Overview
- The show, which aired Tuesday, Aug. 25, featured 11 quarterfinal acts performing for judges Howie Mandel, Mel B, and Sofia Vergara while Simon Cowell remained absent during a short recovery from a routine back procedure.
- Mel B exercised this week’s live Golden Buzzer to send one performer directly toward the finals, a recurring power producers added to the quarterfinals to fast-track standout acts.
- America can vote across three platforms—online, the AGT mobile app, and TikTok—with voting opening during the Tuesday live shows and closing early Wednesday before results air that night.
- High-risk spectacle and community-focused performances drew attention on Week 2, including aerialist Veronika Goroshkova’s blindfolded pole routine and LaRussell’s community-centered rap set.
- Producers’ changes are likely to reshape campaigning and outcomes by making judges’ single weekly buzzer more decisive and by amplifying social-media mobilization for acts as the quarterfinals progress toward the semifinals.