America’s Got Talent’s Season 20 Finale Live Blog: I’m Watching The Finalists’ Last Live Performances With A Surprising New Frontrunner

The Season 20 Top 10

The Top 10 was determined after months of auditions, four live quarterfinals, and one last semifinals round. As usual, there are several singers who made it to the very end in pursuit of the grand prize, as well as some finalists who perform more outside of the box. Take a look at the final ten standing:

Jessica Sanchez Goes First And LightWire Follows

The extremely pregnant Jessica Sanchez was the first AGT finalist to take the stage on finale night, with Sofia Vergara declaring that she looked like a “pregnant angel” after she blew the roof off the theater with her vocals.

I’d Definitely See LightWire In Las Vegas

I was pretty confident going into the finale that LightWire would have something fairly spectacular in store for their last shot at impressing voters, and I wasn’t wrong. Their dance was Avatar-esque in a way, with a message that resulted in some judges getting emotional. This group hasn’t been my favorite to root for in Season 20, but I will say that of all the AGT acts this fall, LightWire is one that I’d probably be willing to pay to see in Las Vegas.

Mama Duke Pretended To Be Mel B

Before Mama Duke took the stage with her last original song for AGT Season 20, she commented on how getting the live golden buzzer from Mel B was “full circle” for her since she used to pretend to be the Spice Girl. Whatever the future holds – and Simon Cowell said that he thinks this was a great “launch pad” for her – I have to commend her for making it as far as she has with her original songs. Cover songs can be the safer route to take on live TV.

I initially didn’t think she was bringing her best work when she started in the finale, but she really seemed to get more comfortable with it and feel her own music about halfway through. Mel B was on her feet before the end, although Sofia Vergara didn’t look entirely convinced.

Sirca Marea Dazzled And Defied Gravity

AGT has had plenty of acrobatic acts in the past, but these two performers brought the action for the live finale. Pyrotechnics? Check. Blindfolds? Check. Some adorable PDA? Check! There was even a moment toward the end when I briefly thought that there’d been a mistake that put them in danger, but there was no such issue. Simon Cowell said that they were “genuinely” the best he’d ever seen, and an “eleven out of ten.”

Micah Palace Says He’s The “Hottest Name In Spanglish”

Fresh off of getting Simon Cowell’s quarterfinals golden buzzer, Micah Palace used his finale performance to show gratitude towards his mother and clap back at the people who never believed in him while bringing back a song that served him well the first time around. The energy of his backup dancers distracted me a bit from his vocals, but he definitely seemed to be a crowd favorite… if not quite Howie Mandel’s or Mel B’s.

Leo High School Choir Don’t Feel Like Underdogs Anymore

The high school teens came to the finale with their take on The Script’s “Hall of Fame,” and it was easy to understand why they felt like underdogs when no choir has ever won AGT before. Still, I wouldn’t say that they’re the underdogs after “Hall of Fame.” Not only were the judges vibing, but the audience seemed to be loving it. The energy in the room seemed a bit higher than for Mama Duke and Micah Palace, so perhaps this will be the year that a choir wins it all.

Chris Turner Found A Way To Go Bigger With His Raps

I won’t say that I haven’t been entertained by Chris Turner and his freestyle raps this season, but he hadn’t really found ways to get bigger and better from one round to the next. He pulled it off for the finale, starting his rap at 80 BPM before working up to 150 BPM without missing a beat. I don’t know that I expect him to win, but he has a lot to be proud of after this season of AGT.

Way to prove me wrong, Chris Turner! The judges were all raving about him and his newfound chances of winning, with Howie Mandel even wondering if he’d set a world record. Honestly, if there’s any kind of musical act that could win me over this late in the game, I think Chris’ style of rap might do it.

Jourdan Blue Made Smart Choices

The Judges All Agreed About Team Recycled

I spent most of Team Recycled’s finale performance thinking to myself that this was by far the most I’d enjoyed them on stage all season, and the judges agreed when the time came for feedback. Howie Mandel was the most effusive, understandably since he’d hit the golden buzzer for them. Simon Cowell and Sofia Vergara were all-in, and Mel B turned what initially sounded like criticism about them recycling their choreography into a compliment.

Last But Not Least: Steve Ray Ladson

Simon Cowell commented that every song he hears from Steve Ray Ladson sounds like a hit to him, which is high praise from the former American Idol judge. Howie Mandel predicted that he’ll have another song playing everywhere by the next day. As for Sofia Vergara and Mel B, they both agreed that he smells good and that he crushed his performance. Was he my favorite of the night? No, but I applaud anybody who brings a banjo on stage to shred on it.

Time To Vote!