Alabama’s Reid Wilson is one step closer to a win on “America’s Got Talent,” acing his cover of Ariana Grande’s “Almost Is Never Enough” this week on the NBC reality series.
Wilson, a Montgomery native, received a strong vote of confidence from folks who watch the show, raking in viewer votes after his performance on Tuesday’s episode and securing a spot in the Season 19 semifinals. Voting results were announced on Wednesday’s episode and Wilson, 15, was among the three acts viewers loved most.
Although Wilson didn’t earn the coveted “Golden Live Buzzer” on Tuesday — which would have allowed him to skip the semifinals and and go directly to the finals — his cover of Grande’s 2011 pop/soul ballad inspired a standing ovation from the studio audience and all four judges.
“Not even for your age, but the fact that you’re 15 years old, you have so much poise, so much control,” Howie Mandel said. “Your voice is so clear and so crisp. You know what you want to do. I feel you are so close to getting a dog.” (In a video package that aired on Tuesday, Wilson said his parents promised he could get a dog if he wins AGT this season.)
“You reminded me, your look, because you are so handsome, like David Bowie. It was, like, that outfit, the song,” Sofia Vergara said. “I mean, I loved your audition. Tonight you look like you belong (on) that stage.”
“I really do believe, Reid, that singing is going to be your career,” Simon Cowell said. “And it so important right now — forget about posting stuff online — you have to do what you just did tonight. Get on a stage, do it live, perform in front of an audience, because if you can’t do that, you’re not going to have a shot going forward. I also thought, you’ve got real soul in your voice, genuinely. … I was really wanting you to do well tonight, and you did. I’m really happy.”
“You are so, so good,” Heidi Klum said. “I mean, you can really hold your own on that stage. Everyone was so quiet, trying to hear every little syllable that you were singing. … This high thing that you were doing, I mean, epic. … You were amazing!”
Alabama teen Reid Wilson is a Season 19 contestant of “America’s Got Talent.” He covered Ariana Grande’s “Almost Is Never Enough” in the quarterfinals and earned a standing ovation from the judges and studio audience. “It feels amazing. I mean, my family’s up there (in the audience) and all of them are on their feet, and all the judges,” Wilson told series host Terry Crews (at left in center photo). “That’s what I was hoping for, and I’m just so thankful.”(NBC photos)
READ: 12 times Alabama acts wowed the judges on ‘America’s Got Talent’
Wilson might be young, but he’s no stranger to TV. He was in the spotlight in November, performing on “The Jennifer Hudson Show.” The teen also comes from a talented family, as the younger brother of Ryley Tate Wilson, a semifinalist on “The Voice” in 2023.
Wilson now moves on to the next stage of the competition on “America’s Got Talent,” performing as one of 12 semifinalists. During the semifinals, the list of contestants will be trimmed to a top six for the finals. The winner of Season 19 will be announced on Sept. 24 and receive a $1 million prize, according to an NBC press release.
A varied group of entertainers is featured on the show, including singers, acrobats, dancers, magicians, comedians and more.
If you watch: “America’s Got Talent” airs on NBC, with live shows planned through Sept. 24. Two-hour performance episodes will be broadcast on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. CT; hourlong results episodes are set for Wednesdays at 7 p.m. CT. New episodes stream on Peacock the following day.
