Season 11 on September 14, 2016, a 12-year-old singer-songwriter/ukulelist. The runner-up was mentalist duo The Clairvoyants.
Grace VanderWaal became the first female to win “AGT” since the very first season. At the age of 12 she won the show with her blend of clever original songs and expert ukulele playing. The young star won Choice Next Big Thing at the Teen Choice Awards this summer. VanderWaal released her debut EP “Perfectly Imperfect” in December, which made it all the way up to number nine on the Billboard album charts. She has released a new single “Moonlight” which will be heard on her upcoming debut album, “Just the Beginning,” out in November.
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Season 12: Darci Lynne Farmer
Image Credit: Trae Patton/NBC Darci Lynne Farmer won Season 12 on September 20, 2017, a 12-year-old ventriloquist. The runner-up was 10-year-old singer Angelica Hale.
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Season 13: Shin Lim
Image Credit: Trae Patton/NBC Shin Lim won Season 13 on September 19, 2018, a close-up magician. The runner-up was acrobatic act Zurcaroh. Shin became the second magician to win following Mat Franco (Season 9).
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Season 14: Kodi Lee
Image Credit: Trae Patton/NBC Kodi Lee won Season 14 on September 18, 2019, a singer and pianist who was born blind and autistic. New judge Gabrielle Union pushed her Golden Buzzer for Kodi during the auditions. The runner-up was chorale group Detroit Youth Choir. Kodi became the seventh singing act to prevail.
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Season 15: Brandon Leake
Image Credit: Chris Haston/NBC Brandon Leake won Season 15 on September 23, 2020, the show’s first-ever spoken word artist. Howie Mandel pushed his Golden Buzzer for Brandon in the auditions and championed him all the way to the live finale. The runner-up was singing duo Broken Roots.
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Season 16: Dustin Tavella
Image Credit: Trae Patton/NBC Dustin Tavella won Season 16 on September 15, 2021, the show’s third magician. Simon called this 35-year-old from Virginia Beach an expert story-teller, as he regularly used his family and personal experiences in his magic tricks. The runner-up was teenage aerialist Aidan Bryant.
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Season 17: Mayyas
Image Credit: Trae Patton/NBC Mayyas won Season 17 on September 14, 2022, the show’s first-ever dance group. The Lebanese dance troupe earned Sofia Vergara’s Golden Buzzer in the audition phase of the show and continued to impress each time they took the stage with their intricately crafted routines and synchronized movements. The runner-up this season was pole dancer/animator Kristy Sellars.
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‘AGT: The Champions’ Season 1: Shin Lim
Image Credit: Trae Patton/NBC After winning Season 13 of the main show, Shin Lim also claimed the first season title for spin-off series “America’s Got Talent: The Champions” on February 18, 2019. The runner-up was “AGT” Season 12 winner Darci Lynne Farmer.
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‘AGT: The Champions’ Season 2: V.Unbeatable
Image Credit: Tina Thorpe/NBC This Indian dance group claimed victory on the second installment of “AGT: The Champions” on February 17, 2020. The runner-up was Duo Transcend. V.Unbeatable previously came in fourth place on “America’s Got Talent” Season 14.
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‘AGT: Extreme’ Season 1: Alfredo Silva’s Cage Riders
Image Credit: Eliza Morse/NBC This motorbike danger act claimed victory on the first cycle of “AGT: Extreme” on March 14, 2022. The runner-up was wheelchair stuntman Aaron Wheelz. Alfredo Silva’s Cage Riders won $500,000 for their act, which consisted of bikers driving around the interior of a dome while cyclists jumped over the globe at the same time.
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‘AGT: All-Stars’ Season 1: Aidan Bryant
Image Credit: Trae Patton/NBC This spin-off series brought back acts from the American version as well as cycles all around the world. The superfans voted each week for their favorite acts, and they also picked the ultimate winner, aerialist Aidan Bryant. He won on February 27, 2023 over the runner-up, saxophonist Avery Dixon.
