America’s Got Talent is adding another step between the auditions and live shows, giving 23 contestants one more opportunity to convince the judges that they belong in the Season 21 competition.
The new Judges’ Callbacks round moves selected performers away from the familiar AGT stage and into smaller sessions led by Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofía Vergara and Mel B.
Celebrity guests will help the judges evaluate the acts before 16 of the 23 earn the remaining places in the live shows.
Twenty-Three Acts Are Competing for 16 Places
Season 21’s live competition will include 44 acts. Ten contestants advanced automatically after receiving Golden Buzzers from the judges or host Terry Crews. During the July 28 deliberations episode, the judges unanimously selected another 18 acts to move forward. That brought the confirmed total to 28 and left 16 places available.
Rather than eliminating every remaining contender based solely on a review of the original auditions, the panel chose 23 acts it wanted to see perform again. Seven of those contestants will be eliminated during the callback process.
The callback group includes singers, comedians, dancers, magicians, mentalists, a beatboxer, a ventriloquist duo and a dog act. Among the returning performers are Travis Garland, Nene Royal, Joel M, Olivia Befus, Elektro Dads, Vahtang, Brook Lynn and Nyjah Music & Zyah Rhythm.
The Judges Took Their Acts Away From the Main Stage
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Each judge worked with a separate group in a location connected to their personality, career or personal history. Cowell invited six acts to his Malibu home. He spent one day speaking with the contestants about their backgrounds and ambitions before watching them perform in his garden the following day.
The executive producer said the additional time gave him information that would be difficult to uncover during a standard audition. Contestants generally have only a few minutes to introduce themselves and perform on the main stage, while the callback sessions allowed the judges to spend approximately 30 to 40 minutes with each act.
“They told me a lot about themselves and why they came on the show,” Cowell told NBC Insider. He described the extended conversations as “really, really fascinating.” Vergara’s callback sessions were filmed in Beverly Hills. Mandel divided his group’s performances between his Los Angeles podcast studio and the Laugh Factory comedy club. Mel B returned to her hometown of Leeds, England, for her sessions.
Celebrity Guests Will Help Make the Decisions
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The four judges will not evaluate their callback groups alone. Each will be joined by one or two celebrity guests who can offer an additional perspective on the performances. Nikki Glaser will assist Mandel, while Lele Pons and Sebastián Yatra will work with Vergara.
Normani and producer-songwriter Poo Bear will join Cowell. Mel B’s session will include a Spice Girls reunion when Emma Bunton joins her as a guest judge. “We’re not picking who’s good anymore,” Mandel said during deliberations. “We’re picking who’s best. And that’s a totally different conversation.”
The two Judges’ Callbacks episodes will air August 4 and August 11 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and stream the following day on Peacock. Season 21’s live performance shows begin August 18, followed by the first live results episode on August 19.