One thing that America's Got Talent, American Idol, X-Factor and The Voice all have in common is that they are all trying to find "the next big thing". But, who actually got there? There have been thousands of contestants on NBC's America's Got Talent, which is now in its 12th Season. In this list, we are going to take a look at the real stars that came out of the show.
Team iLuminate
After finishing in 3rd place on Season 6 of America's Got Talent, Team iLuminate had a successful engagement Off-Broadway in NYC and proceeded to go on tour. They have made countless television appearances and have performed with major artists such as Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera, David Guetta, and The Black Eyed Peas. They continue to tour the nation today as well as having toured in Mexico, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
Jackie Evancho
She finished Season 5 of America's Got Talent in second place at the young age of 10 and has since continued to grow as a singer and performer. Since then, she became the best-selling debut artist of 2010 and the youngest top-10 debut artist in U.S. history. She became the youngest solo artist ever to go platinum in the United States and recently released her album "Two Hearts" which became her 7th consecutive No. 1 release on the U.S. classical album chart. She sang the National Anthem at the Inauguration of Donald Trump and has a net worth of around $4 million.
Lindsey Stirling
After making it to the Quarterfinals in Season 5 of AGT, this violinist found fame fairly quickly. She was included in Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30 in Music and her album "Shatter Me" reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in 2014. "Shatter Me" also won the Billboard Music Award in 2015 for Top Dance/Electronic Album. Her YouTube channel has over 9 million subscribers and as a verified YouTuber, she has an Original Movie on YouTube Red entitled "Brave Enough". Her net worth is around $10 million. She has been told plenty of times that there is no market for her style of music, but she has proven that if you believe in yourself, anything is possible.
Mat Franco
Franco won AGT in 2014 during Season 9 making him the first magician to ever do so. His Las Vegas show, "Mat Franco: Magic Reinvented Nightly" continues to find success at the LINQ Hotel & Casino. The show was honored as "Best Show" in the "Las Vegas Weekly Readers' Choice Awards". He even had a special TV event called Mat Franco's Got Magic which aired on NBC in 2015. In just 3 short years, he already has a net worth of around $3 million.
Michael Grimm
After winning Season 5 of America's Got Talent, Michael Grimm secured a successful music career for himself. In 2011, his album "Michael Grimm" debuted at No. 13 on the U.S. Pop Music Charts. He opened for Stevie Nicks and performed alongside Smokey Robinson for the 37th Annual Candlelight Concert. He has a net worth of around $3 million. He proposed to his fiancé in 2010 on the Ellen Degeneres Show where she responded with a loving "Yes."
Grace Vanderwaal
Since winning AGT's 11th Season, she has quickly gained popularity and continues to grow as a superstar. Her first EP, which had a total of 5 songs debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at No. 9 and became the Best Selling EP of 2016. She has already performed at major venues and continues to release new songs. She won the Radio Disney Music Award in 2016 for "Best New Artist" and the 2017 Teen Choice Award for "Next Big Thing". She already has a net worth of around $1 million.
Terry Fator
Not only is Terry Fator the most successful act to come out of the show, but after winning the show's 2nd Season, his Las Vegas show is one of the most successful shows the Vegas strip has ever seen. In 2008, he signed a contract to play nightly at the Mirage Hotel & Casino. The theatre was renamed The Terry Fator Theatre and the deal is considered to be one of the largest entertainment deals in the history of Las Vegas. Despite judge David Hasselhoff's initial reaction at his audition of "Oh no, a ventriloquist", Terry Fator now has a net worth of $100 million.
Honorable Mentions:
The Clairvoyants (Season 11 Runner-Up) performed in "The Illusionists: Turn of the Century" on Broadway and continues to tour with the show.
Neal E. Boyd (Season 3 Winner) released an album "My American Dream" which debuted at No. 3 on the Top Classical Albums chart. He is now involved in politics in the state of Missouri.
Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. (Season 6 Winner) released an album "That's Life" which debuted at No. 34 on the Billboard 200 U.S. charts.
The Olate Dogs (Season 7 Winner) released a Christmas album and currently tour the U.S. in the "Holiday Rescue Tour".
Bianca Ryan (Season 1 Winner) continues to act and release music despite battling some health problems. She recently released her singles "One Day", "What I Gotta Do" and "Man Down".
Melissa Villasenor (Season 6) can currently be seen as a recurring actor on Saturday Night Live.
The Jabbawockees (Season 2) won the first season of America's Best Dance Crew, perform in the Las Vegas show entitled "JREAMZ" and was seen on the first season of this year's World of Dance on NBC.
Who will be the winner of the show this year? The Live Shows are heating up as America awaits to see who will join the ranks of these successful acts.
