This was a long time coming. "I did all of this just to give you that. Just a raw heart beating in front of us. Brandon Leakeisa poet from Season 15 of America's Got Talent. Brandon is the first poet to pass the audition round. On Tuesday, America's Got Talent contestant and 27-year-old Calif. native Brandon Leake made history when he took the stage as the show's first-ever spoken word artist. 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. Congratulations to Brandon Leake for WINNING Season 15 of America's Got Talent! Table of Biography [ show] Early Life Brandon Leake was born on May 4, 1992. You are so amazing. I gave her a hug afterwards and said, Hey, I didn't make it my first year, so keep trying. ET on NBC. I know what it is to have somebodytaken from you without you knowing, but it was very beautiful for me.". Brandon Leake, AGT Season 15 winner: The journey started one of two ways. This is a very difficult thing for me to judge, I shouldnt be judging it. SOFIA VERGARA: My brother passed away the same year that your sister passed away. And even in this very direct competition, we were all still rooting for each other. She fell asleep and just didn't wake up," Leake told CBS13. But it was his first time, I believe, being moved by it the way I do it. Year after year, \"America's Got Talent\" features an impressive array of singers, dancers, comedians, contortionists, impressionists, magicians, ventriloquists and hopeful stars, all vying to win America's hearts and a $1 million prize.America's Got Talent is available now on Peacock, the new streaming service from NBCUniversal. 15, All-Stars SPOKEN word performer and civil rights activist Brandon Leake is the winner of Americas Got Talent season 15. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. The Season 15 winner was the show's first-ever spoken word poet to compete. 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. 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. He will be part of the AGT Live residency and has a movie in the works. Your season was filmed in 2020, in the thick of the global pandemic, so you didn't have a rapturous audience every week. You don't have to be this hardened individual who steps in there and does this crazy competitive work. Wildcats, singer Celina, Divas & Drummers of Compton, singer Kenadi Dodds, projection artists Lightwave Theatre Company and dancer Noah Epps. Brandon was announced as the winner ahead of Broken Roots, Cristina Rae, Roberta Battaglia and Alan Silva, winning $1 million, a new KIA, and the headlining of a show in Las Vegas. We feel your pain. [1] He was the first spoken word poet to be on America's Got Talent and received the Golden Buzzer award in the first round from Howie Mandel. No music, no nothing, just a raw heart beating in front of us. "I had a nightmare that I would be 90 years old doing this show and nobody would be watching it, judge Simon Cowell said while looking back to the empty Pasadena Civic Auditorium. He went on to study at Simpson University in Redding, where as well as writing poetry, he played basketball onSimpson'sNCAA Division II team. There's something very, very special about you. And I'm like, Sweet, let's do this.. "This is going to be much harder for them.". Don't go out there chasing anybody else. 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." After the show, Mandel spoke with PEOPLE and praised Leake on the "imperative and important" message of his poem. 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. Just be you. The then 4-year-old adored being a big brother and couldn't wait for all the fun they'd have together. Brandon Leake has made it clear he's willing to take that leap. UTA Signs 'America's Got Talent' Winner Brandon Leake. Sofia Vergara was emotionally moved by this poetic America's Got Talent audition. 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. It's just me and my thoughts. Exclusive:How 'AGT' is reshaping season during COVID-19, from no audiences to outdoor Judge Cuts. Brandon Leake has made it clear he's willing to take that leap. "My older brother, Rafael, was killed in Colombia," she said. We'll be the voices that people look back and say this is what this era looked like," said Leake. What made you decide to audition for America's Got Talent? All-Stars I handicapped myself for years because I was too concerned with how people looked at me, how people perceived me. Exclusive: How 'AGT' is reshaping season during COVID-19, from no audiences to outdoor Judge Cuts. "We are the storytellers of the generation, we are the griots of our time. I know what this is. 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. Until Leake, 27, burst onto the scene in June with an emotional poem dedicated to his sister, who died as a baby, a spoken-word artist had never even appeared on the show, let alone captivate. His new book of poems, Unraveling, came out in March 2022, showcasing his singular artistry yet again. 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. Brandon Leake's Finals performance in Episode 1521 consisted of reciting a spoken word poem in the form of a prayer to his daughter Aaliyah. Spoiler alert! 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. Very much she's here with me now, Brandon answered. 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. He's a young man from Stockton who's transcending boundaries and breaking down barriers for generations to come. It's either love or pain, one of the two. "A nightmare. "She's here with me now," he said of Danielle Marie Gibson, who died in 1997 at only 8 months old. By McKenzie. In his performance, Leake recalled the death of his sister in the late 90s, and his grief in the wake of her passing. "Love is the most vulnerable thing one will ever have," Leake recited, "And you must learn to hold onto it loosely so when it leaves it won't exit so painfully.". You give the same effort of performance and excellence for 10 people as you do for 10,000. She's here with me now," Leake said, leading Mandel to ask if shewas backstage. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "America's Got Talent" headed into uncharted territory Tuesday. But instead of giving up, he went back to the drawing board, honed his craft, and tried again three years later stronger than ever. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Relive all of Brandon's full performances from the season. Get The America's. His new book of poems, Unraveling, came out in March 2022, showcasing his singular artistry yet again. "There was something more, so raw. "I can feel your pain. The fourth and final slate of contestants performed in the live quarterfinal rounds of America's Got Talent. Then, eight months later, Danielle passed away. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Since the show gave him a platform to share his skill with the world, he has become a household name across the country. Cowell called his act an "amazing tribute." Brandon posted on his Instagram after his AGT tribute to her: Love you booboo, I hope that gift will forever remain in your heart. "And we won. 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. And sometimes it designs these alternate realities where she is still here, still alive, and all the things I wish we could have done are played again and again and again, Brandon continued, as his voice began to quaver. Published on July 1, 2020 11:34 AM. On the following Wednesdays, (which will feature celebrity musical acts including BTS on Sept. 16), the finalists will be announced. 27-year-old Brandon Leake is a spoken word poet and motivational speaker. "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. This is a very difficult thing for me to judge. Male How communal the talent pool became. Never the same and never replicated. "Still alive, and all the things I wish we could have done are played again and again and again," he continued. 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. Stream now on Peacock.ALL of Brandon Leake's Performances on Season 15 of AGT! Now, Leake is a poetry maven who tours the country. I shouldn't be judging it. The Stockton, California, native spoke about his mother's . He received a standing ovation from Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Mandel. Season 15 - America's Got Talent 2020https://youtu.be/SaPXcg7lLfgAmerica's Got Talenthttp://www.youtube.com/user/americasgottalent#AGT #AmericasGotTalent One of the best days of Brandon's life was when his sister, Danielle Marie Gibson, was born. Although the audience was missing, the talent was not. The dynamic Terry Crews returns as host. His tear-jerking tale of family tragedy not only earned judge Howie Mandels Golden Buzzer, but host Terry Crews told him, Youre about to put spoken word on the map like its never been before. Brandon, whose daughter was born just 14 days before his AGT audition, explained that he had turned to poetry years ago as a means of coping with his teen angst: I let all that frustration out. Are you close to your sister? asked Howie. On Tuesday's episode of the competition series, 27-year-old Brandon Leake took the stage in front of an empty audience due to the show's health precautions amid the pandemic to perform a spoken-word set. According to Parade, Rafael was fatally shot in an attempted kidnapping in 1998. Says Host Terry Crews, 'AGT' 's Simon Cowell Remembers Jane 'Nightbirde' Marczewski as 'Extraordinary Person' After Her Death, 'AGT' Star Nightbirde Dead at 31 After Cancer Battle: 'We Love You,' Says Terry Crews, 'AGT' Star Jane 'Nightbirde' Marczewski's Family Is 'Devastated by Her Passing': 'Unimaginable Loss', 'AGT' : Simon Cowell on Nightbirde's Success After Her Exit, His 'Amazing' Frontrunner to Win Season 16, 'AGT' : All Season 16 Finalists Announced as Competition Narrows Down Lineup to 10 Acts. Information To let it all hang loose on stage and leave nothing behind. There's really no other place to find a mainstream home. "It is not our most dire moments that define us, but instead how we respond to them. 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. Mandel applauded Leake'screativity and vulnerability. But if this pain and these memories are all that I got left of you, I won't never regret these scars. That's the cost of love: caring for someone's so much that you can't imagine living life without them, staring at a grave. Tune in next week, when the Americas Got Talent auditions once again, without a live audience conclude. After the final five acts are determined for the live semifinals, next week will be the first of two rounds, with 10 acts competing each Tuesday (Sept. 8 and Sept. 15) at the Universal Studios Hollywood lots. I shouldn't be judging it. But America's Got Talent was a place that said, Hey, we'll welcome you if you're good. 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