Since then, Leake has worked as an English teacher at Edison High School and an academic advisor at Delta College in Stockton. After graduating, Leake joined a slam poetry team in Sacramento. I know what this is. On Tuesday's episode of the competition series, 27-year-old Brandon Leake took . America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays and Wednesdays (at 8 p.m. Sofia Vergara was emotionally moved by this poetic America's Got Talent audition. The activist also liaises with Stockton Police Department, advocating for reform of their use-of-force policies to better the relationship between minorities and the police. Brandon is also the founder and CEO of Called to Move, an organization that aids youth in self-actualizing and personally developing through the art of poetry. The Season 15 winner was the show's first-ever spoken word poet to compete. You don't have to be this hardened individual who steps in there and does this crazy competitive work. 27-year-old Brandon Leake is a spoken word poet and motivational speaker. With the help of four other spoken word poets, he delivered a piece about his hometown of Stockton, California. me getting the opportunity to have an outlet to share that type of pain. Relive all of Brandon's full performances from the season. Get The America's. Brandon is the first poet to pass the audition round. 15, All-Stars 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. "My brother passed away the same year that your sister passed away," she said. "For me, it's my first time and I feel comfortable when he is with us. Judge Sofia Vergara, whose older brother Rafael was murdered the same year that Danielle passed away, was in tears, telling Brandon, I can feel your pain. For his audition, Leake presented an emotional piece about mourning his late sister. Tears also flowed for singer Shevon Nieto, a two-time Olympic runner who quit training for her third Summer Games after her boyfriend Jamie, also an Olympic athlete, was paralyzed from the chest down in a 2016 high-jumping accident. The only consistent thing about my writing is I write best in the shower. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. 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. Since the show gave him a platform to share his skill with the world, he has become a household name across the country. Dancers have World of Dance and all these other places. Thesixth day of auditions, which was taped in March, marked the first episode of Season 15 impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,before countrywide lockdown orders sidelinedentertainment production. You also don't have to be this overly enthusiastic person who's chasing after everybody's attention. I know what this is. Watch Brandon Leake's Audition on AGT:https://youtu.be/tdjIFkM-ohQWill Brandon become the next AGT winner?? I wish he could've been here," Vergara said. - America's Got Talent 2020https://youtu.be/SaPXcg7lLfgAmerica's Got Talenthttp://www.youtube.com/user/americasgottalent#AGT #AmericasGotTalent Aside from crew members and hostTerry Crews, that meant there were only four people inthe audience Tuesday: Cowell,Sofa Vergara,Howie Mandel and guest judgeEric Stonestreet, who filled in for a sick Heidi Klum. To know that an art form that was so underground for so long got the public eye and took a win, that's more than any million-dollar prize could ever be.". A Poet Makes Golden Buzzer History On 'America's Got Talent' . This is a very difficult thing to me to judge. No music, no nothing, just a raw heart beating in front of us. 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. In addition to the $1 million grand prize and a newKia Stinger, Leake is currently a headliner atAGT's live Las Vegas show at the Luxor. It's either love or pain, one of the two. Leake tells his most personal stories to connect with others and inspire people far and wide. "My older brother, Rafael, was killed in Colombia," she said. ET) on NBC. His parents are Tyrone and Carla Leake-Gibson. ALL of Brandon Leake's Performances on Season 15 of AGT! KYLIE MAR: "America's Got Talent's" first-ever spoken-word contestant, 27-year-old Stockton poet, educator, and new father Brandon Leake, closed out Tuesday night's episode with a tear-jerking ode to his deceased younger sister. TERRY CREWS: You have received the Golden Buzzer from Howie Mandel. I just want to compliment you on what you just did because it was extraordinary. "I've been ground-bound because she left. Singers can go to, I would say the writing was always personal, but performing was not always personal. It's my opportunity. Last week, a source told PEOPLE that "Simon's healing has been going well," and "he's recovering at home." Now, Leake is a poetry maven who tours the country. I'm just trying to hold onto you. As Brandon began to recite his piece, he told the gut-punching story of his sister, who was four years younger than him, dying at just 8 months old.. But while other auditioners of the episode, notably the magicians and comedians, suffered from not being able to play to a roaring crowd, the intimacy of this unique situation actually made Brandons performance all the more intense and impactful. This was a long time coming. Singers can go to The Voice, as well as America's Got Talent. Brandon Leake has made it clear he's willing to take that leap. The Stockton, California, native spoke about his mother's . Don't go out there trying to be somebody else. I know what it is to have somebody taken from you without you knowing. By McKenzie. "I'm tired of playing God 'cause I gotta come to terms with the fact that my sister ain't never comin' back.". I just want to compliment you on what you just did, because it was extraordinary.". On the night he'd be crowned the winner ofSeason 15, Leake performed a brief, light-hearted spoken word poem aboutAGT. [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. A good number of us really cheered each other on, even when we were competitiveIf you do great, that doesn't mean I can't, Do you have any advice for the Acts competing on, this roundup of his best moments from the show. Brandon Leake's Preliminary performance in Episode AS06 consisted of performing a spoken word poem about a homeless man he met on the street with a moral of not judging a book by its cover. That's what felt really good: knowing I'd done so much work to get so much better, and that I was finally there. She died from an enlarged heart at only eight-months-old. I wanted to be with them, so I got a big house [in Miami, Florida] and we all lived together. His new book of poems, Unraveling, came out in March 2022, showcasing his singular artistry yet again. Mother was like a zombie. Gibson was only 8 months old. Burt Bacharach, Legendary Composer Of Pop Songs, Dies At 94 . She's here with me now," Leake said, leading Mandel to ask if shewas backstage. 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. In his performance, Leake recalled the death of his sister in the late 90s, and his grief in the wake of her passing. "I'll say in the moment of doing it on the national stage, it wasn't immensely difficult due to the years of practice beforehand," said Leake. What made you decide to audition for America's Got Talent? I am so grateful to be in this country. Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel were back again without a guest judge or Simon Cowell, who broke his back on Aug. 8 at his Malibu, California, home when he fell off an electric bike. Anna posted on her Instagram celebrating 3 years with her hubby. As passionate fans of these shows, we provide news, analysis and fan engagement on Americas Got Talent, Britains Got Talent, The Voice, The X Factor, American Idol, The Four, The Masked Singer, The Worlds Best and its contestants.America's Got Talent 2020https://goo.gl/e12UJ8America's Got Talent News \u0026 Recapshttps://goo.gl/e12UJ8 "This is going to be much harder for them.". Most of us don't often walk in other people's shoes. The poem touched every single Judge, but particularly Howie Mandel, who awarded Leake with a Golden Buzzer. What did getting the Golden Buzzer during your audition feel like? She fell asleep and just didn't wake up," Leake told CBS13. I just want to compliment you on what you just did, because it was extraordinary, said a quieted Simon. 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." SOFIA VERGARA: Yeah. ", "Words seem to move people and myself more than anything, he's got everything," Mandel, 64, said of his Golden Buzzer winner. "And here we are.". "I believe that the biggest issue in this world, and I'm not being political, I'm being truthful, we're all in this together. "I'm still haunted by these nightmares 'cause I have a really creative mind, and sometimes it designs these alternate realities where she is still here," he said. Simon Cowell Is 'Very Happy' to Be Home 1 Week After Breaking His Back and Undergoing Surgery, Sofia Vergara Recalls Brother's Death During Powerful AGT Audition: 'I Can Feel Your Pain', AGT: Watch Archie Williams, Brandon Leake and More Season 15 Finalists Perform for $1M Prize. The new dad moved the. Read More 'AGT': Poet Brandon Leake wins star-studded finale with Duchess Meghan, Blake Shelton. ET on NBC. This is a very difficult thing for me to judge. "Its amazing to me that on Season 15 its the first time were hearing spoken word," the comedian said. I actually didn't think about that at all. Brandon Leake has made it clear he's willing to take that leap. And even in this very direct competition, we were all still rooting for each other. Leake's audition, featuring a deeply personal poem about his late sister, earned him a Golden Buzzer from Judge Howie Mandel, and he was an unstoppable force from there. Brandon Leake, a 27-year-old college counselor from Stockton, California, shocked the judges with . Your season was filmed in 2020, in the thick of the global pandemic, so you didn't have a rapturous audience every week. Later, Leake emotionally said, "My mother's greatest fear is that I won't return home breathing, blood pulsing through these veins enough to still be her Pookie. 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. - (SINGING) Praise be the day. Leake was the first spoken word poet to perform on the show. 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. "This is what an audition is actually like," Cowell said. 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. "I am going to show the world what a spoken-word poet can do.". Mandel hit the Golden Buzzer as just five pairs of hands clapped, sendingLeake straight to the live final shows. America's Got Talent Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. The NBC App is the best place to catch up on the most recent season of your favorite shows, watch live TV, and stream movies. I shouldn't be judging it. On the following Wednesdays, (which will feature celebrity musical acts including BTS on Sept. 16), the finalists will be announced. Position Reached The reason I became so much better was actually 'cause I failed making the show the first time. Brandon Leake's AGT Golden Buzzer Audition. Leake, a former high school English teacher from Stockton, California, had welcomed his first child 14 days prior to shooting the tryout. Brandon met his wife Anna at one of his shows in Stockton after she turned up with a mutual friend. He returned for America's Got Talent: All-Stars where he finished in 2nd place in his Preliminary week. Howie Mandel gave him a standing ovation. Relive all of Brandon's full performances from the season. Get The America's Got Talent App: http://bit.ly/AGTAppDownload Subscribe for More: http://bit.ly/AGTSub America's Got Talent Tuesdays 8/7c on NBC! Stream on Peacock: https://pck.tv/3cCQGhHAMERICA'S GOT TALENT ON SOCIALLike AGT: https://www.facebook.com/agtFollow AGT: https://twitter.com/agtAGT Instagram: http://instagram.com/agtFind America's Got Talent trailers, full episode highlights, previews, promos, clips, and digital exclusives here.NBC ON SOCIAL:YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/nbcTwitter: http://Twitter.com/NBCFacebook: http://Facebook.com/NBCInstagram: http://instagram.com/nbcABOUT AMERICA'S GOT TALENTAmericas Got Talent,\" NBCs No. In a poem used as an open letter to his father, Leake reflected on their years-long strained relationship and road to healing. It's amazing to me that on Season 15, its the first time that we're hearing somebody of spoken word. "America, sit quietly, listen and take it in.". 'America's Got Talent' Winners: Where Are They Now? He's a young man from Stockton who's transcending boundaries and breaking down barriers for generations to come. Mandel called the performance "raw," adding that "we feel your pain, we feel your love, and you moved me to do this" before reaching for the Golden Buzzer, raining confetti onto Leake and sending him straight to the live shows. It doesn't take away from me. Brandon received enough votes to advance to the Finals in Episode 1518 instead of Thomas Day. Your poems are so raw. There's something very, very special about you. I didn't know her, but she was a beautiful young Black girl, probably around 15 or 16. Act Brandon Leake is a poet from Season 15 of America's Got Talent. But instead of giving up, he went back to the drawing board, honed his craft, and tried again three years later stronger than ever. She was going to watch this live on TV tonight.". But America's Got Talent was a place that said, Hey, we'll welcome you if you're good. And fortunately for me, I was good enough to make the show the second time around. We feel your love and you moved me to do this.". There's really no other place to find a mainstream home. SIMON COWELL: What an amazing tribute. WINNER Brandon Leake All Performances on America's Got Talent!Audition - 0:05Quarterfinals - 5:03Semifinals - 10:01Finale - 14:59#AGT #AmericasGotTalent #TalentRecapFor more HD videos, news, analysis and recaps of America's Got Talent please subscribe \u0026 follow Talent Recap:https://talentrecap.com/For more HD full episode videos, news and recaps of your favorite talent show please subscribe \u0026 followTALENT RECAP ON SOCIAL:YouTube: https://goo.gl/6pybnwLike: https://www.facebook.com/talentrecap/Follow: https://twitter.com/TalentRecapInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/talentrecap/ABOUT TALENT RECAP Talent Recap is the #1 independent website which is exclusively dedicated to the fans of the most popular talent shows around the world. Mandel applauded Leake'screativity and vulnerability. Brandon Leake has made it clear he's willing to take that leap. In his ode to his sister, he reads, "If I could trade my six feet for yours. You could either say it started in middle school with girls who were cute, and that's how I first started writing poetry. Congratulations to Brandon Leake for WINNING Season 15 of America's Got Talent! However, that didn't seem to affect the emotion in the room. Brandon Leake is the first spoken word poet act to receive the, In Brandon's Finals performance, it was mentioned that he auditioned for, Brandon is Howie Mandel's second (third if counting. He also . Table of Biography [ show] Early Life Brandon Leake was born on May 4, 1992. Just be you, both on and off stage. "I can feel your pain; I know what this is. I'm still haunted by these nightmares because I have a really creative mind. "But it was very beautiful for me," Vergara said of the poem. When "America's Got Talent" contestant Brandon Leake took the stage to render the first-ever poetry audition on the show, the judges did not know they were in for a stunning and tearjerking performance. Leake, who is AGT 's first-ever spoken word poet to compete, was among the standout performances of the night with his moving poem. What surprised you most about your AGT experience? The judge's older brother, Rafael, was murdered in 1998 at age 27 during a kidnapping attempt in Colombia, and the memories came flooding back when Brandon Leake recited a poem about his sister's death, according to Fox News. America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays (8 p.m. "Tonight's poem is actually an ode to my sister. 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", "Lines like that are what build the bridge between me and another person, and who would have thought that poetry or spoken word could do that," said Leake. For myself, it was like, this is my time. Brandon Leake, a 27-year-old college counselor from Stockton, California, shocked the judges with an emotionally poetic spoken-word performance, a first on the "AGT" stage. Spoken word is the name given to poetry written to be performed, and Leake is the first ever performer of this genre to be featured on AGT. Brandon met his biological father for the very first time on August 31, 2017 and he married Anna on September 2, 2017. He is the first novelty act to win the competition. Sex We feel your pain. Leake actually didn't make it to the AGT stage when he first auditioned back in 2017. "There was something more raw in the way it's like singing and talking and just being a human a cappella. She did this really sweet poem about her relationship with Jesus. HOWIE MANDEL: You're amazing, buddy. 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. Never the same and never replicated. Acclaimed actress and international superstar Sofia Vergara joins as a new judge this season alongside returning judge and global fashion icon Heidi Klum. Wildcats, singer Celina, Divas & Drummers of Compton, singer Kenadi Dodds, projection artists Lightwave Theatre Company and dancer Noah Epps. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories, "What an amazing tribute," said Cowell. Brandon Leake POWERFUL Poetry About Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake Brandon Leake Will Make You EMOTIONAL With His Spoken Word - America's Got Talent 2020, Brandon Leake Delivers Emotional Spoken Word to His Daughter - America's Got Talent 2020, Brandon Leake Performs a Moving Spoken Word Piece About AGT - America's Got Talent 2020, THE WINNER IS - America's Got Talent 2020, Brandon Leake's EMOTIONAL Performance Receives a Standing Ovation - AGT- All-Stars 2023. Brandon's words were able to take a 64-year-old white guy and put him inside the heart and mind of an African-American mother whose just saying goodbye and fearing for her son's return," he said. It's either love or pain, one of the two. - America's Got Talent 2020 America's Got Talent 945K views 2 years ago Jayy Honors Her Parents Who Were Murdered In Front of Her. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. 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