These emerging artists take music to the next level, transcending borders and speaking a universal language that will stick with us for the rest of our lives.
From phenomenal guitarists to multi-instrumentalists who reinvented genres, these seven musicians took to the stage of “America’s Got Talent” (AGT) and left the judges shaking their heads no. I couldn’t believe it when they showed off their incredible virtuosity on musical instruments.
Each artist puts their own creativity and unique spin on their performances and proves that when it comes to musical genius, age is just a number.
Let’s get to know these seven artists and watch them do great things in the music industry.
Maya Neelakantan
Maya Neelakantan, born on May 4, 2013 in Chennai, India, is a guitar prodigy who fuses Carnatic music and heavy metal.
At the age of 6, she started playing guitar because her father loved rock music and was an avid Metallica fan.
Maya made headlines for her fusion performance after her AGT audition in 2024, which featured a mix of Carnatic music and Papa Roach’s “Last Resort”, which the judges were impressed with, including Simon Cowell calling her the “rock goddess”.
Chrisyius White Head
Chrisyius Whitehead, 5 years old, from the small town of Sopchoppy, Florida, became an internet sensation after drumming on AGT.
Whitehead became a hometown hero after residents of his small town of fewer than 500 people began calling him “Champion” after his impressive performance, even receiving compliments. Praise from Simon Cowell.
Jabu Graybeal and Joseph Cornelio
The duo consists of Jabu Graybeal from North Carolina and Joseph Cornelio from Brooklyn, New York, a male dancer and drummer who participated in Season 19.
They presented a performance that creatively combined drumming and tap-dancing into “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and “Conga”.
The judges all gave them a “Yes” after the audition. Unfortunately for them, the early promise wasn’t enough to get them into the quarter-finals.
Nini
Nini (folk metal musician from Taiwan) also appeared in Season 19 of AGT. She is famous for combining traditional Chinese instruments with genres such as heavy metal, rock and EDM.
She plays the roles of Ruan, Liuqin, San Xian and DaoYu, an electric lute of her own design.
Nini performed her own song, “Homeland” on Liuqin and Sanxian, and “Flight of the Bumble Bee” on DaoYu during an audition.
Her unique sound captivated the audience and judges alike. With over 147,000 followers and 18 million video views, she has a large online presence.
B. Thompson
B. Thompson, a 27-year-old male saxophonist from Indianapolis, Indiana, participated in season 19 of America’s Got Talent.
At his audition, he sang “What’s Love Got To Do With It” by Tina Turner, winning all four judges’ votes to move on, but was eliminated in the Discussion round.
Having started playing the saxophone at a young age, around 2008, he said the saxophone found him, not the other way around.
Over the past 16 years, Bryan has worked to perfect the saxophone without formal lessons.
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Nine-year-old Jersey City prodigy Journeyy Belton has received national acclaim on AGT for his outstanding singing talent.
During his audition, he impressed not only the judges but also the audience with “Paradise”, an original song he performed on the piano, which received a standing ovation from all four judges. References – Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel.
Cowell even called Journeyy a “God-given talent” and said of Journeyy, “This will be your year.”
Mia Morris
In Season 17, Mia Morris, a 17-year-old girl from Nashville, Tennessee, brought a different kind of creative performance to AGT that wowed the judges and audience.
Morris auditioned with her own song called “Gone My Way” and she also became a girl band with the help of loop pedals to create a series of instruments.
It was a musical performance, a captivating medley of vocals, guitar, bass and drum beats that she created live, an example of her creative talent and musical ability .