I shouldn't be judging it. Photo: Trae Patton/NBC. He went on to study at Simpson University in Redding, where as well as writing poetry, he played basketball on Simpson's NCAA Division II team. ", RELATED VIDEO: Sofia Vergara Says She and Husband Joe Manganiello 'Haven't Had 1 Fight Yet' During Quarantine. Leake was the first-ever spoken word poet to win America's Got Talent. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Go behind-the-scenes, stay on top of breaking news, hang with the stars, and much more. On the night he'd be crowned the winner ofSeason 15, Leake performed a brief, light-hearted spoken word poem aboutAGT. "For me, it's my first time and I feel comfortable when he is with us. (Kelly Clarkson and Kenan Thompson previously served as season 15 guest judges during the live shows. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories, "What an amazing tribute," said Cowell. "There was something more raw in the way it's like singing and talking and just being a human a cappella. The fourth and final slate of contestants performed in the live quarterfinal rounds of America's Got Talent. ALL of Brandon Leake's Performances on Season 15 of AGT! The then 4-year-old adored being a big brother and couldn't wait for all the fun they'd have together. Leake, who is AGT 's first-ever spoken word poet to compete, was among the standout performances of the night with his moving poem. I wish he could've been here," Vergara said. Tearing up at the powerful performance, Vergara was speechless immediately after, as judges Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell gave a standing ovation, saying simply, "Wow." The poem touched every single Judge, but . Never the same and never replicated. The Season 15 winner is the competition's first (and only) spoken-word poetry champion. Just be you, both on and off stage. To let it all hang loose on stage and leave nothing behind. - (SINGING) Praise be the day. I just want to compliment you on what you just did, because it was extraordinary.". By McKenzie. Praise be the kingdom. Pour Salt Down Your Drain At Night, Here's Why, Germaphobe Howie Mandel Talks Wearing Masked Singer Lobster Costume, Stephanie Hsu & Tallie Medel on Their Awards Journey and Meeting Tilda Swinton | SAG Awards 2023, Tyler Henry Connects Celebs With Late Siblings (EMOTIONAL), Jennifer Hudson dishes on talk show success, Black History Month: Denver poet JC Futrell performs poem 'BRICS', Veterans Creative Arts Showcase | Morning Blend, AGT: All-Stars Finale: Winner WONT Receive Prize Money, Kate and Charlie Gibson talk 'The Book Case' podcast and new writers. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. It's my opportunity. What an amazing tribute. Last week on'AGT': Sofia Vergara falls in her haste to get away from shocking eye-bulging rapper. He also . "Normally death don't really bother me, I'm from southside Stockton. The activist also liaises with Stockton Police Department, advocating for reform of their use-of-force policies to better the relationship between minorities and the police. How communal the talent pool became. ", Klum also said Cowell has been "healing pretty fast," adding, "I think he's doing amazingly.". You could either say it started in middle school with girls who were cute, and that's how I first started writing poetry. WINNER Brandon Leake All Performances on America's Got Talent!Audition - 0:05Quarterfinals - 5:03Semifinals - 10:01Finale - 14:59#AGT #AmericasGotTalent #TalentRecapFor more HD videos, news, analysis and recaps of America's Got Talent please subscribe \u0026 follow Talent Recap:https://talentrecap.com/For more HD full episode videos, news and recaps of your favorite talent show please subscribe \u0026 followTALENT RECAP ON SOCIAL:YouTube: https://goo.gl/6pybnwLike: https://www.facebook.com/talentrecap/Follow: https://twitter.com/TalentRecapInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talentrecap/ABOUT TALENT RECAP Talent Recap is the #1 independent website which is exclusively dedicated to the fans of the most popular talent shows around the world. Brandon Leake, the spoken-word poet who won the 2020 edition of America's Got Talent, has signed with UTA for all areas. Although the audience was missing, the talent was not. There's really no other place to find a mainstream home. When Howie asked if Brandons sister, Danielle (a girl with a smile as wide as the universe and eyes that glimmer like the stars), was backstage, Brandon just vaguely answered, Kind of. Danielles presence was definitely felt. "But it was very beautiful for me," Vergara said of the poem. / Good Day Sacramento. There were probably a lot of people who doubted that a poet could win, but Brandon is the real deal. This pursuit led to Brandon leading workshops around the world with several curricula he developed himself. Read on. There's something very, very special about you. "A nightmare. Spoiler alert! Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more! Mandel hit the Golden Buzzer as just five pairs of hands clapped, sendingLeake straight to the live final shows. KYLIE MAR: But Howie Mandel was most moved by Brandon's audition, as the judge ultimately decided to give him his Golden Buzzer. Brandon set up the group whilst at university, and began hosting open mic nights to raise money for kids suffering from domestic abuse to go to summer camps. ET on NBC. He will be part of the AGT Live residency and has a movie in the works. It's either love or pain, one of the two. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Watch thousands of hours of hit movies and shows, plus daily news, sports, and pop culture updates. The new dad moved the. Go behind-the-scenes, stay on top of breaking news, hang with the stars, and much more. Brandon Leake's AGT Golden Buzzer Audition. Poet Aside from crew members and hostTerry Crews, that meant there were only four people inthe audience Tuesday: Cowell,Sofa Vergara,Howie Mandel and guest judgeEric Stonestreet, who filled in for a sick Heidi Klum. 15, All-Stars Brandon Leake, a 27-year-old college counselor from Stockton, California, shocked the judges with . We are the ones who, as I said, capture history. (He even earned a Golden Buzzer.) However, that didn't seem to affect the emotion in the room. But instead of giving up, he went back to the drawing board, honed his craft, and tried again three years later stronger than ever. For the finale in Episode 1522, Brandon Leake performed a short spoken word piece prior to the results about Season 15. Very much she's here with me now, Brandon answered. And I'm like, Sweet, let's do this.. Your mother and I love you more than youll ever know., Today fans divided over Jenna's dress as some viewers say it's 'inappropriate', Sister Wives Janelle Brown doesnt approve of Christines new romance, Inside 1000-lb Sisters stars Amy and Michael's secret fights over kids, Today's Savannah Guthrie abruptly leaves show after scary new medical diagnosis, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Brandon Leake is the winner of Americas Got Talent season 15, Leake is a spoken word poet and motivational speaker, Brandon blew away judge Howie Mandel after he performed a piece about the loss of his sister, Brandon met his wife Anna at one of his shows in Stockton, Leake was born on the south side of Stockton, California, Brandon has a daughter of six months named Aaliyah, AGT's Heidi Klum hits the Golden Buzzer pickingCristina Rae for the finals. TERRY CREWS: You have received the Golden Buzzer from Howie Mandel. The Stockton, California, native spoke about his mother's "greatest fear" about her son living in America as a Black man and honored the lives of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake. The first contestant to perform poetry on AGT, Leake prefaced his spoken word piece by dedicating it to his sister. And I'm tired of playing God, because Ive got to come to terms with the fact that my sister ain't never coming back. Act This was a long time coming. UTA Signs 'America's Got Talent' Winner Brandon Leake. Singers can go to The Voice, as well as America's Got Talent. Incredibly, in all of its 15 seasons, Americas Got Talent has never had a spoken-word contestant. In my early stages of doing spoken-word, there might've been five, 10 people in the crowd, but theres a level of professionalism you have to have. After not making it in 2017, I said, Hey, I really want to try this out and get better at it. So I toured, I did a lot of work. Leake says his overall goal is to spread a message that creates a more loving and gracious society. "We are the storytellers of the generation, we are the griots of our time. Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara all gave him standing ovations. Most of us don't often walk in other people's shoes. There's something very, very special about you. After his win, Brandon said: "For an art form that has not been on the mainstream ever to have a chance to win Americas Got Talent is bigger than anything. Brandon blew away judge Howie Mandel in particular after he performed a piece about the loss of his sister. "I can feel your pain. Burt Bacharach, Legendary Composer Of Pop Songs, Dies At 94 . It's just me and my thoughts. Brandon's words were able to take a 64-year-old white guy and put him inside the heart and mind of an African-American mother whose just saying goodbye and fearing for her son's return," he said. Since the show gave him a platform to share his skill with the world, he has become a household name across the country. Never give up on this dream. I could tell my producer, it wasn't the first time he had heard spoken-word. Later, Leake emotionally said, "My mother's greatest fear is that I won't return home breathing, blood pulsing through these veins enough to still be her Pookie. Brandon has performed in locations such as New Zealand, Mexico, Canada and 36 U.S. states for his Dark Side Tour, which promotes his first-ever published poetry chapbook and his album Deficiencies: A Tale From My Dark Side, which is rooted in transparency and healing. He returned for America's Got Talent: All-Stars where he finished in 2nd place in his Preliminary week. But while other auditioners of the episode, notably the magicians and comedians, suffered from not being able to play to a roaring crowd, the intimacy of this unique situation actually made Brandons performance all the more intense and impactful. Winner ofSeason 15, Leake prefaced his spoken word poem aboutAGT him a to... The finale in Episode 1522, Brandon Leake & # x27 ; s Performances on Season guest! 'S my first time and I 'm from southside Stockton share his skill with the stars, pop! 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