It was a momentous occasion, as it always turns out to be when season 12 of “America’s Got Talent” came down to its finale this Wednesday. After 22 weeks, a new champion among the most talented Americans to step up to the challenge on NBC has been crowned. Starting with twelve at the Quarterfinals phase, the contestants were whittled down until, at the very last stage of the Finals, the only two remaining were girls: 9-year-old power-belting singer Angelica Hale and singer-ventriloquist Darci Lynne Farmer, aged 12. After a nail-biting wait, the results finally came in from host Tyra Banks: Darci Lynne had overcome everybody else to win the twelfth “AGT.”
Winning ‘with a little help’
Simon Cowell must be pretty pleased about his correct prediction when he said that young Darci Lynne Farmer would win this season of “America’s Got Talent.” On the evening of September 20, the top ten contestants brought their A-Game for one last hurrah to determine their fates.
Darci for her part decided to try something daring by bringing two of her ventriloquist dummies for her finals act: Petunia the diva bunny and Oscar the Motown mouse. After a bit-part where the two argued over who would sing, they broke into a duet of The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love.” Following the number, Simon looked at Darci and said plainly, “I think you’re gonna win.” She did.
The singing ventriloquist had her work cut out for her in the final round of “AGT” all the same. Her closest competition (and eventual runner-up) was Angelica Hale, who wowed the judges and audience with her powerful take on Clean Bandit (with Zara Larsson’s) “Symphony.” It was understandable then that tears were shed when Tyra Banks announced Darci Lynne’s name, with Angelica giving her similarly crying fellow singer a hug.
For her victory, Darci gets to go home with the one million dollar cash prize.
The singing ventriloquist
A native of Oklahoma City, Darci Lynne Farmer was already a TV talent show veteran (with her appearance in “Little Big Shots”) when she auditioned for NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” season 12. Her rendition of “Summertime” using her dummy Petunia impressed judge Mel B so much that she gave the ventriloquist-singer her Golden Buzzer in the live shows.
For every subsequent performance, Darci brought a different dummy onstage and surprised everyone with her range of songs.
In an interview following “AGT” finals night, Darci Lynne expressed her appreciation for the great deal of fan support she got on her journey to winning. "It just means so much to me that America voted for me and I get to see all my friends and family supporting me and crying with me," she said. "It just made me feel so overcome with joy and tears, lots of tears."
