Who won the Golden Buzzer tonight on America's Got Talent season 19?

The judges and the host on America
The judges and the host on America's Got Talent season 19 (Image via Instagram/@agt)

America's Got Talent season 19 started with a bang as episode 1 of the show featured the first part of auditions in which the prestigious Golden Buzzer was pressed for two contestants. Richard Goodall, a janitor from Indiana, and Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi won the Golden Buzzers on AGT on May 28.

The Golden Buzzer allows a contestant to skip all the rounds of the competition and advance to the live shows round, which takes place right before the finale. With their win, Richard and Learnmore got several steps closer to the America's Got Talent trophy and the $1 million prize.


Details about the two contestants who got the Golden Buzzer during the season premiere of America's Got Talent

Richard Goodall's Golden Buzzer win

During the America's Got Talent episode, which was filled with performances by talented magicians, comedians, dancers, singers, and even a young mathematician, Richard Goodall took the stage towards the end. Before he performed, he was introduced as a janitor, who worked at a school for 23 years.

Richard Goodall said that as a young kid, he used to sit in his bedroom, patiently listening to the radio. However, when he grew up, he had to find a job and started working at Chauncey Rose Middle School, which was only three blocks away from his house. Even though he has been working there for 23 years, he kept music close to his heart. In his introduction, he said:

"I'm not a fancy person. I take out the trash. I wipe off the tables, I sweep the floors. I'm just having fun and I'm trying to make people happy. The kids [from his school] would hear me sing and they tell me that I've got talent. That's why I'm here, that's why I got on a plane."

He then took the America's Got Talent stage and began singing his rendition of Don't Stop Believin' by Journey, which won the hearts of all the judges and the audience. Heidi in particular was the most touched by his performance and before she pressed the Golden Buzzer, she said:

"We all had the best time with you up there on that stage. I really, really feel something when I see you up there and hear you up there, and now this is what I'm gonna do for you because I love you."

This made Goodall emotional, and in a conversation with People, he revealed that he tried out for the reality TV show in 2009, and said:

"I tried out for AGT in 2009 and didn’t make it past the first round in Chicago... But like the song says, 'Don’t stop believing!'"

Learnmore Jonasi's Golden Buzzer win

The host of the show, Terry Crews, gave his only Golden Buzzer away to Learnmore Jonasi, who was originally from Zimbabwe. Apart from loving his act, Terry was touched by the contestant's journey, and before pushing the buzzer, he reiterated Learnmore's story and said:

"Backstage, you were telling me that you were taking 14-hour bus trips to go perform for five minutes and then having to take 14-hour bus trips back home."

He then said that Learnmore would never have to go back home again because now he was here with them. The judges all agreed with Terry's choice as they equally enjoyed the comedian's act.

Terry Crews also spoke to People about pressing the Golden Buzzer. He said that he couldn't wait for the world to see Learnmore's incredible talent. He also said that he was proud of him, and was happy that he had the power to change somebody's life instantly.

He compared the power of the Golden Buzzer to money and said:

"It's literally better than money because if you give someone that endorsement — the thing that they need to continue their dreams, not only continue it, but actually put it in front of billions of people — it's fantastic."

New episodes of America's Got Talent season 19 release every Tuesday at 8 pm ET on NBC.

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