Who Will Win 'America's Got Talent’? Contestants Chase $1 Million Prize

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Who Will Win 'America's Got Talent’? Contestants Chase $1 Million Prize
© USA Today

After nine weeks of "America's Got Talent" auditions, Season 18's first qualifiers episode kicked off Tuesday night.

The "AGT" contestants have been whittled down to 55 acts for the qualifiers, and 11 hopefuls performed Tuesday night, but only two will progress to the finals during Wednesday night's results episode.

Klum's Lavender Darcangelo Pride 

Judge Heidi Klum's Golden Buzzer act Lavender Darcangelo was one of the star performers on Tuesday night. 

The singer, who is blind and autistic, sang "I Want to Know What Love Is.” While it seemed to challenge her vocally, the aspiring star received a standing ovation from Klum and fellow "AGT" panelists Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara.

Cowell said she "nailed" the performance, and Klum added she is "so proud" of Darcangelo, who is +300 and joint second favorite to be the Season 18 winner, landing the $1 million prize.

Dog act Adrian Stoica and his pet pooch Hurricane (+400) also had all four judges on their feet at the end of their qualifiers performance.

Mandel described the pair as his "favorite dog act ever on AGT,” with Vergara adding they are "ready for Vegas.” 

Sainted Trap Choir Move Into Contention 

Sainted Trap Choir moved further into contention in the "AGT" futures betting after all four judges gave them a standing ovation for their medley of popular hip-hop songs. 

Cowell said they looked like "30 brilliant solo artists together" during their performance. The choir is at +450, from +600. 

They are now level in price with fellow +450 chances Oleksandr Leshchenko, a multimedia dancer, and ventriloquist Brynn Cummings.

A hat-trick of +750 chances in the futures betting, True Villains, Lambros Garcia and Mitch Rossell, also performed on Tuesday night.

Klum praised singer Rossell as "radio ready,” and only Vergara didn't give him a standing ovation out of the four judges. 

‘I Love My Mom! You Don’t Set Her On Fire!’

Guitarist John Wines' place in the finals could be in doubt after his qualifiers performance was buzzed by Cowell, who said it "just felt strange.”

He is at +1000, from +850, to win the show, and moves behind fellow Episode 12 performer Maureen Langan (+800).

Danger act Ray Wold & Mom also were on the receiving end of a red buzzer during their performance.

Their act featured Wold setting his mom on fire, but Mandel was not a fan. He told Wold, "I love my mom! You don’t set her on fire! It’s just wrong."

Despite this, the other three judges gave Wold and his mom a standing ovation, but the pair remain +1600 outsiders to win the contest, just ahead of +1800 chances Puppet Simon and The Cow Belles.

Contestant Odds Implied Probability
Chibi Unity +250 28.6%
Murmuration +250 28.6%
Putri Ariani +250 28.6%
Chioma & The Atlanta Drum Academy +300 25%
Lavender Darcangelo +300 25%
Gabriel Henrique +300 25%
Mzansi Youth Choir +350 22.2%
MOS +400 20%
82nd Airborne Chorus +400 20%
Adrian Stoica and Hurricane +400 20%
Zion Clark +400 20%
Sainted Trap Choir +450 18.2%
Ryland Petty +450 18.2%
Alexandr Leshchenko +450 18.2%
Brynn Cummings +450 18.2%
Freedom Singers +500 16.7%
Ramadhani Brothers +500 16.7%
Ahren Belisle +500 16.7%
Eseniia Mikheeva +550 15.4%
D'Corey Johnson +550 15.4%
Warrior Squad +550 15.4%
Dani Kerr +550 15.4%
Grace Good +600 14.3%
Roland Abante +600 14.3%
Herwan Legaillard +600 14.3%
Mariandrea +650 13.3%
Eduardo Antonio Trevino +700 12.5%
Anna DeGuzman +700 12.5%
Sharpe Family Singers +700 12.5%
Summer Rios +700 12.5%
Trigg Watson +700 12.5%
True Villains +750 11.8%
Kylie Frey +750 11.8%
Steel Panther +750 11.8%
Lambros Garcia +750 11.8%
Mitch Rossell +750 11.8%
Barry Brewer Jr. +800 11.1%
Maureen Langan +800 11.1%
Alfie Andrew +800 11.1%
Orlando Leyba +800 11.1%
Philip Bowen +850 10.5%
Justin Jackson +900 10%
Lachuné +900 10%
John Wines +1000 9.1%
Phil Wright & Parent Jam +1000 9.1%
Erica Coffelt +1000 9.1%
Sangsoon Kim +1000 9.1%
Avantgardey +1000 9.1%
Andrew Stanton +1100 8.3%
Shadow Ace +1100 8.3%
Trailer Flowers +1200 7.7%
Mandy Muden +1200 7.7%
Three G +1400 6.7%
Ray Wold +1600 5.9%
Puppet Simon and The Cow Belles +1800 5.3%
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