NBC When "America's Got Talent" season 15 Judges Cuts begin on July 28, fans should expect to see some changes due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
America’s Got Talent season 15 returned with the Judges Cut round of competition on July 28. This season, in light of production shifts due to COVID-19, only one Judges Cut episode was filmed, which meant all acts that advanced during AGT‘s auditions would either move on to the live quarterfinals or be sent home by the end of the night.
Read on to find out who made it through, and what happened during episode 8 of AGT season 15. BEWARE OF SPOILERS BELOW.
‘AGT’ Season 15 Judge Cuts Recap
At the top of the episode, the judges watched a montage of the contestants they passed through to the Judges Cuts on a screen outside while sitting six feet apart. The montage was meant to show the judges as they reviewed the acts they “yes-ed” through to the next round, determining who deserves to go straight to the live shows, who gets cuts, and who needs to be seen a second time.
After the judges decided who to eliminate and who to send into the quarterfinals, they were left with 10 acts that they needed to see one more time before choosing who to give the remaining 5 slots to.
Simon y Maria performed their partner dance for the judges (via socially-distance movie screen), followed by Craig Reid who auditioned with a hula hoop routine via a virtual open call.
Even from afar and across mediums, the judges were floored by Max Major’s impressive magic routine, and it seemed like Major is a shoo-in for the live shows.
There’s no stopping @shaquirabby from shining like the bright star she is! 🌟 t.co/5cwa73msSN
Shaquira’s rendition of “Wake Me Up” by Avicii was another highlight of the night, and she emerged as a frontrunner to advance.
Ty Barnett’s Judge Cuts performance video kept the judges laughing; he delivered a socially distant comedy set to a small audience of neighbors, who were masked and outdoors.
The last act of the night was Jonathan Goodwin’s death-defying danger act. His act involved crossbows, water, and water bottles hooked up to a pulley system, with the crossbows aimed at a blindfolded Goodwin. He called the stunt “Blindfold Chicken With Crossbows,” and the judges watched in shock and awe as he narrowly dodged the first 3 arrows before blocking the 4th with a book from hitting him straight in the stomach.
Who Made It Through to the Live Shows?
A number of acts were sent directly to the live shows without having to perform again. Celina was the first act the judges sent straight through to the quarterfinals, quickly followed by Malik. Noah Epps, Brett Loudermilk, and Alan Silva were also passed through to the live shows.
Unsurprisingly, Archie Williams was sent to the quarterfinals without having to perform again. “I’m just so grateful” was his response when the judges (virtually) shared the happy news.
The judges also passed through Bona Vega, Pork Chop Revue, Vincent Marcus, Alex Hooper, Michael Yo, Usama Siddiquee, Double Dragon Twins, Thomas Day, Spyros Bros., Daneliya Tuleshova, The Bello Sisters, Bad Salsa, Kelvin Dukes, Feng E, Kameron Ross, and Dancetown. They will all perform live in the quarterfinals.
Prepare for more danger. @TheDaredevil is going to the live shows!
After seeing the 10 remaining acts perform one more time, the judges were ready to choose which acts would take the final 5 spots in the live shows. They picked Simon y Maria, Jonathan Goodwin, Shaquira McGrath, Nolan Neal, and Max Major.
New episodes of America’s Got Talent season 15 air on Tuesday nights at 8/7c on NBC.
READ NEXT: America’s Got Talent 2020 & COVID-19: Judges Cuts Coronavirus Schedule