‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 21 Premiere Recap: Who Got a Golden Buzzer?

The hit competition is back, and for the first time in the show’s history, three acts earned Golden Buzzers on the premiere episode.

Howie Mandel, Mel B, Terry Crews, Sofia Vergara and Simon Cowell | Chris Haston/NBC via Getty Images

On Tuesday, June 2, Season 21 of America’s Got Talent premiered on NBC, and the exciting episode featured a first in the show’s history: three acts received a Golden Buzzer.

Judges Simon Cowell, Sofía Vergara, Howie Mandel and Mel B returned to the panel to check out a few of the best acts the country has to offer, with Terry Crews also returning to host. As NBC noted, the show will also mix things up with the rules this year, providing each judge, including Crews, with two possible Golden Buzzers instead of one. They also announced that they added a new round to the competition called the “Judges’ Callbacks,” which would allow the panel to give select performers a second chance at an audition.

Which acts received Golden Buzzers on the America’s Got Talent Season 21 premiere?

As always, the season kicked off with an audition round, where hopefuls took to the stage to show off their best talents for a chance to secure the grand prizes. The first episode showcased 10 auditions total, featuring a mix of musical artists, dancers, magic acts and more. So, which three acts received top honors? Scroll on to find out!

Lai Noelle

Noelle, a 14-year-old aspiring singer from Texas, left the panel speechless with her incredible rendition of “Die on This Hill” by Sienna Spiro. Her commanding voice had the audience on their feet in seconds, while the judges watched the young star perform in awe—she even got a smile from Cowell! Thus, it should be no surprise that Cowell was the one who pushed the Golden Buzzer, showering the singer in confetti and securing her a spot in the next round. The moment also caused a little playful drama between Cowell and Vergara, as the latter had also planned to use one of her Golden Buzzers on the performer.

ACRO Crew

Hailing from Alberta, Canada, the ACRO Crew also debuted on the premiere episode. Comprising a collective of incredible acrobats ranging in age from seven to 21, they worked alongside highly trained dogs to perform intricately choreographed routines. The judging panel cheered on the squad for their uniqueness and undeniable star power, with Crews proclaiming he’d “never seen anything like that in [his] whole life” before the host awarded them one of his two Golden Buzzers.

Luke Taleno

Last but absolutely not least, the third and final Golden Buzzer of the premiere went to Taleno: an aspiring rapper from Florida. Footage shown before the musician’s performance revealed that he attended the show last year to support one of his friends, correctly predicting at the time that he’d earn a Golden Buzzer with his own audition this year. Sure enough, his clever lyrics and catchy flow had the panel in stitches as he incorporated plenty of references to the judges, the host and the program into his rhymes, earning him a Golden Buzzer from Mandel.

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