America's Got Talent has been an unstoppable force in the reality competition genre. The talent show format has been successful for decades, but it took until the noughties for it to flourish into its modern form. That is certainly thanks in no small part to one man - Simon Cowell. A somewhat unrivaled genius of the reality competition production game, Cowell has molded some of the biggest shows across the world, from The X Factor to the Got Talent franchise, and has even made a name for himself as a globally recognized personality thanks to his biting verbal put-downs and iconic high-waisted trousers.
Arguably Cowell's best American project is AGT, with the show managing to consistently wow audiences since its debut in 2006. One reason the Got Talent franchise seems to have outlived the likes of The X Factor is because of the variety, with viewers entering each episode with the knowledge that anything could happen. From laughter to tears, AGT has it all, and it is with that in mind that this article presents the 10 most powerful tearjerking performances in AGT history.
America's Got Talent
TV-PG
Reality
- Release Date
- June 21, 2006
- Main Genre
- Reality
- Seasons
- 18
- Creator(s)
- Ken Warwick
10 Ben Waites (2022)
Season 17
When Ben Waites first took to the stage, it felt as if something important was about to happen. The gospel singer and vocal coach certainly seemed professionally equipped to deliver, but no one expected to hear quite as gorgeous a rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" as Ben achieved.
What made this such a touching audition was the fact that Ben has arthrogryposis and uses a wheelchair, likely facing bigotry and discrimination throughout much of his life. For this reason, the song's already tender lyrics are lifted into a new realm, with Ben's confident performance beautifully punctuated with moments that feel delivered from the soul. Despite not getting enough Wildcard votes to advance to the Semi-Finals, Ben will never forget the day he made Sofía Vergara cry.
9 Frank Dimitri (2014)
Season 9
74-year-old Frank Dimitri had always loved to sing, but his stutter held him back for many years. Backed by a new lease of life, he took to the AGT stage and channeled his inner Frank Sinatra with a rendition of "I’ve Got The World on a String". A real charmer, Frank wound back the years and delivered a performance even a young Sinatra himself would have been proud of.
It's no secret that the older generation is perfect for eliciting a few tears, especially ones as loving as Frank, primed for reminding audiences of their own family. However, Frank isn't all tears, with his upbeat, swing-inspired rendition impossible for the audience not to dance and clap along too. A beautiful combination of smiling joy and bittersweet sadness, Frank's audition will go down in history as one of the show's most unforgettable and a reminder that age really is just a number.
8 Stephanie Rainey (2024)
Season 19
It's impressive enough to stand on the AGT stage in the shadow of an expectant audience and sing from the heart, but to do so with an original song adds an entirely new layer of vulnerability that needs to be applauded. This is exactly what Irish singer/songwriter Stephanie Rainey did in 2024, performing her touching acoustic track, "Please Don't Go".
The song itself had already gone viral prior to the audition, admitted by Stephanie herself, but let that take nothing away from the performance's intimacy. The song itself exists because of tragedy after Stephanie's nephew sadly passed away the day before his first birthday. After taking time to grieve, Rainey used her gift for music to channel her feelings, eventually ending up on the AGT stage and allowing viewers the privilege to share them with her. Relatable and brilliantly talented, Stephanie's audition is the most tearjerking of an impressive Season 19 so far.
7 Anna Clendening (2014)
Season 9
Just before Anna Clendening steps on stage, her nerves are palpable. She can't stop shaking as she thinks about the chance that lies in front of her, and it is from that moment, before she has even begun, that she has already won viewers' hearts. With an important message to spread through her raw talent, Anna enters the stage and delivers her rendition of Leonard Cohen's iconic, "Hallelujah".
Anna's story is tragically relatable, with her bedridden and unable to leave the house just months before this audition. That's because of her anxiety and depression, with Anna's experience facing the battle of her life projected beautifully through the deft power in her voice. A beacon of hope for many watching her performance, Anna is living proof that light does exist at the end of the tunnel, with her journey in the space of just a few months nothing short of life-affirming.
6 Mandy Harvey (2017)
Season 12
As any musician would attest, there is no greater fear than losing one's hearing. Tragically, that is exactly what happened to Mandy Harvey, who, after years of dreaming of singing as her career, felt the need to retire after losing her residual hearing at age 18. Now, after gaining newfound confidence and learning to sing via muscle memory and visual tuners, Mandy takes to the AGT stage with her original song, "Try".
It's no surprise that a story of hope in the face of defeat will start off the waterworks, but Mandy's felt more visceral than a simple story. Among the thousands of other auditions, Mandy managed not just to capture the audience's hearts, but also Simon's, who rightfully reached for the Golden Buzzer. In a moment of pure ecstasy, with the gold confetti raining down, it felt as if her redemption was complete, and all those hours relearning a talent she so cruelly lost were finally validated.
5 Johnny Shelton (2015)
Season 10
A singer his entire life, tragedy struck and stopped Johnny from pursuing his team. Then, on the milestone tenth season of AGT, he would find the will within him to chase his dream one more time. The heartbreak behind his decision to quit music early was the death of his five-year-old son to cancer. Powered by the hope for a better future and the pain of an incomparable past, Johnny took to the stage.
There was not a single dry eye in the house as Johnny finished his final note, with Howie left completely gobsmacked and struggling for words. The truth is, there are very few people to have gone through exactly what happened to Johnny and his family. However, pain itself is universal, with Johnny remarkably managing to speak to the melancholic sadness inside the entire audience with his original song, "That's Love".
4 Calysta Bevier (2016)
Season 11
Sometimes, the most touching auditions are the simplest. Taking to the stage in Season 11 was Calysta Bevier with a talent for performing and a message of hope. Calysta's battle with Stage 3 ovarian cancer gave her the belief that she could do anything, a feeling she aptly summarized by singing Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song”.
It's difficult to truly imagine what Calysta's fight must have been like. From the long days dreaming of survival to the sleepless nights struggling not to give up, Calysta managed to somehow channel all of this pain, suffering, hope, and redemption into one audition. By her own admission, music was the driving force behind her will to overcome the odds, with her special performance and resilient story leading to Simon pressing his golden buzzer and a moment recognized in the annuls of AGT history.
3 Kodi Lee (2019)
Season 14
Kodie Lee's audition is one of AGT's most iconic. Despite the odds being stacked against him having been born blind and diagnosed with autism at a young age, nothing was going to stop Kodi from chasing his dream of being a rock star. This manifested into a 2019 audition in which he blew everyone away with Leon Russell's "A Song for You".
A standing ovation felt inevitable from the very first note of Kodi's performance. His breathtaking vocals and piano playing left many speechless, and instantly became a hit all over the world. Kodi captured so much attention that even the likes of Oprah Winfrey weighed in on his audition on Twitter. An unforgettable moment topped off with a golden buzzer, Kodi has since already found critical success within the music industry, with the future looking bright.
2 Evie Clair (2017)
Season 12
To channel emotion through song is a particularly mature ability, so for a 13-year-old to do so is nothing short of jaw-dropping. With her father fighting for his life with stage 4 cancer, Evie took to the AGT stage to perform Christina Perri’s “Arms”, a song that, on its own, is enough to get the waterworks flowing.
What transpired was an emotionally charged moment of beauty from a young girl with nothing but love to give. Did she break down halfway through? Yes, but she was the last in that entire audition room to cry - a testament to her resolve. Evie would go on to make the finale of season 12 but failed to position in the Top 5. However, that is almost redundant, with this performance transcending any sense of competition.
1 Nightbirde (2021)
Season 16
Prepare to bawl your eyes out. There is no doubt that Nightbirde's Season 16 audition is the most tearjerking, although, tragically, that's because of how it is viewed in hindsight. Her radiant positivity made her initially seem like a simple, enthusiastic young singer, although it soon became clear that she, along with her original song, "It's Okay", had much more to give. She had previously released two EPs and several singles, although her music career took a back seat before this audition after she was diagnosed with cancer.
More than any other audition perhaps in the show's history, Nightbirde's wasn't about getting through the competition at all. In fact, due to her worsening health, she would sadly have to withdraw before the quarter-finals. Packed full of hope despite the scariest of adversities, Nightbirde sings from the heart in an audition that will live forever. Her legacy was made in this one moment, showcasing her talent and message to a world that then, now, and for the rest of time will need to hear. Tragically, on February 19, 2022, Nightbirde passed away at just 31-years-old. However, in just the space of two minutes, one song would make sure her memory would never truly pass away, with this audition and the subsequent millions of views it has attained ensuring Nighbirde is a name spoken for many years to come.
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