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AGT 19 Reveals a Second Golden Buzzer Twist That Will Change Everything

Cue the golden confetti and screams of joy. AGT Season 19 is changing up the Golden Buzzer game.

By Grace Jidoun

The Golden Buzzers have been creating a lot of, well, buzz this season of America’s Got Talent. For the first time ever, Season 19 allowed the Judges to have not one but two Golden Buzzers in their arsenals, which allowed them to move their favorite contestants immediately to the next round of the competition.

How to Watch

Watch America’s Got Talent on NBC and Peacock

One thing’s for sure: there was no shortage of inspiring Acts that lit up the stage during the Auditions. Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Simon Cowell, Sophia Vergara and Host Terry Crews (who had one) were slamming that buzzer like nobody’s business, and the golden confetti rained down on twice as many contestants as usual.

Now, another Golden Buzzer twist has been introduced to shake up the Live Quarterfinals beginning Tuesday, August 13, on NBC. For the first time in the show’s nearly two-decade history, the Judges will have a “Live” buzzer to fast-track their favorites to the Finals. This means more talent can get a golden ticket and jettison ahead to the end of the competition, even if the vote among the Judges isn’t unanimous. In an already high-stakes competition, the Live Round Golden Buzzer is sure to inspire the performers to kick it up a few notches — if that’s even possible.

The change came after the Judges advocated for more buzzers to honor the overwhelming amount of talent in Season 19, and their wish was granted. Now, in each Quarterfinal, one Judge will be given a Golden Buzzer for the night, which means they’ll have some difficult decisions ahead of them.

Who will be performing?

Terry Crews holds a large metal trophy on America's Got Talent Episode 1908.

A staggering 44 Acts will perform over the course of four Quarterfinal episodes, each one uniquely awe-inspiring. A slew of incredible performers will be charming their way into viewer’s hearts and hoping one of the Judges reaches for that coveted Live Show Golden Buzzer. America’s vote will then determine which additional three Acts will advance to the next round.   

Just to brush up on the rules, in the semifinals, a total of 12 Acts will compete, with half eligible to move forward. The six Acts that receive the most votes from the viewers will then join the four Live Show Golden Buzzer winners in a showstopping two-night finale that will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 17, and conclude on the following Tuesday, Sept. 24.  

How to watch the Live Shows

The whole gang returns to the Pasadena Civic Auditorium for seven action-packed weeks of Live Shows. The Quarterfinals kick off the festivities and run for the first four weeks, starting on Tuesday, August 13 at 8/7c on NBC. Result shows will air the following night on Wednesdays after each Live Show, beginning August 14 at 8/7c.

If you missed any of the action during the Audition Rounds, now’s a great time to catch up on past episodes of America's Got Talent on Peacock.