‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 21 Episode 23 Release Date, Time, Where to Watch and What to Expect from the Season Finale
America’s Got Talent is closing out its twenty-first season in dramatic fashion, and the wait is finally over. Ten acts have fought their way through auditions, quarterfinals, and semifinals to reach the biggest stage of the season, and now it all comes down to a single vote from viewers at home.
The stakes could not be higher heading into this two part event, especially with one major judge missing from the panel for most of the live rounds. Here is everything fans need to know about when to tune in, how to watch, and who is left standing in the competition.
When Is the ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 21 Finale?
The two part ‘America’s Got Talent’ finale airs on Tuesday, September 22 and Wednesday, September 23, with the finalists performing on night one and the results revealed on night two. Both nights will begin at 9/8c and run for two hours until 11/10c, which is a departure from the show’s normal 8/7c start time. Fans can vote through the NBC website, the AGT mobile app, or the official AGT TikTok page, with voting open from the start of Tuesday’s episode until 7 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
The reason for the unusual schedule shift comes down to a scheduling conflict, since The Voice Season 30 will be airing two additional one hour episodes during its premiere week on the same nights. That means longtime ‘AGT’ viewers will need to set their clocks an hour later than usual if they want to catch the finalists live.
Where to Watch the ‘America’s Got Talent’ Finale Live?
For anyone without a traditional cable package, there are still plenty of ways to catch ‘America’s Got Talent’ as it happens. The show is available to stream through DirecTV, YouTube TV, Sling, and Hulu plus Live TV, with episodes also arriving on Peacock the day after they originally air.
DirecTV offers NBC livestreams across several of its plans, each starting with a five day free trial, with pricing for packages that include NBC starting at 39.99 dollars a month after the trial ends. YouTube TV also carries NBC for ‘America’s Got Talent’ livestreams, with NBC included in both of its packages, which start at 54.99 dollars a month, and the service offers a 21 day free trial before payment is required.
Viewers who prefer to log in through a traditional provider can also stream directly through the NBC app on a smart TV using their cable credentials. Whichever option fans choose, the finale is meant to be watched live given the real time voting window tied to the results show.
Meet the ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 21 Finalists Fighting for the Win
Four acts already secured their spot in the finale after receiving Golden Buzzers from the judges during the quarterfinals, including magic group Hundred Fingers, rocker Nene Royal, singer Lai Noelle, and robot dance troupe Unitree. They are joined by six semifinalists who earned their place through viewer votes after the September 15 live show.
Those six finalists include Daniel Alvarez, Luke Taleno, and Olivia Befus, among others who impressed both the judges and the voting public enough to move forward. Together, the ten finalists represent a wide mix of talent, spanning music, comedy, magic, and animal acts, which has become something of a signature formula for ‘America’s Got Talent’ in recent seasons.
Now that the ten finalists are set, fans online have been buzzing about who deserves to take home the title, with plenty of debate over which act truly earned their spot. The variety on this year’s finale stage means there is no obvious frontrunner, which only adds to the excitement heading into the live shows.
What to Expect From the Two-Night ‘America’s Got Talent’ Finale Event?
Tuesday’s episode will feature performances from all ten final acts, while Wednesday’s episode reveals the results of America’s Vote and includes surprise guests along with special performances. This format has become a ‘America’s Got Talent’ finale tradition, giving the show room to celebrate the season while still building suspense around who ultimately wins.
This season also stood out for other reasons, since each judge was able to give two Golden Buzzers instead of the usual one, something that has only happened three times in the show’s history. Host Terry Crews also received two Golden Buzzers of his own to hand out during the auditions round.
Adding another layer of intrigue to this year’s finale is the ongoing question of judge Simon Cowell’s status. As of the finale, it has not been confirmed whether Simon Cowell will return to the panel after his recent absence while recovering from back surgery. Cowell’s absence was first reported in late August, when it was revealed he would be away from the live judging panel for several weeks to undergo the procedure, with guest judges filling in during that stretch.
Whether or not Cowell makes it back for the big night, the show’s remaining panel has carried the live rounds through to this point, and the finale promises the usual mix of nostalgia, surprises, and nail biting results. With ten wildly different acts competing for the title and the million dollar prize, this finale feels like one of the more unpredictable in recent memory.
Who are you rooting for to win ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 21, and do you think the judges’ extra Golden Buzzers changed the shape of this final lineup?
