Who won America's Got Talent season 20? Details explored

America's Got Talent season 20 wrapped up officially with part two of the final episode going live on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, after a season full of electric performances by a dynamic batch of participants.

Judged by Simon Cowell, Sofía Vergara, Mel B, and Howie Mandel, the 10 finalists of America’s Got Talent season 20 performed their acts on Tuesday during the first part of the finale episode.

Finalists competing for the title and $1 million prize were rapper Chris Turner, Mama Duke and Micah Palace, singers and musicians Jourdan Blue, Steve Ray Ladson and Jessica Sanchez, dance group Team Recycled and Light Wire, the high-flying trapeze group Sirca Marea and the chorale group Leo High School Choir.

Voting lines were closed after the performances. The finalists then performed an encore with the special guest Ciara, Danny O’Donoghue, Aloe Blacc, Leona Lewis, and Manuel Turizo.

Other guest stars included season 19 winner Richard Goodall, Eric Lloyd, Sainted, Bozoma Saint John, Keely Watson, Neal Schon, and the cast of Now You See Me, Now You Don’t.

Jessica Sanchez was crowned the winner of America's Got Talent season 20

Jessica Sanchez, a singer and songwriter, was crowned the winner of America’s Got Talent season 20, taking home the $1 million prize, beating out rapper Chris Turner, who finished as the runner-up, while Jourdan Blue claimed third place.

On the announcement of the winner by host Terry Crews, Jessica broke down in tears, saying:

"I'm sorry, I'm really emotional, this is amazing. Thank you so much!"

It was a special moment as she had participated in the first season of America’s Got Talent as a child and could not win. This was her redemption after 20 years, and that too during her ninth month of pregnancy.

Out of the 10 finalists, Terry announced the top five, with Chris Turner, Jessica Sanchez, LightWire, Jourdan Blue, and the Leo High School Choir advancing to the final round.

The dream to win the title ended for participants Mama Duke, Sirca Marea, Steve Ray Ladson, Micah Palace, and Team Recycled immediately.

Lightwire emerged in the fifth position as Crews went on with the results, Leo High School on fourth, followed by Jourdan Blue, who came third.

The final two acts remaining were of rapper Chris Turner and Jessica Sanchez, which left everyone on the edge of their seats to discover the winner of the title and a residency in Las Vegas, along with the prize money.

Terry Crews finally revealed that Jessica has won the heart of the audience, receiving maximum votes to be crowned the winner of America's Got Talent season 20.

America's Got Talent season 20 final episode details explored

The final event saw some of the most energetic and spectacular performances by the participants and celebrity guests from the industry. The night started off with all the finalists performing the Happy Birthday song with musician Eric Lloyd, celebrating the 20th anniversary of America's Got Talent.

Host Terry Crews presented viewers with a behind-the-scenes peek into the finale rehearsals. A humorous moment occurred when an audience member had to assist Mel B in pronouncing intricate after the LightWire performance with Leona Lewis of Run.

However, the atmosphere turned intense when Mel B advised finalist Micah Palace to be nice to everybody backstage, commenting,

"I just wanna give you a few words of advice: you've got to be nice to everybody, the crew, the people that dress you, Cause if not, you're gonna meet them on the way back down, anyway."

Simon Cowell defended him, calling her remark out of order, as he said:

"I've just gotta butt in here, I've seen you, Micah, backstage — this is my own perspective — you've been really polite and sweet to everybody."

Micah Palace collaborated with Colombian singer Manuel Turizo to perform Mírame Ahora (Salud Mi Reina), followed by Leo High School Choir joining Aloe Blacc for a powerful rendition of The Man.

Jessica Sanchez sang Golden Hour, with Sirca Marea, performing breathtaking stunts in the background along with Jourdan Blue, partnered with Danny O'Donoghue of The Script for a duet on Breakeven, which captivated the audience.

Some other acts in the finale included Team Recycled performing with the pop icon Ciara on her hits Low and Level Up, ​​​​​​delivering a high-energy dance, and Chris Turner doing a freestyle rap using prompts from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Bozoma Saint John and her fiancé, actor Keely Watson.

Mama Duke delivered a soulful performance on her hit Feels So Good to Be You, accompanied by the choir group Sainted.

Season 19 winner Richard Goodall returned to perform Long Time Coming from his new album, accompanied by Neal Schon of the band Journey on guitar. 

The finale also featured a promotional short for the upcoming film Now You See Me: Now You Don't, featuring AGT magician alumni Shin Lim, Mat Franco, and Piff the Magic Dragon, alongside the cast of the film, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, and Ariana Greenblatt.

Stay tuned for more updates.