Then & Now: What Are the Top 5 America’s Got Talent Winners Up to in 2023?

Having been on the air for over fifteen years, America's Got Talent is arguably the world's biggest stage. Perhaps this is why it continually attracts talented performers from across the globe. The show has helped many artists kick-start their careers throughout its eighteen seasons.

Here are AGT's five most memorable winners and their accomplishments as of 2023.

1. Mat Franco

As the first magician to win the show, Mat Franco claimed victory in the ninth season of America's Got Talent with his ingenious tricks and sleight of hand. Currently, he headlines Magic Reinvented Nightly, a show held at the Mat Franco Theater in Las Vegas.

2. Grace VanderWaal

At just twelve years old, this singer won season 11 of AGT, stunning audiences and judges with her vocals and ukulele skills and earning a golden buzzer from Howie Mandel. She went on to release several EPs (Perfectly Imperfect became a 2016 bestseller), singles, and an album. In 2018, she opened a concert for Imagine Dragons, and in 2019, Grace landed a role in Disney's Stargirl. Her career keeps going from strength to strength.

3. Michael Grimm

The winner of season 5, Michael Grimm achieved victory with his brilliant performances of classic hits like Percy Sledge's When a Man Loves a Woman. After AGT, the singer released several albums, many of which made it to the Billboard 200. In 2017, Grimm secured a residency at Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa in Las Vegas.

4. Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.

This singer captured the hearts and minds of the audience and judges alike with his profound renditions of classic jazz hits such as I've Got You Under My Skin and Fly Me to the Moon during the sixth season of America's Got Talent. After emerging victorious, Murphy signed with Columbia Records and released several albums featuring jazz covers and original songs. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the singer, a high-school dropout, used the free time on his hands to earn his high school diploma, becoming a passionate advocate for adult education.

5. Terry Fator

Initially entering AGT as the final ventriloquism act, this performer won the show's second season. Later, he went on to perform at the Mirage in Las Vegas at his namesake theatre from 2009 to 2020. Furthermore, Fator appeared on America's Got Talent as a guest star, mentoring and supporting other ventriloquists over the years. Since 2021, Fator has been an entertainer at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino.