Regardless of what you think about reality television competition shows, you can't dispute the cultural impact of America’s Got Talent. The series has become one of the most popular TV shows of modern times, with many participants going on to become worldwide sensations.
After 14 seasons, there has been a diverse range of AGT winners. While the vast majority have been singers or musicians, other acts have also been crowned champion over the last 15 years. This includes magicians, dancers, and even ventriloquists.
Of course, that makes judging exactly who is the best winner of America’s Got Talent incredibly difficult - each of the champions is so distinct. That hasn’t stopped us from trying to do exactly that, though, by taking into account factors such as talent and continued success.
14 Grace VanderWaal Is One Of The Best Singers From The Show
Grace VanderWaal took the USA by storm after appearing in the 11th season of America’s Got Talent. The young singer and songwriter quickly became a firm favorite to win the competition. She did not disappoint when it came to the live shows. Her young age and sheer natural talent put her among the best winners.
13 Terry Fator Helped Rejuvenate The Art Of Ventriloquism
Terry Fator rose to fame after appearing on the second season of America’s Got Talent. The ventriloquist and comedian had a bit of everything. He could tell jokes, sing, and do a wide array of impressions. It’s no surprise that he won the main prize...and quickly signed a lucrative contract to perform in Las Vegas.
12 Shin Lim Is A Magician Who Amazed Audiences
Shin Lim has become a familiar face on television over the last few years. As well as appearing on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, he was a finalist on Season 13 of America’s Got Talent. He went on to win the show - he would later also be crowned champion on America’s Got Talent: The Champions. The magician has also headlined in Las Vegas, dazzling fans with his close-up magical ability.
11 Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. Won Thanks To His Exceptional Singing
Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. is a jazz singer who won the sixth season of America’s Got Talent in 2014. After being crowned champion, he signed with Sony Records and released a number of albums, including That’s Life, which made it to No. 34 on the official charts.
10 Darci Lynne Farmer’s Ventriloquist Skills Put Most Performers To Shame
Darci Lynne Farmer was the third female performer to win America’s Got Talent. She followed hot on the heels of Grace VanderWaal by winning the 12th season of the talent show. Another youngster with immeasurable talent, Farmer demonstrated not only a great singing ability but also exceptional ventriloquist skills.
9 Mat Franco Was The First Magician To Win
There have been a few successful magicians on America’s Got Talent over the years. Mat Franco is arguably one of the best, as demonstrated by the fact that he won Season 9 of the reality TV series. His popularity and skill were so great that he even got his own show.
8 Kenichi Ebina Was A Truly Experimental Dancer
Dancers have had less success on America’s Got Talent, compared to similar shows in other countries. Even Kenichi Ebina, who won Season 8 of the show, could not be classified as just a dancer. His routines often incorporated many other elements and have made him successful since his champion performance in 2013.
7 Kodi Lee’s Singing And Piano Skills Impressed Everyone
Kodi Lee might be one of the most recognizable people on this list, simply because he won the most recent edition of the talent reality show. The singer not only has a great voice but showed his skills on the piano, regularly playing the instrument on stage.
6 Bianca Ryan Blew People Away With Her Voice
Bianca Ryan was the first child who managed to make it to the final and win America’s Got Talent. At the age of just 11, she was crowned champion and the winner of the first season of the reality series. Since then, she has released a number of albums and singles, although she did put her career on hold in order to finish her education.
5 Paul Zerdin Is Another Great Ventriloquist
America’s Got Talent has developed into a great way for ventriloquists to claim the spotlight and build awesome careers. Several have even gone on to win the competition, including Paul Zerdin. The British performer won the show in 2015, after appearing on the 10th season of the show. He has gone on to appear in The Champions editions of the show, in both the UK and the USA.
4 Few Dog Acts Have Been As Good As The Olate Dogs
The Olate Dogs are one of the few dog acts that have been successful on reality TV competition shows. Chilean, Richard Olate, has been teaching dogs his whole life and continued to instruct canines after moving to America. Since their success on America’s Got Talent, the group has appeared in commercials and performed at sporting events.
3 Opera Singer, Neal E. Boyd, Proved To Be A Hit
Neal E. Boyd won the third season of America’s Got Talent, stunning the audience with his opera and classical singing. Before his unfortunate death in 2018, he sang in front of several presidents, including Barack Obama, and had a successful career for more than a decade.
2 Michael Grimm Was A Singer And Guitarist
Singer and songwriter, Michael Grimm, won America’s Got Talent’s fifth season, becoming popular with fans thanks to his fantastic voice and original music. Following several releases, he later appeared on America's Got Talent: The Champions. However, he was eliminated at an early stage, demonstrating that he was not quite as popular as he used to be.
1 Kevin Skinner Faded From The Spotlight After Winning
Despite winning the fourth season of America’s Got Talent, the country singer, Kevin Skinner, has somewhat faded from the public eye. He has had limited public appearances in recent years, and many fans have probably forgotten about the former champion.