Howie Mandel Fulfills 14-Year-Old Singer’s Dream With Second Golden Buzzer

America’s Got Talent returned on Tuesday for the sixth night of season 19’s audition rounds with a strict focus on serious contenders. Judges were quick to veto subpar acts with a flurry of red buzzers and "no" votes during the first half of the two-hour episode.

The evening’s lineup included an array of performers: saxophonists, jugglers, singers, dance crews, a balancing act, stunt performers, and even medieval combat reenactors. Host Terry Crews guided the audience through the auditions, all under the discerning eyes of judges Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Simon Cowell. As the night wore on, the audience and judges alike yearned for a show-stopping performance.

Enter 14-year-old Reid Wilson from Alabama. With his mom cheering him on from the wings, the young singer charmed the judges even before his performance began. Reid’s rendition of Lesley Gore’s iconic song "You Don’t Own Me" left everyone in awe.

"I think you’re absolutely incredible," Klum said. "I love how you also took your mic off and then you just gave a little bit more stage presence. Well done."

Cowell also praised the teen, saying, "I shut my eyes for a moment when you were singing just to listen to your voice, and then I opened them again, and there’s this sweet, young kid."

However, it was Mandel’s reaction that took the spotlight. "First of all, you’re just a 14-year-old kid from Alabama. So I would imagine — I put myself in your position — you were very nervous, and you did come off incredibly nervous," Mandel admitted. "But that stage is where dreams come true. Do you believe in dreams? Well, one of them is about to come true."

With those words, Mandel slammed the Golden Buzzer, enveloping Reid in golden confetti and securing his place in the competition’s next round.

This season has already seen Mandel use his Golden Buzzer once before, rewarding Brent Street, a talented dance crew from Sydney, Australia, during week 4.

In addition to Reid’s memorable performance, the night also featured several other standout acts:

Super Silva Jr., Dance Crew Espiritu, Alex Sampson, Praveen Prajapat, B. Thompson, and Balloon Taro each delivered captivating performances that impressed the judges and audience alike.

In an earlier conversation with ET on the AGT red carpet, the judges discussed why having a second Golden Buzzer this season is a game changer. "Talent is subjective. When you put a singer next to a dancer, next to a danger act, next to a magician — they each need their own buzzer!" Crews explained. "I just think it’s perfect! And I’ve said this before, AGT is consistently evolving… [and] it’s getting better every time a new evolution comes out."

Simon Cowell, who created America’s Got Talent and serves as an executive producer, came up with the idea for the second Golden Buzzer. He shared that the idea occurred to him due to the immense effort and time contestants invest in their acts. "People fly in from all over the world, as well as the American artists, and you are seeing the [amazing] things," Cowell shared. "The 70 times I’ve just gone, ‘How did you come up with that idea?!’ That’s what I love about the show, you know? It continues to surprise you."

America’s Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Source: Entertainment Tonight, Particle News