America’s Got Talent’s highly-anticipated Season 20 officially arrived on the 2025 TV schedule on Tuesday. But before each act can hit the stage, they have to go through a rigorous casting process to get there. When CinemaBlend attended the open call auditions in Pasadena, California a couple of months ago, we learned how the judges connect to the process.
It was a blast to tune in with our live blog of the premiere earlier this week, where we saw everything from a guy chugging jars of pickle juice and hot sauce to a breathtaking light, tech, and dance show that earned the first Golden Buzzer of the season and had Simon Cowell in awe. But how do Cowell, Mel B, Howie Mandel, and Sofia Vergara affect who’s chosen to be on stage? Here’s what casting producer Meg MacGregor told us:
The truth is they like to not know anything. They don't wanna know what's coming out next. They wanna be able to watch it just like the viewers do. They always want to see genuine people, too. It's a short amount of time that the acts have on the stage to even talk to the judges. So I think what they really encourage, along with the producers of the show, is help us get to know the act quickly.
Considering the four judges have to watch a lot of acts and react to them on television, I figured they might give the casting producers some notes when choosing the acts. However, the judges want to be as surprised as we are! MacGregor has been pivotal to the casting of America’s Got Talent for eighteen seasons, so she has a lot of experience on the subject. As she continued:
Like, what can they come out and talk about and say that speaks to them, but in a competition that can get the judges and that audience like really rooting for them? Because if you can get the audience and the judges on your side in audition one, you're setting yourself up to really have a fan base that can vote you all the way through to the million dollars.
It sounds like it can be all about personality and bringing something that will get a reaction out of the judges. It definitely seems like those who have touching stories and really put their heart and soul into their acts also get pulled through, such as the magician in Texas who connected his act with giving a present to his daughter or 23-year-old Jordan Blue getting a Golden Buzzer after touching the judges with his backstory and amazing singing voice, and then bringing in his girlfriend and newborn on stage after the big moment.
Elsewhere in our interview, MacGregor talked about looking for really “confident, genuine people” who can “hold their own” on stage, and we saw a lot of that during the premiere on Tuesday.
Season 20 follows “the singing janitor” Richard Goodall winning last season after warming the hearts of America with his amazing singing voice and charm. When we spoke to Goodall after his win, he said he hoped his victory would inspire more people that “anybody can try out”, and make it to the finale. We can’t wait to watch more contestants take the stage, surprise us and the judges as the season continues on NBC this summer.
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