America's Got Talent (season 4)

America's Got Talent
Season 4
Broadcast from	June 23 – September 16, 2009
Judges	David Hasselhoff Piers Morgan Sharon Osbourne
Host(s)	Nick Cannon
Broadcaster	NBC
Website	www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/
Winner
Kevin Skinner
Kevin Skinner
Origin	Mayfield, Kentucky
Genre(s)	Country music
Runner-up
Bárbara Padilla

The fourth season of America's Got Talent, an American television reality show talent competition, premiered on the NBC network on June 23, 2009. Country singer Kevin Skinner was named the winner on September 16, 2009. This season is the first season to be broadcast in high definition.

This season's host is Nick Cannon, who replaced Jerry Springer. Springer had said that he could not host due to other commitments.^[1] David Hasselhoff, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne returned judges, despite rumors that Osbourne would be leaving the show.^[2]

Season four was Hasselhoff's final season as a judge.^[3]

This season started broadcasting live on August 4, 2009.

Selection process

Nick Cannon replaced Jerry Springer as host

Season four carried over season three's audition process. Out of the over 160 acts that passed through the preliminary auditions, 48 went on to perform in the live shows. This season, the callbacks were renamed "The Vegas Verdicts". Unlike previous seasons, the acts were not given a chance to perform a second time, unless prompted by the judges to as a challenge. The judges re-watched audition tapes and created a Top 40 based on the acts' preliminary performances, similar to the format used on sister show Britain's Got Talent. However, it was revealed during the first performance show that the judges, when prompted by executive producer Simon Cowell, called back eight acts that they previously had cut. This brought the total number of acts up to 48. Last season, the acts who passed through were divided into four groups, who performed over the course of two weeks with the acts who passed through from the previous night being announced before the next group of acts' performances. This year, each group in the Top 48 was divided into four groups of 12, but only one group performed per week, as a separate results show for the group aired the next day. This season was the first to feature results episodes lasting one hour on a weekly basis since season one.

During the performances episodes, if all three judges buzzed an act, the act was forced to end, unlike the previous season, where it could continue on for a short time. In the results episodes, five best acts from each group of twelve proceeded to the semi-finals - four acts were determined solely by viewers' votes, the judges decided between acts with the fifth and sixth highest viewers' vote totals. The twelve acts were presented to the audience in groups of two or three (usually similar acts - e.g. dancers, children - are put together) and then the host announced which of them moved forward and which of them had been eliminated. When three acts are presented as a group, the host would first announce an act from the three as the first act eliminated, then would announce which act from the remaining two remained in the competition. The final group were acts in the fifth and sixth places and the judges pick one of them by majority voting. At no time was the audience made aware of how many viewers' votes each act received.

In the semifinals, the twenty acts who passed through the quarterfinals were divided into groups of 10. One of these groups performed each week, with a performance episode followed by the results the following day. Only four acts were supposed to pass through to the finals each week. Three are determined solely by viewers' votes, but the fourth and fifth place acts must face the judges' decision. However, in one case, the judges passed through both performers, as they could not make a decision. In the other case, the top five acts were passed through. Instead of previous seasons, where the finals contain four or five acts, this season the finale contained ten acts.

Preliminary auditions

This year, auditions were held in New York City, Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and Seattle/Tacoma. Auditions were also held in Boston, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. but not televised. A total of 160 acts advanced to the Las Vegas Round.^{[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]}

Second round

Las Vegas Week

Las Vegas Week aired on July 28, 2009 and July 29, 2009. Over the course of the two episodes, the over 160 acts that made it through the preliminary rounds were narrowed down to a Top 40 that made it through to the live performance rounds.

In the first episode of the "Las Vegas Verdicts", as Cannon referred to it, the episode started off with 25 of the 160 acts being eliminated right at the Las Vegas Airport. The remaining acts were then briefly shown enjoying the sights of Vegas, before the eliminations resumed. Acts were brought before the judges and informed of their fate. The judges selected three dance groups: Destined 2 Be, BreakSk8, and U4ria Dance Crew for a challenge. They were asked to prepare a dance routine for 12 hours plus they'll have the same piece of music. After they perform, the judges will decide which dance groups will advance to the Top 40 Quarterfinals.^[14][15]

In the second episode, the remainder of the Top 40 was revealed, and many more acts were eliminated. The three dance crews challenged in the previous episode were shown in a montage performing their challenge performance.^[16][17]

At the end of the second episode, Simon Cowell, executive producer of the show, called the judges on their flight back to Los Angeles, stating that he was unhappy with some of the eliminations the judges made. Cowell revealed that there was just "too much talent" eliminated, and that he felt that a number of these acts should be given another chance. As a result, two acts were brought back as wildcards during each quarterfinal round.

First cut

Acts that were eliminated at the Las Vegas Airport include:

• Circus R Us
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 4": Contortion, hula hoops on unicycles^[7]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 1)": Eliminated
• Tallan Noble Latz
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 7": 9-year-old electric guitarist^[10]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 1)": Eliminated
• Nathan Burton
  • Preliminaries, Episode 7": Magician, he also appeared in season one^[10]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 1)": Eliminated
• Kari Callin
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 8": Singer, sang "Somewhere" from West Side Story^[11]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 1)": Eliminated
• Ciana Pelekai
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 10": 8-year-old singer, sang "At Last".^[13]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 1)": Eliminated
• Alex Wesley
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 10": 53-year-old dancer.
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 1)": Eliminated

Part One cuts

Acts that were cut in the first episode of the Las Vegas Verdict included:

• Keith Johnson
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 8": Singer and guitarist, performed "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Cohn.^[11]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 1)": Eliminated
• Tony Ferrante
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 7": 74-year-old dancer, performed to "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" by Sylvester James.^[10]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 1)": Eliminated
• Joseph Constantine
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 4": Magician^[7]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 1)": Eliminated
• The Spiritual Harmonizers
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 7": Close harmony singing group of Post Office workers.^[10]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 1)": Eliminated
• Fuchsia FoXXX
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 4": Belly dancer^[7]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 1)": Eliminated
• The Hurricane Tricksters
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 4": Trickers^[7]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 1)": Eliminated

Part Two cuts

Acts that were cut in the second episode of the Las Vegas Verdict included:

• Rashida Jolley
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 8": Performed and sang "Killing Me Softly" on the harp.^[11]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Eliminated.^[16]
• Christopher & Laura Camp
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 8": Whip act^[11]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Eliminated.^[16]
• Duo Design
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 9": Hand balancers.^[12]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Eliminated.^[16]
• The Flash
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 9": Jugglers and acrobats.^[12]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Eliminated.^[16]
• The Kalinins
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 8": Father and son acrobats.^[11]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Eliminated.^[16]
• Arthur Gulkarov
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 7": Contortionist and dancer^[10]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Eliminated.^[16]
• Kara & Corey Britz
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 9": Sibling guitarist/singer duo, performed "Every Breath You Take" by The Police.^[12]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Eliminated.^[16]
• The Serenades
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 9": Singers. Sang "Hit the Road Jack" by Ray Charles.^[12]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Auditioned as backup for Marcus Terrell. Eliminated.^[16]
• Destined 2 Be
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 8": Poppers, performed to "Shawty Get Loose" by Lil Mama.^[11]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 1)": Challenged by the judges. Given a new piece of music, they had 12 hours to come up with a performance to that music.^[14]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Eliminated^[16]
• Kelli Glover
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 7": Sang "Listen" from Dreamgirls. Previously appeared on American Idol: season one.^[10]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Eliminated

Unknown cut

Acts that were eliminated at an unknown stage of Las Vegas week.

• Unexpected Step Team
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 1": Step team^[4]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Anointed S
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 1": Vocal percussion^[4]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Black Fire Percussion
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 1": Drumline^[4]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• NYC Gay Men's Chorus
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 1": Singers^[4]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Bruce and Simone
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 1": Aerial artists, performed to "Can't Get Enough of Your Love" by Barry White^[4]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Brad Byers
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 1": Carnival sideshow style performer, put a fishing hook and a drill through his nose^[4]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Urban Nation Hip-Hop Choir
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 1": Show choir^[4]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• The Jesse White Tumbling Team
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 1": Acrobats^[4]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Draconik
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 1": Fire act^[4]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Comic Bots
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 2": A band consisting of performers dressed in homemade robot costumes^[5]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Although this act was shown as surviving the initial airport cut, they did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Tom Durnin
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 2": 52-year-old dancer and illusionist^[5]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Joseph Harris
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 3": Yo-yo performer^[6]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• TJ & the Little Mamas
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 5": 6- to 9-year-old dancers, performed to a hip-hop version of "Dance to the Music"^[8]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Miss Germany
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 5": Fire act^[8]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Janice Martin
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 5": Singer, violinist, and aerialist^[8]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• The Scott Brothers
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 5": Cartoon-style poppers^[8]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Iconic Crew
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 5": Dance crew^[8]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Live in Color
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 6": Dance crew^[9]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Anna Pipoyan
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 6": Belly dancer, danced with a lit candelabra prop on her head^[9]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Chris Collins
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 6": Magician^[9]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Eclipse
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 6": Rapper^[9]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Timez 2
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 6": Hip-hop singing twins, sang "Yeah!" by Usher.^[9]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Simon Chaban
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 8": Fire dancer^[11]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Louis Bar & Laura Cantu
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 8": Tango dancers^[11]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Encore
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 9": Dance crew^[12]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Alycia Cooper
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 9": Standup comic^[12]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• N2UN
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 9": Violinist/pianist duo.^[12]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• Koshka Raenelle
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 10": Singer, sang "Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin.^[13]
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.
• E3
  • "Preliminaries, Episode 10": Dancing trio.
  • "Las Vegas Week (Part 2)": Not shown, but did not make the Top 40, so presumed eliminated by the judges.

Quarterfinals

The quarterfinals began on August 4, 2009. Twelve acts (ten of the original Top 40, plus two wildcards) performed each week. A two-hour performance episode each Tuesday was followed by a one-hour results show the following day, where five of the twelve acts from the previous night remained in the competition. When an act got buzzed by all three judges, they must stop, unlike in the previous seasons, where at this stage acts were allowed to continue despite being buzzed by all judges. A large X appeared on the screen on stage, indicating the act had been struck out by the judges. Viewers were still able to vote for the buzzed act. The judges' choice, however, remained, as the judges got to decide whether the contestant who placed either in fifth or sixth place got to advance to the next round.

Week 1

The performance episode aired on August 4, 2009, 2 hours.^[18][19]

The results episode aired on August 5, 2009, 1 hour. It included performances by Terry Fator and Mariah Carey.^[20][21]

Elimination table, week 1

Key	Buzzed out	Judges' choice	Advanced to the semifinals.	Finished in either fifth or sixth place; Won the judges' vote.	Finished in either fifth or sixth place; Lost the judges' vote.

Italics indicate the act was a wild card. Order indicates when the act performed during the performance episode.

Order	Performer	Act Description	Buzzes and judges' choices
			Hasselhoff	Osbourne	Morgan
1	Breaksk8	Rollerskating dance troupe
2	Thia Megia	Singer
3	The Platt Brothers	Pantomimes, acrobats, dancers
4	The Diva League	Drag queens
5	Manuela Horn	Yodeling dominatrix, singer/performer
6	Grandma Lee	Standup comedian
7	Mosaic	A cappella singers
8	Acrodunk	Acrobatic basketball dunkers
9	Arcadian Broad	Dancer
10	Drew Thomas Magic	Magician
11	Kevin Skinner	Singer
12	Lake Houston Dance	Dance Troupe

Week 2

The performance episode aired on August 11, 2009, 2 hours.^[22][23]

The results episode aired on August 12, 2009, 1 hour. It included performances from LMFAO and Penn and Teller.^[24][25]

Elimination table, week 2

Key	Buzzed out	Judges' choice	Advanced to the semifinals.	Finished in either fifth or sixth place; Won the judges' vote.	Finished in either fifth or sixth place; Lost the judges' vote.

Italics indicate the act was a wild card. Order indicates when the act performed during the performance episode.

Order	Performer	Act Description	Buzzes and judges' choices
			Hasselhoff	Osbourne	Morgan
1	Fab Five	Clogging Dance troupe
2	Charles DeWayne	Singer
3	Carol Loo	Dancer
4	Tony Hoard & Rory	Dog trainer & Frisbee-catching dog
5	Eleisha Miller	Singer/Dancer
6	Paradizo Dance	Acrobatic performers
7	The Texas Tenors	Country/Classical vocal group
8	SQ Entertainment	Dance crew
9	Pete Peterkin	Impersonator			[note 1]
10	Alizma	Singing/Violin triplets
11	Beale Street Flippers	Flipping dance troupe
12	Voices of Glory	Singing trio

Footnotes

1. Morgan jokingly buzzed Pete Peterkin after his performance.

Week 3

The performance episode aired on August 18, 2009, 2 hours.^[26][27]

The results episode aired August 19, 2009, 1 hour. It included performances from Ashley Tisdale and Daughtry.^[28][29]

Elimination table, week 3

Key	Buzzed out	Judges' choice	Advanced to the semifinals.	Finished in either fifth or sixth place; Won the judges' vote.	Finished in either fifth or sixth place; Lost the judges' vote.

Italics indicate the act was a wild card. Order indicates when the act performed during the performance episode.

Order	Performer	Act Description	Buzzes and judges' choices
			Hasselhoff	Osbourne	Morgan
1	FootworKINGz	Dance Troupe
2	Marcus Terrell and the Serenades	Singing group
3	Pixie Mystère	Contortionist dancers
4	Jay Mattioli	Magician/Illusionist
5	BRI	Singer/Pianist
6	U4RIA Dance Crew	Dance crew
7	David Johnson	Comedic singer
8	Hairo Torres	Contortionist and break dancer
9	G-Force	Girl Rock Band
10	Jeffery Ou	Pianist
11	Mario & Jenny	Jugglers
12	Lawrence Beamen	Bass singer

Week 4

The performance episode aired on August 25, 2009, lasting 2 hours.^[30][31]

The results episode aired on August 26, 2009, lasting 1 hour. It included a performance from Reba McEntire.^[32][33]

Elimination table, week 4

Key	Buzzed out	Judges' choice	Advanced to the semifinals.	Finished in either fifth or sixth place; Won the judges' vote.	Finished in either fifth or sixth place; Lost the judges' vote.

Italics indicate the act was a wild card. Order indicates when the act performed during the performance episode.

Order	Performer	Act Description	Buzzes and judges' choices
			Hasselhoff	Osbourne	Morgan
1	Ishaara	Bollywood Dance Troupe
2	Bárbara Padilla	Singer
3	Pam Martin's Top Dogs	Trainer with dancing dogs
4	African High Flyers	Acrobats
5	Mia Boostrom	Singer
6	Erik & Rickie	Ballroom dancers
7	Coney Island Chris	Physical Comedian
8	Matt & Anthony	Guitarist and tap dancer
9	The Lollipop Girls	Burlesque dancers
10	Drew Stevyns	Singer
11	Recycled Percussion	Percussion act
12	The EriAm Sisters	Sister singing trio

Top 20

The Semifinals began on September 1, 2009. The process on stage is identical to that of the Quarterfinals, except there are no longer any new wild card acts.

Round 1

The performance episode aired September 1, 2009, 2 hours.

The results episode aired September 2, 2009, 1 hour. It included a performance from Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog (played by Artie Esposito filling in for an unavailable Steve Whitmire) singing "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," and one from David Hasselhoff singing "Feeling Good."

Round 1 elimination table

Key	Buzzed out	Judges' choice	Advanced to the finals.	Finished in either fourth or fifth place; Won the judges' vote.

Order	Performer	Act Description	Buzzes and judges' choices
			Hasselhoff	Osbourne	Morgan
1	Acrodunk	Basketball dunkers
2	The Texas Tenors	Vocal group
3	Paradizo Dance	Acrobatic performers
4	Drew Thomas Magic	Magician
5	Tony Hoard and Rory	Dog frisbee act
6	The Voices of Glory	Singing trio
7	The Fab Five	Clogging dance troupe
8	Grandma Lee	Standup comedian
9	Arcadian Broad	Dancer
10	Kevin Skinner	Singer/Guitarist

Footnotes

• Because David, Sharon, and Piers were unable to make a decision as to which act they wanted to advance further in the competition, they decided to allow both acts to compete in the next round.

Round 2

The performance episode aired September 8, 2009, 2 hours.

The results episode aired September 9, 2009, 1 hour, with a guest appearance from the musical Jersey Boys.

Round 2 elimination table

Key	Buzzed out	Advanced to the finals.

Order	Performer	Act Description	Buzzes
			Hasselhoff	Osbourne	Morgan
1	Recycled Percussion	Percussion group
2	Lawrence Beamen	Bass singer
3	Erik and Rickie	Ballroom dancers
4	Jeffrey Ou	Pianist
5	Hairo Torres	Break dancer and contortionist
6	The EriAm Sisters	Sister singing trio
7	Mario and Jenny	Jugglers
8	Drew Stevyns	Singer
9	FootworKINGz	Dance Troupe
10	Bárbara Padilla	Singer

Footnotes

• As a result of there being no judges' choice the previous week of the semifinals, there was no judges' choice this week of competition, either.

Finals

The finale performances aired on Monday, September 14, 2009, 2 hours.

The finale results aired on Wednesday, September 16, 2009, 2 hours, and included guest performances from Thelma Houston, Shakira, Rascal Flatts, cast members of Cirque Du Soleil, Leona Lewis, and runner-up of the third series of Britain's Got Talent, Susan Boyle. These acts were all highly praised by critics.

The performances episode averaged 13.84 million viewers, and the finale averaged 15.5 million viewers.

Finals, elimination chart

Here is the chart for the finals of the fourth season of America's Got Talent.

Key	Winner	Runner-up	3rd Place	4th Place	5th Place	6th Place	7th Place	8th Place	9th Place	10th Place

Finals, September 14–16, 2009
Order	Contestant	Performance Description	Result (September 16, 2009)
1	Voices of Glory	Sibling singers; sang "Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston.	Fifth place
2	Hairo Torres	Contortionist dancer; danced to "Puttin' on the Ritz" by Rufus Wainwright and "Closer" by Ne-Yo.	Eighth place
3	Lawrence Beamen	Bass singer; sang "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" by Barry White.	Ninth place
4	Bárbara Padilla	Opera singer; sang "O Mio Babbino Caro" by Giacomo Puccini.	Runner-up
5	Fab Five	Sister cloggers; danced to "Circus" by Britney Spears.	Sixth place
6	The Texas Tenors	Country/Classical Vocal Group; sang "My Way" by Frank Sinatra.	Fourth place
7	Drew Stevyns	Singer (and guitarist); sang "I'll Stand By You" by The Pretenders.	Tenth place
8	Grandma Lee	Stand-up comedian; performed a varied routine, picking on her children, her (fictional) ex-husband, Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell.	Seventh place
9	Kevin Skinner	Country singer; sang "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith.	Winner
10	Recycled Percussion	Junkyard percussionists; played "Wipe Out" by The Surfaris.	Third place

Round chart

This is the list of the acts who passed through to the live rounds.

Italics indicate the act was a wild card.

Key	Winner	Runner-up	Finalist	Semifinalist

Name	Member(s)	Genre	Act	Hometown	Qtr. final	Semi. final	Position reached
Kevin Skinner	Kevin Skinner (35)	Singing	Singer/Musician	Mayfield, Kentucky	1	1	Winner
Bárbara Padilla (site)	Bárbara Padilla (36)	Singing	Opera singer	Houston, Texas	4	2	Runner-up
Recycled Percussion(site)	Ryan Vezina; Justin Spencer; James "Jimmy" Magoon; Todd Griffin (22–39)	Musical performance	Junkyard percussion group (and other)	Goffstown, New Hampshire	4	2	Third place
The Texas Tenors	Marcus Collins (34); JC Fisher (35); John Hagen (44)	Singing	Country/Classical vocal group	Houston, Texas	2	1	Fourth place
The Voices of Glory	Michael Cole (16); Avery Cole (13); Nadia Cole (9)	Singing	Trio sibling singers	Highland, New York	2	1	Fifth place
Drew Stevyns	Drew Stevyns (26)	Singing	Singer/Musician	Sykesville, Maryland	4	2	Top 10 bottom 5
Fab Five	LaChere Vawdrey (35); Shaundalee Morgan (33); Ayrion Myers (31); Cambria Gibson (28); Veva Ahlstrom (24)	Dancing	Sister clogging dance troupe	Morgan, Utah	2	1	Top 10 bottom 5
Grandma Lee	Lee Strong (75)	Performing	Stand-up comedian	Jacksonville, Florida	1	1	Top 10 bottom 5
Hairo Torres	Hairo Torres (23)	Dancing	Contortionist/Breakdancer	Grants Pass, Oregon	3	2	Top 10 bottom 5
Lawrence Beamen	Lawrence Beamen (34)	Singing	Bass singer	Walnut Creek, California	3	2	Top 10 bottom 5
Acrodunk (Team Acrodunk)	Jerry L. Burrell (45); Romale Daunte Crawford (23); Anthony Grant (27); Gregory T. Jerralds (25); Eddie Ray Johnson (24); Greg L. Mueller (32)	Acrobatics	Acrobatic basketball dunkers ("acrodunkers")	Houston, Texas	1	1	Eliminated
Arcadian Broad	Arcadian Broad (13)	Dancing	Dancer (and pianist)	Orlando, Florida	1	1	Eliminated
Drew Thomas Magic (Drew Thomas Magic & Illusion)	Drew Thomas (40); Rebecca Thomas; Erin Nicole Cline-Lead; Heather Specht	Performing	Magician/Illusionist	Orlando, Florida	1	1	Eliminated
EriAm Sisters	Haben Abraham (11); Salina Abraham (14); Lianda Abraham (16)	Singing	Sister singing trio	Seattle, Washington	4	2	Eliminated
Erik & Rickie	Erik Linder (8); Rickie Taylor (8)	Dancing	Ballroom dancers	Seattle, Washington	4	2	Eliminated
FootworKINGz (The Chicago FootworKINGz)	Trevell Johnson (23); Kendall Larkin (18); Kenneth Livingston (18); Brandon Love (18); Eddie Martin (16); Christopher Thomas (24)	Dancing	Dance troupe	Chicago, Illinois	3	2	Eliminated
Jeffrey Ou	Jeffrey Ou (18)	Classical Pianist	Pianist	Carrollton, Texas	3	2	Eliminated
Mario & Jenny	Mario Ferreira (34); Jenny Ferreira (33)	Performing	Jugglers	Las Vegas	3	2	Eliminated
Paradizo Dance	Dave Paris (37); Zoë Klein (29)	Dancing	Acrobatic performers	Brooklyn, New York	2	1	Eliminated
Tony Hoard & Rockin' Rory	Tony Hoard (54); Rockin' Rory (or Rock-'n'-Roll Rory)	Animal performing	Canine flying-disc thrower / catcher	New Castle, Indiana	2	1	Eliminated
African High Flyers	24–35	Acrobatics	Acrobats	Orlando, Florida	4		Eliminated
Alizma	Aleksandra Okapiec (23); Izabela Okapiec (23); Monika Okapiec (23)	Musical performance	Singing/Violin triplets	Las Vegas	2		Eliminated
'Anthony & Matt (AM Project)	Anthony Morigerato (24); Matt Lucas (22)	Dancing; musical performance	Tap dancer / guitarist	New York, New York	4		Eliminated
Breaksk8(site)	21–30	Dancing	Roller-skate dance troupe	Kokomo, Indiana	1		Eliminated
Beale Street Flippers	20–26	Acrobatics	Flippers	Memphis, Tennessee	2		Eliminated
BRI	Sabrina "Bri" Bernstein (17)	Singing	Singer/Pianist	Las Vegas	3		Eliminated
Carol Loo	Carol Loo (63)	Dancing	Dancer	Jersey City, New Jersey	2		Eliminated
Charles DeWayne	Charles DeWayne Dorsey, Jr. (21)	Singer	Singer (and pianist)	La Verne, California	2		Eliminated in Judges' Choice
Coney Island Chris	Chris Allison (42)	Performing	Stunt comedian	Naugatuck, Connecticut	4		Eliminated
David Johnson	David Johnson (30)	Singing	Comedic singer	Renton, Washington	3		Eliminated
Diva League	Shi-Queeta Lee; Jessica Spaulding; Akasha Cassadine; Banaka Deveraux; Mark'us Young; Kiera Turner; Derek Brown; Cheryl Brown; Byron Smith; Dominique Harvin; Rashad Dinkins (20–44)	Dancing	Drag dancers and lip-synchers	Washington, D.C.	1		Eliminated
Eleisha Miller	Eleisha Miller (8)	Musical performance	Singer and pianist	Amarillo, Texas	2		Eliminated
G Force	Emily Gendics (11); Hannah Gendics (9); Olivia Gendics (8)	Musical performance / singing	Sister rock band	Amherst, Ohio	3		Eliminated
Ishaara	Shahil Patel; Sian Bentson; Nickesh Viswanathan; Shivani Mehta; Neeraj Kohirkar; Amlu Natesan; Anwesh Thakur; Priya Tanna; Prashant Shukla; Meghna Bhatter (18–23)	Dancing	Bollywood dance troupe	Berkeley, California	4		Eliminated
Jay Mattioli	Jay Mattioli (27)	Performing	Magician/Illusionist	Manassas, Virginia	3		Eliminated
Lake Houston Dance	The Lake Houston Performing Arts Center members (9–14)	Dancing	Dance troupe	Houston, Texas	1		Eliminated
Manuela Horn	Manuela Horn (36)	Singing	Yodeler (and singer)	Seattle, Washington	1		Eliminated
Marcus Terrell & The Serenades	Marcus Terrell (22); others varied	Singing	Singer	Kansas City, Missouri	3		Eliminated
Mia Boostrom	Mia Boostrom (16)	Singing	Singer	North Dighton, Massachusetts	4		Eliminated in Judges' Choice
Mosaic (site)	Corwyn Hodge; Heath Burgett; John Henry Gibson II; Josh Huslig; Sean Gerrity; Troy Dolendo (30–34)	Singing	A cappella singing group	Las Vegas	1		Eliminated
Pam Martin's Top Dog	Pam Martin (54); various dogs	Animal performing	Dancing Dogs	Garland, Texas	4		Eliminated
Pete Peterkin	Pete Peterkin (54)	Performing	Impressionist	Brooklyn, New York	2		Eliminated
Pixie Mystère	9–11	Dancing	Contortionist dance troupe	Cape May, New Jersey	3		Eliminated in Judges' Choice
Platt Brothers	Boone Platt; Cheetah Platt; Cy Platt (22–27)	Acrobatics	Trio comedic acrobats	San Diego, California	1		Eliminated
SQ Entertainment	19–32	Dancing	Dance crew	Boston, Massachusetts	2		Eliminated
The Lollipop Girls	Alexandra; Celena; Janet; Jessica; Kyley; Lindy; Liza; Marisa (21–40)	Dancing	Burlesque dance troupe	San Diego, California	4		Eliminated
Thia Megia	Thialorei Lising "Thia" Megia (14)	Singing	Singer	Redwood City, California	1		Eliminated in Judges' Choice
U4ria Dance Crew	16–23	Dancing	Dance troupe	Coral Springs, Florida	3		Eliminated

Contestants who appeared on other talent shows

Thia Megia was the youngest of the top 13 finalists on American Idol: season ten. She is the first former America's Got Talent contestant to compete on American Idol. She was eliminated in tenth place, along with eleventh place finalist Naima Adedapo.

Contestants who appeared on other seasons

• Nathan Burton competed in season 1, finished as a semifinalist.
• Team Acrodunk (Acrodunk) competed in season 1, finishing as a semifinalist

Ratings

U.S. ratings

Order	Episode	Rating	Share	Rating/Share (18–49)	Viewers (millions)	Rank (night) (viewers)	Rank (week) (viewers)
1	"Auditions Episode 1"	6.8	12	3.3/10[34]	11.30	#1	#1
2	"Auditions Episode 2"	6.2	11	3.1/9[35]	10.39	#1	#3
3	"Auditions Episode 3"	7.5	13	3.7/11[36]	12.91	#1	#1
4	"Auditions Episode 4"	6.8	12	2.9/9	11.30	#2	#3
5	"Auditions Episode 5"	6.2	10	3/9[37]	10.43	#1	#2
6	"Auditions Episode 6"	6.9	12	3.3/10[38]	11.69	#1	#1
7	"Auditions Episode 7"	8	13	3.6/10[39]	13.17	#2	#2
8	"Auditions Episode 8"	6.9	12	2.9/9[40]	11.38	#1	#4
9	"Auditions Episode 9"	8.2	14	3.4/10[41]	13.75	#1	#1[42]
10	"Auditions Episode 10 Susan Boyle Interview"	6.6	11	2.5/7[43]	11.26	#1	#2[42]
11	"Vegas Verdicts (Part 1)"	7.7	13	3.4/10[44]	12.76	#1	#1
12	"Vegas Verdicts (Part 2)"	6.4	11	2.8/8[45]	10.90	#1	#2
13	"Quarterfinals, Group 1"	7.7	14	3.6/11[46]	12.97	#1	#1
14	"Quarterfinals, Group 1 Results"	6	10	2.9/9[47]	10.68	#1	#2
15	"Quarterfinals, Group 2"	7.6	13	3.4/10	12.48	#1	#1
16	"Quarterfinals, Group 2 Results"	6.9	12	2.9/9	11.42	#1	#4
17	"Quarterfinals, Group 3"	7	12	2.9/9[48]	11.59	#1	#2
18	"Quarterfinals, Group 3 Results"	6.4	11	2.4/7[49]	10.29	#1	#4
19	"Quarterfinals, Group 4"	6.9	12	3/8	11.42	#1	#1
20	"Quarterfinals, Group 4 Results"	6.7	11	2.9/8	10.87	#1	#2
21	"Semifinals, Group 1"	7.5	13	3.2/9[50]	12.81	#1	#1
22	"Semifinals, Group 1 Results"	7.4	12	2.6/8[51]	12.39	#1	#2
23	"Semifinals, Group 2 "	7.1	12	2.9/8[52]	12.03	#1	#5
24	"Semifinals, Group 2 Results"	6	9	2.1/5[53]	10.06	#1	#10
25	"Finals, Performances"	8.5	13	3.3/9[54]	13.84	#2	#3
26	"Finale"	9.5	16	3.5/10[55]	15.53	#1	#2

Canadian ratings

Order	Episode	Viewers (100'00s)	Rank (week)
1	"Auditions Episode 1"	6.77	#24[56]
2	"Auditions Episode 2"	6.71	#25
3	"Auditions Episode 3"	7.58	#20
5	"Auditions Episode 5"	8.52	#18
6	"Auditions Episode 6"	7.93	#24
7	"Auditions Episode 7"	9.00	#18
9	"Auditions Episode 9"	7.01	#28
11 & 12	"Vegas Verdicts"	7.08	#27
13	"Quarterfinals, Group 1"	8.36	#18
15	"Quarterfinals, Group 2"	6.68	#24
16	"Quarterfinals, Group 2 Results"	6.00	#27
17	"Quarterfinals, Group 3"	6.28	#27
21	"Semifinals, Group 1"	10.44	#18
22	"Semifinals, Group 1 Results"	8.84	#26
23	"Semifinals, Group 2"	7.93	#28
25	"Finals, Performances"	20.27	#4
26	"Finale"	14.47	#9

References

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8. "Preliminary auditions, episode 5". America's Got Talent. Season 4. Episode 5. 2009-07-07.
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11. "Preliminary auditions, episode 8". America's Got Talent. Season 4. Episode 8. 2009-07-15.
12. "Preliminary auditions, episode 9". America's Got Talent. Season 4. Episode 9. 2009-07-21.
13. "Preliminary auditions, episode 10". America's Got Talent. Season 4. Episode 10. 2009-07-22.
14. "Las Vegas Verdicts, Part 1". America's Got Talent. Season 4. Episode 11. 2009-07-28.
15. "RNO summary Episode 11".
16. "Las Vegas Verdicts, Part 2". America's Got Talent. Season 4. Episode 12. 2009-07-29.
17. "RNO summary Episode 12".
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19. "RNO summary Episode 13".
20. "Quarterfinals - Week 1 results". America's Got Talent. Season 4. Episode 14. 2009-08-05.
21. "RNO summary Episode 14".
22. "Quarterfinals - Week 2 performances". America's Got Talent. Season 4. Episode 15. 2009-08-11.
23. "RNO summary Episode 15".
24. "Quarterfinals - Week 2 results". America's Got Talent. Season 4. Episode 16. 2009-08-12.
25. "RNO summary Episode 16".
26. "Quarterfinals - Week 3 performances". America's Got Talent. Season 4. Episode 17. 2009-08-12.
27. "RNO summary Episode 17".
28. "Quarterfinals - Week 3 results". America's Got Talent. Season 4. Episode 18. 2009-08-19.
29. "RNO summary Episode 18".
30. "Quarterfinals - Week 4 performances". America's Got Talent. Season 4. Episode 19. 2009-08-25.
31. "RNO summary Episode 19".
32. "Quarterfinals - Week 4 results". America's Got Talent. Season 4. Episode 20. 2009-08-26.
33. "RNO summary Episode 20".
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35. "Wednesday Ratings: Think You Can Dance? Keys Fox Win, Philanthropist Premiere Fair". 2009-06-25. Archived from the original on 28 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
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39. "Tuesday Ratings: Fox, AL, MLB All-Star Game Win; America’s Got Talent Does Well At 9pm". 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
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41. "Tuesday Ratings: Hell’s Kitchen Returns Down; Still Shouts Fox To Victory". 2009-07-22. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
42. "'America's Got Talent' is tops, but CBS had most viewers last week". 2009-07-28. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
43. "Wednesday Ratings: The President Speaks; So You Think You Can Dance Wins". 2009-07-23. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
44. "Tuesday Ratings: More To Love Premieres Light, But Hell's Kitchen Screams Fox To Victory". 2009-07-29. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
45. "Wednesday Ratings: Think You Can Dance Beats Talent Head To Head As Fox Wins Night". 2009-07-30. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
46. "NBC Ranks #2 for the week in viewers and ties for #1 in adults 25-54". 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
47. "NBC Ranks #2 for the week in viewers and ties for #1 in adults 25-54". 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
48. Weisman, Jon (2009-08-19). "NBC top ratings with 'Talent'". Variety. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
49. "Weds TV Ratings: America's Got Talent tops Octomom, NBC wins night". 2009-08-20. Retrieved 2013-05-29.
50. "TV Ratings Tuesday: America’s Got Talent Helps NBC Edge Fox & Hell’s Kitchen". 2009-09-02. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
51. Kissell, Rick (2009-09-03). "'Wipeout,' 'Talent' top primetime ratings". Variety. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
52. "TV Ratings Tuesday: 90210, Melrose Place Premiere Weak; Fox & Hell’s Kitchen Rule". 2009-09-09. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
53. "Updated TV Ratings: SYTYCD vs. POTUS and Glee premieres nicely". 2009-09-09. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
54. "Updated TV Ratings: The Jay Leno Show premieres big, rises to 18.4 million in the final #s". 2009-09-26. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
55. "Updated TV Ratings: AGT finale, Leno, Glee and The Beautiful Life". 2009-09-17. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
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External links

• Official NBC America's Got Talent website