What does the Golden Buzzer mean on America’s Got Talent?
CONTESTANTS are allowed to breeze past the other talents when they have been bestowed the Golden Buzzer.
Any one of the judges on America’s Got Talent can reward an act with this honor.
What is the Golden Buzzer on America’s Got Talent?
The Golden Buzzer sends the entertainer straight to the live performances.
This means they get to skip other rounds of America’s Got Talent.
Saxophone player Avery Dixon received a Golden Buzzer from host Terry Crews on the season 17 premiere episode.
When the Golden Buzzer is pressed, the stage background lights up as gold – along with the judges’ X.
To add some extra pizazz, gold confetti also rains down on the stage.
Who gets a Golden Buzzer pick?
During the auditions, the four America’s Got Talent judges and the host are given the opportunity to push the Golden Buzzer for any act they like.
They only have one opportunity each per series to hit the buzzer.
Guest judges are able to push the button for their favorite performance during the Judge Cuts.
When was the Golden Buzzer introduced on America’s Got Talent?
In the ninth season in 2014, the show added a new format to the auditions in the form of the Golden Buzzer.
When it was initially used, the buzzer simply saved an act from elimination.
But in its first season, three of the acts given the buzzer were cut during Judgement Week, while the fourth was never even shown.
The only rule to the buzzer was that a judge could use it only once per season.
The rules were changed in season ten where the recipients of the buzzer were given a pass through to the quarter-finals.
In this season the eventual winner – ventriloquist Paul Zerdin – received the Golden Buzzer from guest judge Marlon Wayans.
From season 11 onwards the host was allowed to press the special button for an act.
After Zerdin won in 2015, four more Golden Buzzer acts have also triumphed in the competition:
- Grace VanderWaal, season 11 – Howie’s pick
- Darci Lynne, season 12 – Mel B’s pick
- Kodi Lee, season 13 – Gabrielle Union’s pick
- Brandon Leake, season 14 – Howie’s pick