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Who Came In 2nd Place on America's Got Talent 2024? (SPOILERS)
AGT crowned its 2024 winner, but this runner-up is still one to watch closely.
Warning: AGT spoilers ahead!
America's Got Talent Season 19 has come to a close and fans now know who ultimately took home the grand prize. However, this runner-up captivated audiences every time they took the stage. As a result, many fans may still want to keep tabs on where this electrifying Act goes with the wind of a second-place finish on AGT at their back.
Spoilers ahead for AGT Season 19.
Who came in second on AGT 2024?
Anything we can do, a dog can do better. That’s the lesson learned from Roni Sagi and Rhythm, the human and dog dancing duo who took second place on America’s Got Talent Season 19. These best friends and dancing partners came all the way from Israel to share their talents, and the deck was stacked against them.
A dancing dog took the top spot during AGT season 18, leaving Roni and Rhythm big shoes and paw prints to fill. From the very beginning, they proved they were up to the task. Following their Audition, Simon Cowell said that Rhythm was a better dancer than many of the human performers he’s seen on the show.
Following their first Act (to Sia’s “California Dreamin”), they dropped jaws time after time, dancing to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” in the Quarterfinal and “Flashdance…What a Feeling” by Irene Cara in the Semifinal. With every performance, Roni and Rhythm showed all of us that sometimes the best way to follow your dreams isn’t to walk or to run, but to dance.
Roni Sagi and Rhythm dance to “Scars To Your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara
Not so long ago, Sagi was working an office job she hated, so she quit and started looking for a happier life. That decision led her to Rhythm and, ultimately, to the AGT Finals.
“When I met Rhythm, I suddenly started to feel like my life has a purpose,” Sagi said.
RELATED: You Won't Believe Your Eyes Seeing AGT Border Collie, Rhythm, Dance to Flashdance
“We have one last chance to dance together on this incredible stage. I feel like I’m the most blessed person in the world, because I get to do the thing I love the most with my best friend, and I get to share it with the entire world. I don’t know if you can ask for anything more than that,” Sagi said, before taking to the AGT stage the Finals.
The show started silent and still, the pair of them spotlighted from above and Rhythm’s name written in diamonds across a starry sky, in the background. As the music began, Rhythm spun perfect circles, weaving between Sagi’s legs and leaping over the top of his dancing partners. He looks, while dancing, like the happiest dog on Earth. He moves like a dog running gleefully through an open field, only this field is on the world stage.
A dancing dog could be a gimmick, or a joke, but it isn’t. Rhythm dance like a human would. He dances, instead, in ways that only a dog can. Rhythm and Sagi pull off moves that require speed and agility only a dog can achieve. More than that, they require complete trust between both partners. Rhythm leaps into the air, believing that Sagi will be there to catch him on the other side, if only both of them hit their marks. The result is an Act you have to see to believe. Even that might not be enough. “Is this a real dog?” asked host Terry Crews, when the performance ended.
What the Judges had to say about Roni Sagi and Rhythm’s Final Performance
"I mean, come on. I swear, in my opinion that was perfection. Genuinely, it was,” Cowell began. “I’ve been doing this a long time, but I’ve never seen an act like this, as good as this. We have a big problem. Now, every time we see a dog come on this stage we’re just going to go, “Yeah, they’re not as good.” Seriously, how do you top that?”
Sofia Vergara’s love for Rhythm extends even beyond the dance floor. She was so enamored with his dancing ability that she used her time to make a pleading offer.
“Roni, just give him to me, I’ll give you the million dollars,” Vergara said, with hands outstretched. “You can come with me too, just give him to me, I beg you.”
“That dog is actually dancing!” said Howie Mandel. “The big decision America is going to have for the million dollars is, ‘Do I vote for people or puppies?’”
In the end, America voted for Richard Goodall to take home the prize, but Rhythm and Roni earned a close second place, not to mention a place in our hearts. The finale of AGT season 19 reminds us, to paraphrase an old adage, to sing like no one’s listening and dance like you’re a dog.
Catch up on all of AGT Season 19 on Peacock.
