‘America’s Got Talent’ season 18 episode 6 performances ranked: Top 12 acts from worst to best
On July 11, 2023, “America’s Got Talent” returned with the sixth set of auditions for its 18th season. Host Terry Crews welcomed viewers back to the show along with judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara. But who were the best acts from this episode? And did any move forward that shouldn’t have? Below we rank the 12 acts who advanced from worst to best. Do any of Tuesday’s acts have what it takes to win the million dollars this year?
SEE ‘America’s Got Talent’: Who was your favorite act from ‘AGT’ Auditions 6? [POLL]
Season 18 Episode 6 Rankings:
12. Artem Shchukin: I have to preface this by saying that for the first time in a long time, I really liked all of the acts that advanced to the next round. Saying that, I found Artem to be really personable and talented. The fact that he chose that song for the background and he resembles Uncle Fester from the Netflix hit “Wednesday” was icing on the cake. Paging Fred Armisen!
11. Trent Toney: Trent was definitely a bit nervous. If Heidi is calling for you to take back your ex, that might be a sign from the angels…the Victoria Secret Angels! Vocally, Trent has a Nick Jonas meets Donny Osmond tone with more than a passing resemblance to Jake Gyllenhaal. The audition was great and if that did not convince his ex to take him back, nothing will. Maybe Heidi knows a few friends for him? Also, give a Golden Buzzer to the producer who put the “but they are still not together” card in right at the end. Very “90 Day Fiancé” of them.
10. The Zoo: I know this group from social media and was already a huge fan of them so I knew that they were going to blow everyone’s minds. It is always cool to see some dance crews on a big stage and this was a great example of why. You guys are in for a treat if they make the live rounds.
9. Let It Happen: Energy thy name is Let It Happen. We did not see much besides their audition and I cannot wait to see more from them.
8. Andrew Stanton: First and foremost, listen to NBC and never attempt this at home. Not like any of us were going to in the first place. “He needs to be done” were exactly my thoughts. Then, he did that second, even more messed up trick, and I was wowed. Disgusted and horrified, but wowed. Normally these acts are not my cup of tea, but this cross between Daniel Bryan and Jolin from “Amish Mafia” doing terrible things to his body was captivating.
7. Lavender Darcangelo: Lavender is one of those AGT acts that comes on the screen and wows everyone in the theater to the point that the cries of “Winner!” become part of many of the reactions. I guess what I am saying here is, let’s pencil her into the finale now since she is going to be hard to beat if all the acclaim results in votes. Lavender has an incredible voice and chose the perfect song. Heidi was especially moved and gave her the Golden Buzzer. Is she my favorite singer in the competition so far? No, but she is easily in my top 10 for the entire series as a whole. Heidi may indeed be holding her hand all the way to the finish line.
6. 40 Pounds: We did not get to see much from him besides his audition, but I loved every second of that routine. I could watch it all day and need to see more.
5. Puppet Simon & the Cow Belles: As soon as the puppets made their appearance, I immediately thought “Who made the puppet version of ‘Petticoat Junction’?” The Simon puppet quickly made a mildly amusing act extremely funny and cracked me up. I would love to see this singing Simon puppet again. Jury is still out on the other puppets though. If this does not work out for them, may I suggest “Sesame Street” so Sofia can argue with him even more?
4. 82nd Airborne Chorus: While I was not over the moon about the song choice, there is no denying the talent and personality in the 82nd Airborne Chorus. When they said they were, as Randy Jackson would say, “In it to win it,” I was not expecting “My Girl.” They sounded amazing and made me think about all the possibilities of songs that would make them sound even better. Might I suggest “As It Was” by Harry Styles? That is how confident I am that they will make the live rounds.
3. Mariandrea: At the age of 14, there is a confidence in Mariandrea that is far beyond her years. Bonus points for wanting to invest in her college career as well. The audition was amazing and she would fit right in on “So You Think You Can Dance” as well. Saying that, she chose “AGT” and stands a very good chance of making the live rounds.
2. Duo Desire: We have seen aerial acts before and some do not quite measure up. Somehow Duo Desire stands out from the crowd as it had a really cool modern spin on the art and some new tricks. Even more interestingly, he did all that with a hat, which blew my mind. They have a ton of potential and I cannot wait to see how far this act will advance.
1. MOS: There is a lot I could say about this act, but for the sake of time I will simplify it to one word: mind-blowing. I was not expecting MOS to be that good whatsoever and this brass band made it look like they could do this in their sleep. This was easily my favorite act of the night…maybe even the season.
Which season 18 act is YOUR favorite at this point in the competition? Do you think they can snag the $1 million prize? Sound off in the comments below and with other fans in our reality TV forum. Also be sure to make your predictions to influence our reality TV racetrack odds.