America’s Got Talent Winner Revealed — Did the Right Act Win Season 16?
America welcomed a new winner on Wednesday, and they’re very talented. After nearly four full months of fierce competition — plus whatever the heck Sethward was — Season 16 of America’s Got Talent revealed its latest champion in a star-studded extravaganza of… you know, American talent.
The two-hour event also featured performances by and appearances from Adele Dazeem Idina Menzel, Pentatonix, Bishop Briggs, George Lopez, Rico Rodriguez, Olympians Jordan Chiles and MyKayla Skinner, and AGT Season 9 winner Mat Franco.
Heading into Wednesday’s finale, aerialist Aidan Bryant was the clear frontrunner, with nearly 25 percent of TVLine readers expecting him to walk — er, fly — away with the grand prize. Following somewhat closely behind Bryant in our poll was comedian Josh Blue (13.75 percent), vocal machine Northwell Nurse Choir (13.4 percent) and quick-change magician Lea Kyle (10.8 percent).
Let’s see how did our readers’ predictions stack up against the actual results…
After 90 minutes of song and dance, America’s votes were revealed, instantly eliminating the following five acts: stand-up comedian Gina Brillon, singer Jimmie Herrod, martial arts group World Taekwondo Demonstration Team, singer Victory Brinker and the Northwell Health Nurse Choir.
That left stand-up comedian Josh Blue, quick-change artist Lea Kyle, aerialist Aidan Bryant, singer Brooke Simpson and magician Dustin Tavella as the season’s Top 5. Then came the final moments of truth, as those five were eliminated one by one. All told, here’s how things shook out, including “the closest Top 2 vote in the show’s history”:
FIFTH | Lea Kyle
FOURTH | Brooke Simpson
THIRD | Josh Blue
SECOND | Aidan Bryant
That means Dustin Tavella has officially won the $1 million prize, along with a spot in America’s Got Talent Las Vegas Live at Luxor Hotel and Casino this fall.
Your thoughts on this season’s winner? Did the Top 5 shake out as you expected? However you’re feeling right now, drop a comment below.
Awesome, he was so good.. he deserves it.
Dustin was not there to trick us. He was no magician in the traditional sense. He worked his magic to deliver messages we all need to pay very close attention to. He was so talented. I agree, he very much deserves recognition as a winner.
Adian and Dustin were my top two.
Surprised Dustin didn’t make top 5 on poll.
I happy but I would have been just as happy if Adian won.
I definitely agree!!!
So mad that wack ass Vanilla Ice magician won. BS! He was corny as hell.
Apparently corny was what america needed and enjoyed today.
I have to agree with you. I would much rather watch Adan do his flying routines, he is so good and self taught, I wouldn’t pay money to see Dustin, he bored me and was too slow.
I can’t remember what he did already. Very unexciting. I would NOT pay to see him.
Personally I thought he was really boring
Same. One can get a good nap at one of his shows at least. 😴
I guess we weren’t watching the same guy but you know each their own. TBH with his storytelling element I can see it not being everyone’s cup of tee.
I personally got few cries from his performance but you know we all feel differently
Yaks.
Dude, this guy was so boring and the family schtick was getting old…fast. Talk about a dark horse. Sympathy vote? Most likely. His corny, soft pause delivery, feels more at home at a youth summer camp or cult.
Me to only did one trick and talked through most of the time. Not much magic at sll.
Agree. Very disappointed
Me too very boring mostly talking very little magic.
I saw him make 2 mistakes last night! I was surprised he was even in the top 5!
Care to share…
I know the word vs phrase might have been slip up.
When they were showing a close up of his hands, I saw a piece of paper that he was trying to hide between 2 fingers. After that, I saw another piece of paper that fell out from his hands that wasn’t supposed to.
Yep! Definitely. His basic handwork is weak. I’m shocked he won.
I know I’m not going to pay to see him, anywhere.
One of them I could see the hidden papers in his fingers. He is not good at all.
He did not make a mistake. Your just mad your person didn’t win ahah
No he’s right. I saw the screw ups also.
Rewatch the act. Clearly he screwed up. You’re to swept up in his boring banter to be objective.
Good but not the best.
Another Magician to do a show in Vegas? Big Yawn!! Don’t see his show lasting long there.
That’s exactly what he was- corny Vanilla Ice. He was talentless and the show’s winners typically don’t deserve it. Victory was excellent. I knew America wouldn’t vote for an opera singer though. The wrong person won.
Dustin pulled on the heartstrings of America and while he is very good, it’s not why he won.
Aiden should have one.
Well said!
Whatever he did it worked…he won.
In someone’s that’s what competitons like this are.
Do happy with this top 2, they were my favorites. Aidan was my absolute favorite, besides his talent he had such a great story. Dustin’s been around for awhile, and has a new family so I’m sure he can use the money and the headliner
job. And Aidan still gets a new car. Josh is very funny, but he won a big competition before, and he will still do great in a show in Vegas.
When they say he’ll headline the new AGT show at the Luxor it is going to be only anywhere from a couple of nights to perhaps a week…he did not win a residency position with this new, upcoming show on the Las Vegas Strip.
I meant headlining in Vegas anywhere. The strip has a lot of AGT winners and runnersup headlining a show there. I can think of 4 right off the top of my head.
Garbage. Total garbage.
I am happy with the outcome. Dustin and Aidan were my top 2 so either way I was okay with it. As for the top 5, that was fine too. Of all the singers, Brooke would have been my top choice so I was happy to see her in the top 5.
Boring long drawn out I too saw his mistakes only blame nerves I guess, I think the same kind of acts are all over Vegas and Aiden too Many similar acts He will get something Only his age stops him for now. The ones I felt where something different was the Taekwondo and Quick changes Anyway AGT was boring long to me and I a fan
Yeah, Brooke was great. I think she outsang the “professional” tonight on the artist’s own song.
That’s the same thing my roommate said!! She would have been my choice to win
I thought so too. She was by far better than the professional.
ChapKidz should have been in the final. They would have made a great LV act.
I totally agree. She owned the stage. She did not just sing she performed!!!
She upped her game every time. She was amazing. She has Simon’s respect and support too.
Yes!!! Brooke was so much better than Bishop Briggs.
I was thinking that very same thing that she did better than the professional and I thought the same thing with Jimmy Herod With idina Menzel.
Should have been Lea Kyle! Though Dustin WAS amazing
AGT needs to stop lying about the supposed $1 Million prize. It’s a discounted present value of that, paid over many years. It’s very disingenuous to keep saying the winner “walks away with a million dollars”.
You mean like winning the lottery!???!!! Not throwing shade, just sarcasm . It’s a great question/point/pitfall …. Unfortunately AGT has to follow tax law too
If the winner takes the lump sum they get about $200K. Then minus taxes. “This is revealed in a disclaimer at the end of the AGT credits, which reads: “The prize, which totals $1,000,000, is payable in a financial annuity over forty years, or the contestant may choose to receive the present cash value of such annuity.” That works out as $25,000 a year for 40 years.”
Most winners of AGT and everybody else whom tv air was some what equal can make up to 5 million dollars in booking in less than 3 years. I would rather have $60k as cushion every year.
Terry Fator still making 15 million dollars in Vegas, Kelly Clarkson has 3 tv shows, Darcy Lane travel around the globe with a net worth of 4m she is not even 15, and the list goes on.
an AGT contestant whom made to finales it’s definitely a millionaire know.
Kelly Clarkson wasn’t on AGT. She was the first AMERICAN IDOL.
Darcy is 16
Kelly Clarkson was on American Idol, not AGT. Terry Fator is doing well but he’s not making that much per year, even before the pandemic but esp now with all the COVID interruptions. None of your other numbers are even close to accurate.
Did you read the fine print? It’s a million dollars over 40 YEARS!!! Give me a break!
They can afford to pay out a million at once. Come on!
And no, it’s not like the lottery. You can get a lump sum that’s a greater amount than… $25,000 a year. That’s below the poverty level. LOL!!
It is like the lottery. The lump sum is greater than the $25,000.
Yep, it’s actually even less than the $25,000 a year, besides effects of inflation and taxes, there’s all kinds of fine print in the contracts that much of the amount designated to be paid out to an AGT winner (whether as a lump sum or annuity) is “extracted” back by AGT to cover various “operating expenses” and partnerships. Meaning that contestants actually earn far, far less than the $25K per year EVEN BEFORE TAXES. Very different than the game shows like the Wall btw, where there are actual rules and laws that govern the payment of real prizes which reality shows like AGT (they’re “variety shows” after all) aren’t subject to.
And then in practice there are usually other subtle expenses too, meaning that the actual amount of the cash prize (again, even before taxes and inflation) doesn’t come anywhere close to a million dollars. It’s basically just a figurehead number that America’s Got Talent uses for the host and judges to bring up before the commercial breaks. Terry Fator, Shin Lim, Michael Grimm, Kodi Lee and even Brandon Leake last year all pointed out that the actual cash value of the prize was far less than the headline and wasn’t really close enough to live on. The only actual value is in the potential to launch your career, which is where Terry and Shin have made their real money.
It’s $1M dollars over 40 years! That’s only $25K a year. In 40 years you will probably spend that much for a night in Vegas.
I’m sorry Tim but you have it wrong. The winner has a choice to choose between the million dollars in one lump sum, which of course the IRS will get close to 40% of it or the winner can choose to receive $25,000 a year for 40 years. Those were the 2 choices my friend here in Las Vegas, Michael Grimm had when he won the 5th season of AGT.
Unfortunately Dr. Love, you are incorrect. The winner may take the present value of the 1,000,000 annuitized prize. That’s not 1 million, it’s what would be initially invested that with interest over 40 years would grow to 1 million. Please refer to the disclaimer at the end of the show.
It’s irrelevant what your “friend, Michael Grimm” says he was offered. The only thing you definitely state as factual is what the show posts as a disclaimer.
FYI assuming only a very conservative interest rate of 2.25% and annuitized payments over 40 years of $25k, the cash value paid out if selected would be just under $670K before federal, state, and local taxes. Those taxes would, depending on the state and locality would be between 35 and 42%. Therefore the actual monies received would likely be $389 -$436k after taxes. That’s nothing to sneeze at.
Such crap….the Nurses Chior was so much better. Has America lost its friggin mind>?
This was the issue with them. They’re nurses — in New York. If they went to Vegas to be a show, kinda takes away their primary occupation. And honestly, without the (great btw) back story, they’re simply okay and not great as a choir.
Agree.
I wanted Aiden to win, he was best. Dustin’s act was too slow and sappy, magic tricks not very tricky, sort of boring.
After last year we did not watch competition this year. Anyone was an improvement after the spoken word farce!
Absolutely agree. Couldn’t stand the guy from last year, for multiple reasons.
Lea could have easily won. No complaints over the outcome!
Great….has our vote!
Brilliant he deserves it
YES!!! YES!!! YES!!!
AMERICA MADE THE BEST CHOICE FOR THE MILLION DOLLAR ACT….CONGRATULATIONS DUSTIN!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
🛐👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😁😁😁🙏🏻
Absolutely, He had meaning in everything he done. Passion and concern for everybody. He told a story in every act he done. That’s what we need more of compassion and care for everyone.
So many amazing performers! I believe the final 5 all deserved to win, but the winner was in my opinion the best. He was beyond amazing. His kindness and faith was inspiring. Great season.
De
This was a show worth $5,000,000 and they should add winners.
By far the best talent — My top 5 – Jimmie, Victory, Dustin, Aiden, and the Taekwondo.
Every one of them should be getting contracts. Those nurses should have their own channel for all hospitals.
Greatest show — Americans need to switch off the political dram and tune in. THANK YOU for a great great season, Simon and the entire crew at AGT.
Victory is obviously talented for a 9-year old. But you watch her performances, especially in semi’s and finals, it was pretty obvious defects… voice changing? Needing professional training. It was a “set-up” that the judges, especially Simon, wouldn’t point this out.
As to the Taekwondo — amazing leaping aside, the balsa wood breaking got really old (overused). The whole act was boringly repetitive.
I saw several boards not break last night ,he just kicked them out of their hands
Pentatonix , professionals, sang opera much better than victory. Victory’s nerves were obvious in her voice. Agree that she should continue with voice training as she grows up.
Brooke Simpson Should have been winner good performances every week,beautiful voice
Dustin second a few mistakes
Adian seen his talent same tricks before many times
before nothing new
Dear Simon
Please come up with a unique twist just for singers Some other show Who knows You’re the expert here Apparently folks are tired of voting for them What a disappointment Without the singers’ natural talents viewership would be so down
Disappointed again & I watch very little TV I mean really what a waisted season by having the best ever singers ignored back to back seasons WOW WOW WOW
I thought the choir health group or Victory should have won
I loved the nurse choir! Unfortunately, if they had gotten the Vegas show, they would have had to give up on what makes them who they are, which is nursing.
They still perform in Vegas. It’s part of the agt touring thing. Their not headline though
Yes Victory should have gotten a victory! America is too stupid to vote for an opera singer though.
I couldn’t decide on my own vote, so I can understand how it turned out so close. So many great choices! My two top faves were Aiden and Dustin; I’m happy.
Done with AGT……. Seen it all!!!! Can anyone create a good sitcom???
Ditto
I say that every year. No more for me. This year I mean.
Boo to AGT
Paula Paul…exactly what hubby said last night as he walked in the room…ha ha ha ha!!!
Josh was the most original one considering his handicap, and the Aidan. Dustin was not a fave at all.
Josh was outstanding. Laughed hard
I did too – he’s good. Wishing him a successful career!