'America's Got Talent 2011' YouTube Contestants
12 acts from the YouTube online auditions, including BMX racer Matt Wilhelm, will compete live on Tuesday, August 9.
Matt Wilhelm in "America's Got Talent 2011" YouTube audition
August 8, 2011
UNIVERSAL CITY, CA — NBC's top-rated summer series "America's Got Talent" announced today the 12 acts from the YouTube online auditions that will perform live for the first time on Tuesday, August 9 (9-11 p.m. ET). Last season's runner-up, young opera sensation Jackie Evancho, auditioned through YouTube and her recent debut album "Dream with Me" has just been certified gold.
Over the past few months, thousands of acts from across the country submitted videos online. From these submissions, the show selected 20 acts and the YouTube community picked their favorite: Matt Wilhelm, a BMX racer from Chicago.
Wilhelm will perform live alongside 11 additional YouTube acts that were selected by the show including:
Aeon - Los Angeles (parkour)
Beth Ann Robinson - Dothan, Ala. (dancer)
Breena Bell - Lincoln, Ala. (solo gymnast/dancer)
Illusionist Brett Daniels - Walkersville, Wis. (magician)
Gabe Rocks - Bellingham, Wash. (animal act)
Gymkana - College Park, Md. (variety)
Kalani Basketball Freestyle - Honolulu (variety)
Kevin Colis - New Braunfels, Texas (singer)
Powerhouse - Burbank, Calif. (choir)
TNC Elite - members from Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina (cloggers)
West Springfield Dance Team - Springfield, Va. (dance team)
On the Wednesday, August 10 (9-10 p.m. ET) live results show, four acts from Tuesday's YouTube performance show will move on to the semi-finals, which begin August 23 (9-11 p.m. ET).
Now in its sixth season, "America's Got Talent," airs Tuesdays (9-11 p.m. ET) and Wednesdays (9-10 p.m. ET) on NBC. Howie Mandel, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne star as the celebrity panel of judges, and Nick Cannon serves as host. The series is a true celebration of the American spirit, featuring a colorful array of aspiring stars, including singers, dancers, comedians, contortionists, impressionists, jugglers, magicians and ventriloquists, all vying for their chance to strut and perform on stage hoping to win America's hearts—and the $1 million prize.
So far this summer, the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of "America's Got Talent" are the #1 and #3 series on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox in total viewers, with the Wednesday edition of "Talent" ranking behind only NBC's "The Voice." In adults 18-49, the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of "Talent" rank #2 and #3, behind only "The Voice." Versus last year, "America's Got Talent" is up in adults 18-49 by 20 percent on Tuesdays (with an average 4.2 rating vs. a 3.5) and up 18 percent on Wednesdays (4.0 vs. 3.4), according to "most current" averages through July 31 from Nielsen Media Research. In total viewers, the show is up 22 percent year-to-year on Tuesdays (14.715 million vs. 12.050 million) and 13 percent year-to-year on Wednesdays (13.670 million vs. 12.110 million).
"America's Got Talent" is produced by FremantleMedia North America and Simon Cowell's SYCO Television. Simon Cowell, Cecile Frot-Coutaz ("American Idol"), Jason Raff, Ken Warwick ("American Idol") and Georgie Hurford-Jones are executive producers.
Over the past few months, thousands of acts from across the country submitted videos online. From these submissions, the show selected 20 acts and the YouTube community picked their favorite: Matt Wilhelm, a BMX racer from Chicago.
Wilhelm will perform live alongside 11 additional YouTube acts that were selected by the show including:
Aeon - Los Angeles (parkour)
Beth Ann Robinson - Dothan, Ala. (dancer)
Breena Bell - Lincoln, Ala. (solo gymnast/dancer)
Illusionist Brett Daniels - Walkersville, Wis. (magician)
Gabe Rocks - Bellingham, Wash. (animal act)
Gymkana - College Park, Md. (variety)
Kalani Basketball Freestyle - Honolulu (variety)
Kevin Colis - New Braunfels, Texas (singer)
Powerhouse - Burbank, Calif. (choir)
TNC Elite - members from Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina (cloggers)
West Springfield Dance Team - Springfield, Va. (dance team)
On the Wednesday, August 10 (9-10 p.m. ET) live results show, four acts from Tuesday's YouTube performance show will move on to the semi-finals, which begin August 23 (9-11 p.m. ET).
Now in its sixth season, "America's Got Talent," airs Tuesdays (9-11 p.m. ET) and Wednesdays (9-10 p.m. ET) on NBC. Howie Mandel, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne star as the celebrity panel of judges, and Nick Cannon serves as host. The series is a true celebration of the American spirit, featuring a colorful array of aspiring stars, including singers, dancers, comedians, contortionists, impressionists, jugglers, magicians and ventriloquists, all vying for their chance to strut and perform on stage hoping to win America's hearts—and the $1 million prize.
So far this summer, the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of "America's Got Talent" are the #1 and #3 series on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox in total viewers, with the Wednesday edition of "Talent" ranking behind only NBC's "The Voice." In adults 18-49, the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of "Talent" rank #2 and #3, behind only "The Voice." Versus last year, "America's Got Talent" is up in adults 18-49 by 20 percent on Tuesdays (with an average 4.2 rating vs. a 3.5) and up 18 percent on Wednesdays (4.0 vs. 3.4), according to "most current" averages through July 31 from Nielsen Media Research. In total viewers, the show is up 22 percent year-to-year on Tuesdays (14.715 million vs. 12.050 million) and 13 percent year-to-year on Wednesdays (13.670 million vs. 12.110 million).
"America's Got Talent" is produced by FremantleMedia North America and Simon Cowell's SYCO Television. Simon Cowell, Cecile Frot-Coutaz ("American Idol"), Jason Raff, Ken Warwick ("American Idol") and Georgie Hurford-Jones are executive producers.
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