Advertisement

AGT : Watch Archie Williams, Brandon Leake and More Season 15 Finalists Perform for $1M Prize

Chris Haston/NBC (3)

Season 15 of America's Got Talent has reached the final round of the competition!

On Tuesday, the top 10 acts performed for audiences one last time and proved to viewers why they should be chosen as the champion and winner of the $1 million prize as well as a headlining gig in Las Vegas.

After months of unprecedented changes because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and switches to the judges' panel (Heidi Klum fell ill in March and Simon Cowell broke his back in August), the NBC series adjusted to filming at the Universal Studios Hollywood lot instead of its usual Dolby Theatre venue.

This year, six singers battle head-to-head for the crown on a slate of finalists that also includes the show's first-ever spoken word artist as well as three acts with heart-pounding choreography. Watch all the finalists below:

Archie Williams

Among the most-talked-about acts this season is Williams, who was wrongly convicted of aggravated rape and attempted murder in Louisiana at age 22. At the 12-year mark of his prison sentence, Williams reached out to the Innocence Project with a request for the organization to exonerate him. Years later, his case was overturned due to the fingerprints found at the scene of the crime matching a serial rapist, and he was released from prison in March 2019 after being incarcerated for more than 36 years.

Williams had a standout audition with his rendition of Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me." Then, during the quarterfinals, he performed a moving cover of Steve Wonder's "Love's in Need of Love Today," receiving praise from guest judge Kelly Clarkson. And in the semifinals, during which he was saved by the judges, he sang Westlife's "Flying Without Wings."

On Tuesday's finals, Williams sang The Beatles classic "Blackbird," which judge Sofia Vergara called his best performance. "I hear this song differently than I ever did before ... like The Beatles wrote this song for you," Heidi Klum said.

"I feel like you're already a winner," judge Howie Mandel said.

RELATED: How Simon Cowell Is 'Building Strength in His Back' 6 Weeks Post-Op as AGT Finale Arrives

Roberta Battaglia

On Tuesday, the 11-year-old from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, kicked off the show and sang Alessia Cara's "Scars to Your Beautiful."

The singer has impressed audiences throughout the competition especially after earning Vergara's Golden Buzzer. "You have a special place in my heart, you're perfect," Vergara said after Battaglia's finals performance.

During the audition round, Battaglia won the coveted golden honor with her cover of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's Oscar-winning song "Shallow", and for the live quarterfinals, the pre-teen performer sang Lauren Daigle's "You Say." Then in the semifinals, Battaglia had the honor of closing the show with a moving rendition of Pink's hit "What About Us."

Daneliya Tuleshova

The 14-year-old singer from Kazakhstan, who sang Sia's "Alive" for the finals, has consistently proven she's a star on the rise. "You are flawless ... you get better and better," Vergara said.

Tuleshova wowed the judges with her audition performance of "Tears Of Gold" by Faouzia. Then, during the quarterfinal round, she sang an impressive cover of Harry Styles' hit "Sign of the Times." And in the semifinals, she won viewers' votes with her soulful rendition of "Who You Are" by Jessie J.

Kenadi Dodds

The 15-year-old aspiring country singer was among those who auditioned for guest judge Eric Stonestreet, who enjoyed her original song. Dodds is the only singing act to make it to the finals with only original music.

And for her last performance, Dodds changed her strategy by belting out Carrie Underwood's "Love Wins."

"I sometimes think of you as a young Taylor Swift," Klum told the Utah native, even foreseeing a country music award in her future.

Broken Roots

Austin and Joey of Broken Roots sang "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins for their finals performance. "You guys had to fight a little harder after the judges sent you home and you really showed us wrong," Klum said.

The pair were previously eliminated in the Judge Cut rounds but returned to the show as a replacement for singer Thomas Day. Broken Roots' playlist throughout the competition includes "Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi (audition), "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 (quarterfinals) and "God's Country" (semifinals).

Cristina Rae

Klum's Golden Buzzer-winning singer, who sang Imagine Dragons' "Demons" on the finals, captivated audiences with her vocal talents and her passion to provide for her son Jeremiah. The single mom from Nashville sang two songs, Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" and The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter," in the audition round. Then, Rae mesmerized fans with her cover of "Hallelujah" in the live shows before moving on to the semifinals for which she performed "Jump" from the motion picture Step.

Aerial act Alan Silva

For the finals, the high-flying acrobat performed drenched in water with a background of pyrotechnics, sparklers and a towering waterfall. "This was so artistic, the water, the fire, it was so exciting," Vergara said.

On Wednesday, his brother Alfredo Silva, who competed on season 11 with Deadly Games, will perform on the results show.

Spoken word artist Brandon Leake

For the finals, Leake, who is Mandel's Golden Buzzer winner and AGT's first-ever spoken word poet to compete, dedicated a loving poem in the form of a prayer to his young daughter. "You leave me speechless ... You're amazing," Mandel said after Leake's final poem.

The Stockton, California, native, who tried out in 2017 but did not make the cut at the time, performed a powerful poem about his late sister in the audition round and a moving Black Lives Matter piece for the quarterfinals. And in the semifinals, Leake made fans emotional with his poem about growing up with an absent father.

Hand balancing trio Bello Sisters

For the finals, Loren, Celine and Joline Bello performed in Germany with a special appearance from their father. "I think these three beautiful strong women deserve a place [in the finals]" Vergara said.

The acrobatic trio, who range in ages 14-22, was previously saved by Klum in the quarterfinals.

Dance duo BAD Salsa

Longtime friends Sonali Majumdar, 15, and Maraju Sumanth, 21, from Kolkata, India, have introduced their art form to the American audiences with their upbeat dancing and high-flying choreography. The duo, who won season 4 of India's Got Talent in 2012, has been performing in India after their audition in Pasadena, California, due to the pandemic and way put through to the live finals by the judges.

And for the finals, BAD Salsa arrived in the U.S. on Sunday to perform live on the Universal lot. "It's one of my favorite acts that I've seen in my life," Vergara told them after their finals performance.

In addition to the results on Wednesday, Blake Shelton, Usher, One Republic, Ava Max, Bishop Briggs, J.P. Saxe and Julia Michaels will be performing their latest hits.

America's Got Talent airs Tuesday and Wednesday on NBC.