NBC Six powerhouse singers square off against acts as diverse as comedy, danger, sand art and magic -- plus, wild card picks add ventriloquism and more magic! The first round is over and it's time for the finals to begin on "America's Got Talent: The Champions," which means it's time for the best of the best of the best. If you thought you knew who was going to be here after five weeks of competition, well you did. Mostly. As expected, the judges added in a couple of fan-favorite wild cards, including the brilliantly charismatic magician Jon Dorenbos and ventriloquist singer Darci Lynne. But we don't crown a winner tonight; that won't happen until next week's season finale. Will it be one of the six singers? Perhaps a danger act this time, or a comedian? There's another magician in the mix and a totally unique sand artist. With this much talent, it's anybody's game. And hey, if you've been enjoying Terry Crews' infectious energy and enthusiasm as host of "AGT: The Champions," you're clearly not alone. There are a lot of changes coming to Season 14 of "America's Got Talent" this summer, and Terry is one of them. Out is Tyra Banks and sticking around is Terry as host. That'll make him ever-so-slightly more experienced than the two new faces joining the judges' panel. Yup, after six seasons each, both Mel B and Heidi Klum are moving on, to be replaced by Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough. Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel are expected to stay put. So it's going to be a whole new look for NBC's venerable talent show. In the meantime, we get to enjoy a farewell tour (of sorts) for Heidi and Mel. Fair warning, since I'm safe at home, I'm probably going to be a little harsher than my colleagues Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell. But I might be nicer, too. Maybe. Kechi (singer) She has a truly beautiful voice but she is up against vocal powerhouses that leave your jaw on the ground and Kechi has never been that. She has a lovely voice and a beautifully tragic story and a huge heart and her strength and perseverance are inspirational. She absolutely earned and deserved her spot in these finals, but it's just not enough to win a show of this season's caliber. Preacher Lawson (comedian) One of the best comedians this show has ever spotlighted, but that set isn't going to win this season for him. The gym jokes were a little too obvious (leg day, amiright?) and he spent a little too long on them. The Incredible Hulk shirt rip might win him a few votes, but on talent alone, we've seen him be much funnier so many times. Still, we really hope his career goes to the next level after this as he's more than deserving. Deadly Games (danger act) From the beginning there was a little something off about his aim in the knife-throwing. He missed the first balloons shot completely, and a knife didn't even stick in the board during their second stunt. Plus, he was missing wider than usual. Did nerves get to him before they began? This is a very dangerous act to mess up.After that, though, he nailed everything and it was like it had never gone awry. The last stunt with the judges was both simple and terrifying and awesome. Still, the inconsistency probably cost them the title. Angelica Hale (singer) Still one of the most incredible young vocalists, but the song choice didn't seem to quite work for her this time around. Angelica seemed like she was chasing it the whole time, never quite capturing its essence or its melodic tones. She hit some impressive notes, but with no connection to the song it was lacking in substance or meaning. It seems as if her nerves might have crept in a bit, too. Cristina Ramos (singer) What an amazing vocal range she has and she put it on full display with vocal runs and an operatic opening to "Call Me." She fumbled the lyrics a few time -- but English is not her first language -- but there's no denying the power of her instrument and how masterfully she can use it. We're not sure this was the most exciting performance overall, but it was easily one the most jaw-dropping vocal performances. Alas, there are so many vocalists it's really hard to stand out. Darci Lynne (ventriloquist) Did we know Darci could sing Italian opera? That's what she had Petunia break out this time around, and it was an incredible range on display. We would have preferred a little more banter and jokes before the singing, but the echo effect was also very nicely managed. She continues to mature as a vocalist and a ventriloquist and the combination is just so crazy to watch. Kseniya Simonova (sand art) Once again, Kseniya knows how to pull on the heartstrings emotionally through her mesmerizing sand art, though this story wasn't as fully realized as her last one. If she'd have had a little more time perhaps. In fact, imagine how awesome it would be to watch her tell a story with unlimited time to tell it as she sees fit. She is a visionary in a very unique art form and someone that is always awesome to watch. Paul Potts (singer) It's amazing how easy he can make opera look, when obviously it's anything but. Paul is truly a remarkable talent and while his song showcased his vocal ability perfectly, did it have that wow factor to win over American audiences? That's the real challenge and Americans are kind of weird. Still, on a night filled with amazing vocalists, Paul did what he does to stand out and demand to be noticed among them, but there are also other talents here. Man, what a tough night. Susan Boyle (singer) Once again, Susan Boyle proves why she took the world by storm the first time she hit the "Britain's Got Talent" stage.<doc-sep>The final of “America’s Got Talent: The Champions” on February 11 will see 12 acts take to the stage. Five of these got the Golden Buzzer at their audition. Another five won the superfans vote. And there are two wild cards, who were added to the roster after not making the cut initially. The five acts who were singled out by the judges for special treatment courtesy of the Golden Buzzer are: singers Susan Boyle, Angelica Hale and Kechi Okwuchi; daredevils Deadly Games; and sand artist Kseniya Simonova. The five acts who won the run-offs are: singers Brian Justin Crum, Paul Potts and Cristina Ramos; stand-up comedian Preacher Lawson and magician Shin Lim. The two wildcards are are ventriloquist Darci Lynne Farmer, who won “AGT” in 2017, and magician Jon Dorenbos. They face off against the two acts that edged them out with the superfans. Farmer fell short to Ramos, the rock opera singer who won “Spanish Got Talent.” And Dorenbos was passed by Potts, who sang opera to take the title at the very first “Britain’s Got Talent” back in 2007. SEE Who are the ‘America’s Got Talent’ superfans: How voting for ‘AGT: The Champions’ works Refresh this page for the most up-to-date comments 8:03 p.m. – The first performance of the night was from Spain’s Cristina Ramos. For her final song she promised something special which turned out to be an operatic opening leading in to the Blondie classic “Call Me.” The glam rock rendition included interludes of more opera vocals that truly made the cover more unique than ones we’ve heard previously on other singing shows. It was a stellar opening to the finals that Simon Cowell said was an “insanely good” vocal. 8:10 p.m. – Preacher Lawson was up next, representing for all of the series comedians because he was the only one to make it to these finals. Tonight his set cycled through jokes about alcohol use and his previous career working at a gym which gave him the opportunity to poke fun at men who don’t do leg day regularly and women who take every workout lightly. But the highlight was, of course, the end when he went into hulk mode and ripped his own shirt off! Howie Mandel pointed out that as a comedian Preacher delivers on multiple levels, sentiment echoed by the other judges on the panel. 8:21 p.m. – 2017 AGT winner Darci Lynne Farmer took the stage after the other finalist she beat two years ago. For this performance she partnered with puppet Petunia, her lucky charm that helped her win the first time. Together they continued what appeared to be the theme of the night, opera. Simon called the Italian opera song Darci Lynne’s best performance ever and Howie lauded the fact that she managed to hide her ability to sing opera through her entire original season. 8:27 p.m. – Heidi Klum‘s Golden Buzzer act, Deadly Games, was next and they were determined to be even more dangerous than before. To do so they included synchronized knife-throwing and dodging, pegging an apple on the head with a crossbow and quick tosses of knives and shots of a crossbow at a spinning target. During the performance Howie mentioned to Mel B that they seemed a little off tonight, and that was before they upped the ante by asking the judges to all come to the stage for their final trick. 8:35 p.m. – For this final trick the judges and Terry Crews all held balloons in front of them in a line in order for a crossbow to be show through all of them at once. Luckily the trick worked, to which Heidi squealed with delight in acknowledgement that they now know firsthand the position that they’re in every time they perform. Mel said that the hiccups earlier in the performance worked in their favor because they raised the stakes both for them and for the judges in that final trick. 8:39 p.m. – The danger act was followed by Simon’s Golden Buzzer act, Kechi. Tonight she sang Sia‘s “Opportunity,” a ballad that spoke directly to the position that she and every contestant on the show is in when they’re on the AGT stage. The crowd roared in a standing ovation following her performance and through a beaming smile Simon called her one of his favorite contestants and a star. Mel was the only judge to put forth a negative critique, saying that she got lost in the song. 8:49 p.m. – Prior to taking the stage Brian Justin Crum declared that his journey on AGT Champions was a chance to return to his dream and his roots by singing Broadway songs. Tonight he chose “Never Enough” from “The Greatest Showman,” a movie musical that has spawned many performances across AGT and other singing shows. Mel called the performance a “massive” and “proper slam dunk.” Simon said that he’s managed to redeem himself from his first season and that tonight’s performance could actually change his life. 8:58 p.m. – The first of two magicians in the finals was up next. Jon Dorenbos used the judges as his assistants in a trick that anticipated the correct random selections of each judge. That was pretty cool, but the real clincher was when he used all four of those selections as callbacks to his past performances on the show where each of those judges had previously selected the same exact phrases that they randomly chose today. Simon told Jon that he blew the roof off with this trick and Howie emphasized how great of a wild card Jon turned out to be. 9:10 p.m. – Angelica Hale was next to perform with her rendition of James Arthur‘s “Impossible.” The song provided her the chance to show off how big her voice can get, even for such a young singer. The judges were highly complimentary of Angelica’s vocal, but moreso admire her drive and fight to return to the show in order to win. 9:20 p.m. – Kseniya Simonova, Terry’s Golden Buzzer, told another story through her sand art tonight.<doc-sep>CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing the photos on a mobile device We’re closing in on crunch time on “America’s Got Talent: The Champions.” Tonight on NBC, the Top 12 finalists take the stage to perform in front of judges Simon Cowell, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel (and us, of course). And then, next week, our winner and ultimate champion will be crowned during the season finale. Going into tonight’s competition, who do you think is the leader of the pack? Let us know by voting in our poll and/or leaving a comment.<doc-sep>CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing the photos on a mobile device TV picks for Monday, Feb. 11 WATCH THIS: Related Articles ‘Big Little Lies’: 5 things we learned about Season 2 “America’s Got Talent: The Champions” (8 p.m., NBC): The Top 12 finalists, including two returning Wild Card acts, perform for judges Simon Cowell, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel. America’s Superfans vote to determine who will be named the ultimate Champion. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star Terry Crews hosts. The Top 12 finalists are Susan Boyle (singer), Brian Justin Crum (singer), Jon Dorenbos (magician), Darci Lynne Farmer (ventriloquist), Deadly Games (danger act), Angelica Hale (singer), Kechi (singer), Preacher Lawson (comedian), Shin Lim (magician), Paul Potts (opera singer), Cristina Ramos (opera rock singer), Kseniya Simonova (sand artist). “The Bachelor” (8 p.m., ABC): Oneyka and Nicole’s shattering showdown continues as Colton tries to find an escape from the ordeal. After the rose ceremony, the remaining bachelorettes travel to the tropical paradise of Vietnam’s Cam Ranh coast. The first one-on-one date is captured by a woman who has magic chemistry with Colton. Their spa date reignites their passion, but deeper issues need resolving. A group date at the historic Hai Thai Ancient House proves to be an adrenaline rush for the women, as they are trained in the Vietnamese martial art of Vovinam and then fight for love in a series of intense sparring matches. The last one-on-one date leads to an awkward, but honest conversation, and one woman declares her growing feelings to Colton in a late-night tryst. However, Colton’s ever-present fear about picking someone who is not ready for a proposal continues to hang over him. “The Passage” (9 p.m., Fox): With the sudden arrival of a high-ranking official, Horace Guilder (guest star James Le Gros), to Project NOAH, Brad and Amy begin to strategize a possible escape plan with the help of an unlikely accomplice. Meanwhile, Sykes and Richards begin to question each other’s motives, and a shaky past between Lear, Elizabeth (guest star Jennifer Ferrin) and Fanning is revealed. “I Am The Night” (9 p.m., TNT): In “Dark Flower, a visit from Billis and the LAPD leaves Jay wondering how close he’s getting to the truth. Fauna must reconcile Corinna’s revelations with the suspicion that Corinna is hiding Fauna’s mother, Tamar. “Studio 54” (10 p.m., A&E): This new documentary series recalls the wild days of the disco-era Manhattan nightclub that was a haven of hedonism, tolerance, glitz and glamor. The film tells the story of how Studio 54 became a raging success, only to fall victim to a financial scandal. Also on Monday: “Arrow” (8 p.m., The CW) ”The Neighborhood” (8 p.m., CBS) “The Resident” (8 p.m., Fox) “Antiques Roadshow” (8 p.m., PBS) “WWE Monday Night Raw” (8 p.m., USA) “Kids Baking Championship” (8 p.m., Food Network) “Love & Hip Hop New York” (8 p.m., VH1) “Man With a Plan” (8:30 p.m., CBS) “Big Brother: Celebrity Edition” (9 p.m., CBS) “Vanderpump Rules” (9 p.m., Bravo) “Teen Mom 2” (9 p.m., MTV) “Killer Couples” (9 p.m., Oxygen) “Bull” (10 p.m., CBS) “Manifest” (10 p.m., NBC) “House Hunters” (10 p.m., HGTV)<doc-sep>
Tonight is the 2019 finals of America’s Got Talent‘s special edition of AGT: The Champions. And, while many believed that there would be 12 finalists in the mix, there are actually 13, as an extra wildcard contestant was added, according to spoilers on the AGT Wikipedia page. Get to know more about each of the contestants who are appearing on tonight’s finals episode for AGT in our rundown below. The contestants are listed in the order that they appear on the show. Cristina Ramos – This talented singer opens the show with her unique rendition of the song “Call Me” by Blondie. Preacher Lawson – Comedian Lawson delivers another stand-up routine and this week’s focuses on fitness. Darci Lynne Farmer – Farmer is one of the wildcard contestants and she is a previous AGT winner. For her act on tonight’s show, she uses her beloved pupped Petunia, who performs Opera. Deadly Games – This daredevil duo stuns with another routine, full of knife throwing and a crossbow. This season, they received the golden buzzer from judge Heidi Klum. Deadly Games Performs Their MOST DANGEROUS ACT YET! – America's Got Talent: The ChampionsWe're SCREAMING! The dangerous duo includes THE JUDGES in their terrifying, death-defying performance. » Get The America's Got Talent App: bit.ly/AGTAppDownload » Subscribe for More: bit.ly/AGTSub » Stream Anytime: bit.ly/AGTFullEpisodes AMERICA'S GOT TALENT ON SOCIAL Like AGT: facebook.com/agt Follow AGT: twitter.com/agt AGT Tumblr: nbcagt.tumblr.com/ AGT Instagram: instagram.com/agt "America’s Got Talent: The Champions" brings together the… 2019-02-10T14:00:00.000Z Kechi Okwuchi – The singing plane crash survivor is back and tonight, she sings a ballad on the show. Brian Justin Crum – Crum performs a pleasant rendition of the song “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman. Jon Dorenbos – The athletic magician truly stuns tonight, with an elaborate magic trick involving the judges. He is the other wildcard contestant in the mix. Angelica Hale – This 11-year-old singer does her best to deliver a powerful performance for the judges, but can she stand up against some of the stiff competition? Kseniya Simonova – Simonova is an incredible performance artist, who uses sand art for her act. Tonight, she tells a beautiful story by using her artistic talents with sand. Paul Potts – This Opera singer takes the stage to deliver a strong performance. Shin Lim – Magician Shin Lim appears on the finals with an act full of illusions and a card trick. Susan Boyle – Boyle was judge Mel B’s golden buzzer this season and tonight, she performs a song from Les Miserables. Susan Boyle Sings The Iconic "I Dreamed A Dream" – America's Got Talent: The ChampionsSusan Boyle became a household name after performing this song on Britain's Got Talent. Pre-order Susan's new album 'TEN' now: smarturl.it/SusanBoyleTEN » Get The America's Got Talent App: bit.ly/AGTAppDownload » Subscribe for More: bit.ly/AGTSub » Stream Anytime: bit.ly/AGTFullEpisodes AMERICA'S GOT TALENT ON SOCIAL Like AGT: facebook.com/agt Follow AGT: twitter.com/agt AGT Tumblr: nbcagt.tumblr.com/ AGT Instagram: instagram.com/agt… 2019-02-08T14:00:07.000Z The finals air from 8 – 10 p.m. ET/PT and 7 – 9 p.m. CT, and they are pre-taped. Next week, the finale will air on February 18, 2019. Terry Crews was a new addition to the show this season, taking over the hosting duties for Tyra Banks. Season 14 of America’s Got Talent will have another cast shake-up. Crews will return, as will judges Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel, but the other two judges are out. Heidi Klum and Mel B will not be coming back next season. The new judges are actress Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough. Hough made a name for herself and on Dancing With the Stars and later became a judge on the series so this will not be her first time on a judges’ panel.