‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 21 Episode 23 Finale Release Date, Time, Where to Watch and Preview

‘America’s Got Talent’ is closing out its twenty first season with a two night finale, and the wait for a champion is nearly over. The two-part finale airs on Tuesday, September 22, and Wednesday, September 23, with finalists performing on the first night and host Terry Crews revealing the winner during the results show on night two.

The season has moved through auditions, judges’ callbacks, quarterfinals and semifinals to reach this point, and the remaining acts now have one last shot at the show’s top prize. Here is what fans need to know about when ‘America’s Got Talent’ wraps up, who made the final ten, and how to watch the finale live.

When the ‘America’s Got Talent’ Finale Airs

The finale unfolds over two consecutive nights, with the performance show first and the results the following evening. Both nights of the finale begin at 9/8c and run for two hours until 11/10c, a departure from the program’s usual 8/7c start time.

The schedule shift happened because a competing NBC program is airing two additional one hour episodes during its own premiere week in the same 8/7c slot on both nights. That scheduling overlap pushed ‘America’s Got Talent’ back an hour for the finale only, so viewers who typically tune in at eight o’clock will want to adjust their plans for these two episodes.

The road to the finale saw quarterfinals air from August 18 through September 8, followed by semifinals on September 15 and 16. The final quarterfinal round was condensed into a single three hour broadcast on September 8 because of NBC Sunday Night Football programming the following night, with performances filling the first two hours and instant results closing out the third.

Voting for the finale is not limited to the first night alone. Fans can cast votes through the NBC website, the AGT mobile app, or the official AGT TikTok page, with the window open from the start of Tuesday’s episode until 7 a.m. ET on Wednesday.

Who Made the ‘America’s Got Talent’ Finale

Ten acts earned a place in the finale, and four of them locked in their spots weeks earlier. Magic group Hundred Fingers, rocker Nene Royal, singer Lai Noelle, and robot dance troupe Unitree had already secured their finale spots after receiving Golden Buzzers from the judges during the quarterfinals.

The remaining six finalists earned their places through viewer voting in the semifinal round. Olivia Befus, Veronika Goroshkova, Acro Canine Dance Crew, Come Here, Royal Lasers, and Geno Ploeger received the most viewer votes and advanced to the final ten.

Not every semifinalist made the cut. Kameron Marshall, Daniel Alvarez, Cesar Dias, Luke Taleno, Young and Strange, and Travis Garland were eliminated during the semifinals, ending their runs just short of the finale.

The season has also played out with one notable absence from the judging table. Simon Cowell has been away from the live show panel since late August while recovering from back surgery, with guest judges filling in during his absence, including Kenan Thompson for the third quarterfinal round. It remains unclear whether Cowell will be present for the finale broadcasts.

Where to Watch the ‘America’s Got Talent’ Finale

Both finale episodes broadcast live on NBC, which remains the simplest way to catch the show as it happens. Episodes also arrive on Peacock the day after they air on television for anyone who misses the live broadcast.

Viewers without traditional cable have several live streaming paths available. DirecTV, YouTube TV, Sling, and Hulu plus Live TV all carry NBC and can be used to stream the finale as it airs, with DirecTV offering a five day free trial and YouTube TV offering a twenty one day trial before payment kicks in.

The judging panel that has guided the season remains largely intact for the final stretch. Howie Mandel, Mel B, and Sofia Vergara have continued presiding over the live shows alongside Terry Crews as host. Fans hoping to see the full panel together again will be watching closely to see who sits at the desk for the finale.

What to Expect From the Finale Preview

Night one belongs entirely to the ten finalists, who each get one more chance to make their case to voters. The finalists will all perform on the first night, giving every act a final opportunity before America decides the winner.

The second night shifts the focus from performance to results. The results show consists of eliminations revealed throughout the broadcast before the winner is ultimately named, along with additional performances and a look back at the season. Wednesday’s episode also includes surprise guests and special performances beyond the competition itself.

This season has carried a few structural changes worth noting heading into the finale. For the third consecutive season, each judge was able to award two Golden Buzzers instead of the usual one, and a new Judges’ Callbacks round gave select acts a second chance to earn a live show spot after quarterfinal deliberations. Those tweaks shaped which acts ultimately reached the final ten.

With Hundred Fingers, Nene Royal, Lai Noelle, Unitree, Olivia Befus, Veronika Goroshkova, Acro Canine Dance Crew, Come Here, Royal Lasers, and Geno Ploeger all set to take the stage one final time, which act do you think has done enough this season to walk away with the win.