Now, Leake is a poetry maven who tours the country. Brandon posted on his Instagram after his AGT tribute to her: Love you booboo, I hope that gift will forever remain in your heart. On Tuesday, Vergara tweeted that the emotional performance was "a great way to end the night!!! With the help of four other spoken word poets, he delivered a piece about his hometown of Stockton, California. All of the judges and Crews have now used their Golden Buzzers. Your season was filmed in 2020, in the thick of the global pandemic, so you didn't have a rapturous audience every week. The then 4-year-old adored being a big brother and couldn't wait for all the fun they'd have together. Are you close to your sister? asked Howie. I just want to compliment you on what you just did, because it was extraordinary, said a quieted Simon. "It's amazing to me that on Season 15, it's the first time that we're hearing somebody of spoken word," Mandel said. Position Reached For myself, it was like, this is my time. The NBC App is the best place to catch up on the most recent season of your favorite shows, watch live TV, and stream movies. Creator and Executive Producer Simon Cowell is back at the star-studded judges' table with fan-favorite comedian Howie Mandel. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Brandon received enough votes to advance to the Finals in Episode 1518 instead of Thomas Day. Read More 'AGT': Poet Brandon Leake wins star-studded finale with Duchess Meghan, Blake Shelton. Brandon Leake is AGT royalty. But America's Got Talent was a place that said, Hey, we'll welcome you if you're good. And fortunately for me, I was good enough to make the show the second time around. ), "It's been great to have all those guest judges, but I do miss Simon. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17, 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16, Golden Buzzer Brandon Leake Makes AGT History With Powerful Poetry - America's Got Talent 2020. Brandon met his biological father for the very first time on August 31, 2017 and he married Anna on September 2, 2017. Published on July 1, 2020 11:34 AM. I'm all too familiar with how some family reunions only ever take place on graveyard grass, and a hole can be a safe haven for a soul in this mortal game of hide and go seek. Following his victory just a year before, Leake returned to theAGTstage for a special guest performance during Season 16. Coming from a kid who was always concerned about looking cool, being cool, and doing cool stuff, it was really hard for me to relinquish that type of cool jacket off of myself, How communal the talent pool became. "My brother passed away the same year that your sister passed away," an emotional Vergara said. Leake, who is AGT's first-ever spoken word poet to compete, was among the standout performances of the night with his moving poem. In my early stages of doing spoken-word, there might've been five, 10 people in the crowd, but theres a level of professionalism you have to have. America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays (8 p.m. Most of us don't often walk in other people's shoes. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. There's something very, very special about you. I know what this is. Leake proceeded to vocalizethe painful processof mourning and accepting the death of his youngersister, Danielle Marie Gibson, who died in 1997, the same year Vergara lost her brother. Act Season 15 We are the ones who, as I said, capture history. Creative writing most certainly was an escape. Judge Simon Cowell was skeptical at first, telling Brandon, I don't really understand poetry, but Brandon assured him, I'm a great intro for you. But when 27-year-old Stockton poet, educator, and new father Brandon Leake performed in the final slot of this weeks AGT episode, he made up for that. Go behind-the-scenes, stay on top of breaking news, hang with the stars, and much more. His words captured the judges and drew a standing ovation. NBC Insider: How did you discover spoken-word poetry? It's either love or pain, one of the two. WINNER Brandon Leake All Performances on America's Got Talent!Audition - 0:05Quarterfinals - 5:03Semifinals - 10:01Finale - 14:59#AGT #AmericasGotTalent #TalentRecapFor more HD videos, news, analysis and recaps of America's Got Talent please subscribe \u0026 follow Talent Recap:https://talentrecap.com/For more HD full episode videos, news and recaps of your favorite talent show please subscribe \u0026 followTALENT RECAP ON SOCIAL:YouTube: https://goo.gl/6pybnwLike: https://www.facebook.com/talentrecap/Follow: https://twitter.com/TalentRecapInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talentrecap/ABOUT TALENT RECAP Talent Recap is the #1 independent website which is exclusively dedicated to the fans of the most popular talent shows around the world. "And we won. America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays and Wednesdays (at 8 p.m. I handicapped myself for years because I was too concerned with how people looked at me, how people perceived me. Now I get the chance to be on the forefront and show the world what spoken-word can do. KYLIE MAR: But Howie Mandel was most moved by Brandon's audition, as the judge ultimately decided to give him his Golden Buzzer. As Brandon began to recite his piece, he told the gut-punching story of his sister, who was four years younger than him, dying at just 8 months old. I've been ground-bound because she left Earth to go back home, amongst the stars right next to God. "My brother passed away the same year that your sister passed away," she said. In 2011, Vergara opened up about the death of her older brother Rafael in a Parade cover story, telling the magazine about how the tragedy affected her family members. (He even earned a Golden Buzzer.) Brandon's sister, who was four years younger than him, died at just 8 months old. According to Parade, Rafael was fatally shot in an attempted kidnapping in 1998. You are so amazing. Simon Cowell Is 'Very Happy' to Be Home 1 Week After Breaking His Back and Undergoing Surgery, Sofia Vergara Recalls Brother's Death During Powerful AGT Audition: 'I Can Feel Your Pain', AGT: Watch Archie Williams, Brandon Leake and More Season 15 Finalists Perform for $1M Prize. Later, Leake emotionally said, "My mother's greatest fear is that I won't return home breathing, blood pulsing through these veins enough to still be her Pookie. Brandon set up the group whilst at university, and began hosting open mic nights to raise money for kids suffering from domestic abuse to go to summer camps. A good number of us really cheered each other on, even when we were competitiveIf you do great, that doesn't mean I can't also be great. Public File for KMAX-TV / Good Day Sacramento. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories, "What an amazing tribute," said Cowell. Don't go out there chasing anybody else. Hours after the accident, Cowell underwent surgery during which he had a "number of fusions and metal rod" put into his back, a source previously told PEOPLE. There was really nowhere else to go. I gave her a hug afterwards and said, Hey, I didn't make it my first year, so keep trying. While you're trying to score tickets, take a walk down memory lane and catch every single one of Leake'sAGTperformances. But it was his first time, I believe, being moved by it the way I do it. Brandon won 'AGT' season 15 in September 2020, taking home $1 million prize money, a new Kia Stinger, and the chance to perform in Luxor Las Vegas. STOCKTON (CBS13) Putting yourself out there may not be easy, but sending a message that builds unity may be worth it. Photo: Trae Patton/NBC. And I know my sister would be proud of the way her brother has responded to all the things that have been thrown in my way.". AGT Season 17 premieres Tuesday, May 31 at 8 p.m. Just be you. I know what it is to have somebody taken from you without you knowing.". Brandon Leake's Semifinals performance in Episode 1517 consisted of reciting a spoken word poem in the form of letters to his dad about how he missed out on many of Brandon's major life moments, eventually making peace. Leake was the first-ever spoken word poet to win America's Got Talent. After the show, Mandel spoke with PEOPLE and praised Leake on the "imperative and important" message of his poem. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. And sometimes it designs these alternate realities where she is still here, still alive, and all the things I wish we could have done are played again and again and again, Brandon continued, as his voice began to quaver. Congratulations to Brandon Leake for WINNING Season 15 of America's Got Talent! You deserve the world and more. Brandon Leake's AGT Golden Buzzer Audition. There's really no other place to find a mainstream home. And then I just keep my shoulders from getting wet. "America's Got Talent" headed into uncharted territory Tuesday. The Stockton, California, native spoke about his mother's . What surprised you most about your AGT experience? Year after year, \"America's Got Talent\" features an impressive array of singers, dancers, comedians, contortionists, impressionists, magicians, ventriloquists and hopeful stars, all vying to win America's hearts and a $1 million prize.America's Got Talent is available now on Peacock, the new streaming service from NBCUniversal. Burt Bacharach, Legendary Composer Of Pop Songs, Dies At 94 . The Season 15 winner was the show's first-ever spoken word poet to compete. And season 15 will conclude on Sept. 22 and Sept. 23, when a winner will be crowned during the scheduled finale. Brandon received enough votes to advance to the Semifinals in Episode 1516 instead of CA Wildcats and Divas & Drummers of Compton. "I can feel your pain; I know what this is. NBC Insider is your all-access pass to some of your favorite NBC shows. Moved by his performance, Howie Mandel pressed his Golden Buzzer, sending Brandon directly to the Quarterfinals. SOFIA VERGARA: Yeah. Sofia Vergara was emotionally moved by this poetic America's Got Talent audition. Then, eight months later, Danielle passed away. Although the audience was missing, the talent was not. first episode of Season 15 impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, How 'AGT' is reshaping season during COVID-19, from no audiences to outdoor Judge Cuts, Sofia Vergara falls in her haste to get away from shocking eye-bulging rapper, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. There was another poet who was trying out with me. Male He finished ahead of Josh Blue but behind Kodi Lee, eliminating him from the competition. Brandon Leake, 27, a community college counselor in Stockton, California, wowed the judges with an emotional performance of a poem that paid tribute to his late sister, who died as a baby. The same way the Latino woman from Florida can relate to a young black kid from Cali," said Leake. His new book of poems, Unraveling, came out in March 2022, showcasing his singular artistry yet again. On the night he'd be crowned the winner ofSeason 15, Leake performed a brief, light-hearted spoken word poem aboutAGT. On Tuesday's episode of the competition series, 27-year-old Brandon Leake took . I shouldn't be judging it. I actually didn't think about that at all. With the show open to acts of all ages, \"America's Got Talent\" continues to celebrate the variety format like no other show on television. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Leake, a former high school English teacher from Stockton, California, had welcomed his first child 14 days prior to shooting the tryout. "This right here is genuinely a moment in which spoken word got a chance to be on the forefront of the American conscious," he said to People following his victory. The last 11 acts to compete for a spot in the semi-finals were roaster Alex Hooper, hand-balancing siblings Bello Sisters, spoken word artist (and Mandel's Golden Buzzer winner) Brandon Leake, singers Broken Roots, cheerleaders C.A. Brandon met his wife Anna at one of his shows in Stockton after she turned up with a mutual friend. It's the only consistent part of his process. Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel were back again without a guest judge or Simon Cowell, who broke his back on Aug. 8 at his Malibu, California, home when he fell off an electric bike. The poem touched every single Judge, but particularly Howie Mandel, who awarded Leake with a Golden Buzzer. First published on March 1, 2021 / 6:45 AM. ", RELATED VIDEO: Sofia Vergara Says She and Husband Joe Manganiello 'Haven't Had 1 Fight Yet' During Quarantine. That's the cost of love: caring for someone's so much that you can't imagine living life without them, staring at a grave. There was something more raw, in the way that it's like singing and talking and just being a human, a cappella no music, no nothing, just a raw heart beating in front of us, Howie marveled. There was really nowhere else to go. But it was very beautiful for me. 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