Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell all gave him standing ovations. Brandon Leake, 27, a community college counselor in Stockton, California, wowed the judges with an emotional performance of a poem that paid tribute to his late sister, who died as a baby. "But it was very beautiful for me," Vergara said of the poem. Brandon was the first ever artist of his genre to feature on the show and has been awarded the $1,000,000 prize, as well as a headline slot at a show in Las Vegas. When "America's Got Talent" contestant Brandon Leake took the stage to render the first-ever poetry audition on the show, the judges did not know they were in for a stunning and tearjerking performance. A good number of us really cheered each other on, even when we were competitiveIf you do great, that doesn't mean I can't also be great. And if you want your story told properly, you have to be yourself. Brandon Leake is an award-winning spoken word poet, artistic educator and motivational speaker from . Leake actually didn't make it to the AGT stage when he first auditioned back in 2017. S15NBC Table of Biography [ show] Early Life Brandon Leake was born on May 4, 1992. "America, sit quietly, listen and take it in.". First published on March 1, 2021 / 6:45 AM. SIMON COWELL: What an amazing tribute. I actually didn't think about that at all. Brandon Leake has made it clear he's willing to take that leap. I've been ground-bound because she left Earth to go back home, amongst the stars right next to God. For the finale in Episode 1522, Brandon Leake performed a short spoken word piece prior to the results about Season 15. "America's Got Talent" returns on NBCJuly 14 for the last audition show of the season. Since the show gave him a platform to share his skill with the world, he has become a household name across the country. Brandon Leake's Preliminary performance in Episode AS06 consisted of performing a spoken word poem about a homeless man he met on the street with a moral of not judging a book by its cover. KYLIE MAR: But Howie Mandel was most moved by Brandon's audition, as the judge ultimately decided to give him his Golden Buzzer. We'll be the voices that people look back and say this is what this era looked like," said Leake. But it was his first time, I believe, being moved by it the way I do it. What I more so thought about was, I felt vindicated from all the people who said spoken-word could never be a mainstream art form. I shouldn't be judging it. It doesn't take away from me. Singers can go to, I would say the writing was always personal, but performing was not always personal. Coming from a kid who was always concerned about looking cool, being cool, and doing cool stuff, it was really hard for me to relinquish that type of cool jacket off of myselfto just be OK with being like, Let me, for lack of a better term, look like a dumbass on stage. You have to give yourself permission to cryto do theater, in a sense. ", She added at the time: "With so many bad things happening, it creates a tough skin. [2] His words captured the judges and drew a standing ovation. Howie Mandel gave him a standing ovation. There was another poet who was trying out with me. No music, no nothing, just a raw heart beating in front of us. "We are the storytellers of the generation, we are the griots of our time. 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. She died from an enlarged heart at only eight-months-old. Mandel gave Brandon his golden buzzer, and he went from strength to strength throughout the competition addressing topics such as the Black Lives Matter movement and his estranged father. Creative writing most certainly was an escape. Judge Simon Cowell was skeptical at first, telling Brandon, I don't really understand poetry, but Brandon assured him, I'm a great intro for you. To know that an art form that was so underground for so long got the public eye and took a win, that's more than any million-dollar prize could ever be.". Brandon Leake is AGT royalty. (Kelly Clarkson and Kenan Thompson previously served as season 15 guest judges during the live shows. 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. Photo: Trae Patton/NBC. My kids don't bother me when I'm in the shower, my wife doesn't need anything from me when I'm in the shower. Meet the Season 17 Finalists of 'America's Got Talent', 'AGT' Star Jane 'Nightbirde' Marczewski's Family Is 'Devastated by Her Passing': 'Unimaginable Loss', empty audience due to the show's health precautions. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more! Brandon posted on his Instagram after his AGT tribute to her: Love you booboo, I hope that gift will forever remain in your heart. Act Coming from a kid who was always concerned about looking cool, being cool, and doing cool stuff, it was really hard for me to relinquish that type of cool jacket off of myself, How communal the talent pool became. Moved by his performance, Howie Mandel pressed his Golden Buzzer, sending Brandon directly to the Quarterfinals. But I was left here to manufacture wings out of tears and broken dreams, Brandon rapped. You give the same effort of performance and excellence for 10 people as you do for 10,000. One of the best days of Brandon's life was when his sister, Danielle Marie Gibson, was born. . "This right here is genuinely a moment in which spoken word got a chance to be on the forefront of the American conscious," he said to People following his victory. Cowell called his act an "amazing tribute." What did getting the Golden Buzzer during your audition feel like? His new book of poems, Unraveling, came out in March 2022, showcasing his singular artistry yet again. 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. Thesixth day of auditions, which was taped in March, marked the first episode of Season 15 impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,before countrywide lockdown orders sidelinedentertainment production. "I'm tired of playing God 'cause I gotta come to terms with the fact that my sister ain't never comin' back.". Never the same and never replicated. Brandon received enough votes to advance to the Finals in Episode 1518 instead of Thomas Day. There's something very, very special about you. It's amazing to me that on Season 15, its the first time that we're hearing somebody of spoken word. Below, NBC Insider chats with Leake about his experience on AGT, where he writes his best poems, and more. Information This is a very difficult thing for me to judge. Brandon's final performance was an emotional spoken word piece about his new-born daughter. She fell asleep and just didn't wake up," Leake told CBS13. "And here we are.". Judge Sofia Vergara, whose older brother Rafael was murdered the same year that Danielle passed away, was in tears, telling Brandon, I can feel your pain. I wish he could've been here," Vergara said. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17, 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16, Golden Buzzer Brandon Leake Makes AGT History With Powerful Poetry - America's Got Talent 2020. 1 summer show, returns in May with fresh new faces and familiar favorites, along with the excitement, thrills and feel-good performances that viewers have come to love each season. All of the judges and Crews have now used their Golden Buzzers. "There was something more, so raw. Or maybe it was simply due to they hue and in that moment I better understand my Black mother's greatest fear was every time I left her home, on the other side of her phone would no longer be her son, it would be America's most popular hashtag," the father of one said. Brandon Leake POWERFUL Poetry About Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake Brandon Leake Will Make You EMOTIONAL With His Spoken Word - America's Got Talent 2020, Brandon Leake Delivers Emotional Spoken Word to His Daughter - America's Got Talent 2020, Brandon Leake Performs a Moving Spoken Word Piece About AGT - America's Got Talent 2020, THE WINNER IS - America's Got Talent 2020, Brandon Leake's EMOTIONAL Performance Receives a Standing Ovation - AGT- All-Stars 2023. Brandon Leake, a 27-year-old college counselor from Stockton, California, shocked the judges with . "Tonight's poem is actually an ode to my sister. When or if Cowell, 60, will return has yet to be determined. The audition greatly resonated with Vergara, 47, at the judges' panel. She was going to watch this live on TV tonight.". He received enough votes to enter the Top 5 instead of Archie Williams. I just want to compliment you on what you just did, because it was extraordinary.". With the show open to acts of all ages, \"America's Got Talent\" continues to celebrate the variety format like no other show on television. Acclaimed actress and international superstar Sofia Vergara joins as a new judge this season alongside returning judge and global fashion icon Heidi Klum. Were you the first poet that producers had seen? I gave her a hug afterwards and said, Hey, I didn't make it my first year, so keep trying. 27-year-old Brandon Leake is a spoken word poet and motivational speaker. (He even earned a Golden Buzzer.) Hours after the accident, Cowell underwent surgery during which he had a "number of fusions and metal rod" put into his back, a source previously told PEOPLE. Since then, Leake has worked as an English teacher at Edison High School and an academic advisor at Delta College in Stockton. Surprising Cause Of Death Revealed For 37-Year-Old ABC News Producer. Brandon Leake, the spoken-word poet who won the 2020 edition of America's Got Talent, has signed with UTA for all areas. In addition to the $1 million grand prize and a newKia Stinger, Leake is currently a headliner atAGT's live Las Vegas show at the Luxor. Very much she's here with me now, Brandon answered. ET on NBC. We feel your pain. Mandel hit the Golden Buzzer as just five pairs of hands clapped, sendingLeake straight to the live final shows. "America's Got Talent" headed into uncharted territory Tuesday. Leake, a former high school English teacher from Stockton, California, had welcomed his first child 14 days prior to shooting the tryout. But it was very beautiful for me. However, it was Howie who hit that Golden Buzzer the final Golden Buzzer of the season still left in play which automatically advanced Brandon to the live shows. He received a standing ovation from Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Mandel. 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. During the Quarterfinals, the poet unveiled a timely original poem about the power of a Black mother's love and its tie to police brutality and racial injustice. Brandon Leake (born May 4, 1992) is a spoken word poet, educator and motivational speaker and the winner of the fifteenth season of America's Got Talent. Praise be the kingdom. In 2011, Vergara opened up about the death of her older brother Rafael in a Parade cover story, telling the magazine about how the tragedy affected her family members. "I'm still haunted by these nightmares 'cause I have a really creative mind, and sometimes it designs these alternate realities where she is still here," he said. I'm all too familiar with how some family reunions only ever take place on graveyard grass, and a hole can be a safe haven for a soul in this mortal game of hide and go seek. Brandon blew away judge Howie Mandel in particular after he performed a piece about the loss of his sister. It's just me and my thoughts. Do you have any advice for the Acts competing on AGT Season 17? The first contestant to perform poetry on AGT, Leake prefaced his spoken word piece by dedicating it to his sister. Sofia Vergara was emotionally moved by this poetic America's Got Talent audition. His sister passed away when he was only 4-years-old. 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. He was the winner of the competition, claiming the $1,000,000 prize, a new car, and the headlining of a show in Las Vegas. This show is about talent as much as it is about story. I shouldn't be judging it, I just want to compliment you on what you just did because it was extraordinary.". BRANDON LEAKE: And I'm tired of playing God, because I got to come to terms with the fact that my sister ain't never coming back. "I've been ground-bound because she left. "I can feel your pain; I know what this is. 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. Mandel gave Leake a standing ovation once again following a performance that served as a prayer for his daughter. KYLIE MAR: Fans at home were crying, and even Simon Cowell, who was initially skeptical about Brandon's act, was impressed. On the following Wednesdays, (which will feature celebrity musical acts including BTS on Sept. 16), the finalists will be announced. Anna posted on her Instagram celebrating 3 years with her hubby. Brandon Leake is the winner of the 15th season of America's Got Talent.
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