Slight-of-hand artist Shin Lim wins America's Got Talent Champions

Canadian-born Shin Lim won America's Got Talent Champions.

Magician Shin Lim tricked his way to victory on America's Got Talent Champions last night (Feb. 18).

He was still high for winning the America's Got Talent trophy and a cash prize last September and was uncertain whether he should accept the invitation for this season's reality show competition that includes winners and top performers from past years, including the formidable Susan Boyle who had already launched her recording career.

“For me, the whole thing was kind of like a dream. When Tyra announced my name, I went into a state of shock,” Lim told People magazine.

“I couldn’t really hear anything because the cannons went off behind me. It was quite memorable. Definitely going to remember that feeling for the rest of my life,” said Lim, who now lives in Acton, Massachusetts.

During the finale and before the winner was announced, Lim sat at a table across from Brooklyn 99 star Melissa Fumero and performed some amazing tricks.

Actually, he hesitates to call himself a magician. He's an incredibly skillful slight-of-hand artist. He performs carefully intricate routines rather than pretending to defy the laws of Physics. Combining dexterity, precision and grace, his mind-boggling finger moves are so masterful, that the audience is left flabbergasted, asking themselves, "How did he do that?"

Filipina American 11-year old Angelica Hale didn't make the top five but she didn't lose either. Her two performances she reminded the judges and viewers of her awesome future waiting for her as a singer.

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TGIF Feature: 11-year old Angelica Hale is back on AGT: The Champions

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Angelica Hale's winning performance in her triumphant return to 'America's Got Talent.'

AS IF to step up to the challenge of competing against previous champions of America's Got Talent, 11-year old Angelica Hale chose as her first song "Fight Song."
The Filipina American youngster, the 2017 “AGT” runner-up, belted out “Fight Song” last week to became the first performer to receive two Golden Buzzers in the series. Since her performance on Jan. 22, other performers, including Susan Boyle, were awarded the Golden Buzzer.

This season's America's Got Talent is an all-star version of the reality competition, brinigning back former winners and fan favorites.

In the finals of 2017m Angelica at age 10, was pitted against another young performer and eventual einner, ventriloquist Darcy Lynne Farmer, who was 12 at the time.

This time, her spirited rendition of the Rachel Platten hit got the audience and judges standing and wildly applauding. During her performance, Agelica's increased comfort on stage and confidence showed through and she was able to show off her vocal and emotional range.

Howie Mandel was the judge who gave the adorably cute singer the Golden Buzzer, which automatically catapaults the singer into the finals, skipping all the preliminary elimination rounds.

Before her song, she said she opted for “Fight Song” this time around because “I really am fighting for my place here at ‘AGT: Champions’ and I think this song really applies to what I’m doing here today.” She did not disappoint.

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Angelica Hale just misses winning America's Got Talent

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Tears of joy ran down Angelica Hale's cheeks in this photo posted right after the America's Got Talent finale.

ANGELICA HALE's Instagram post Wednesday night (Sept. 20) said it all when she wrote: "Tears of joy!! Congratulations @itsdarcilynne." 
The 10-year old Filipina/American came in second in America's Got Talent season 12 finale. She lost out to 12-year old ventriloquist Darci Lynn Farmer, who put on a great act in the finale singing in two voices for the two puppets she brought on stage.

Immediately after Darci was announced as the winner Angelica came over to hug her.

RELATED: Watch Angelica amaze the judges in the finals

Darci's two teenage brothers then rushed the stage and basically pushed Angelica aside. Simon Cowell, one of the judges, went over to Angelica to console her and give her words of encouragement.

In addition to the title of season 12 champion, Farmer also wins $1 million and a headlining gig at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.

Angelica Hale's final amazing performance for 'America's Got Talent'

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Angelica Hale opened the finals show of America's Got Talent.

ANGELICA HALE set her feet firmly on the stage. There she was - all 4-feet of her - in her gold lame shift and (and just in case you've forgotten that she's only 10-years old) black and white tennis shoes.

Then she began singing. She gave a stunning performance, starting slowly and building up to a crescendo and her trademark high note. She sang a difficult song, "Symphony" to showcase a singing voice that no 10-year old should possess. 

All four judges gave her a standing ovation and gushed over her singing.  Heidi Klum said she was the "best singer we have in this competition." Howie Mandell said that Angelica just gave a performance worthy of being the closing act, not an opener.

Even curmudgeon Simon Cowell said that diminutive Filipino/American's performance may have launched her professional singing career.

Angelica gave an amazing performance, but was it good enough? The TV viewing audience voted after the show and we've seen this many times, they tend to vote on emotion and some of the other performers had moving back stories that may garner votes no matter what talent is presented.

The winner will be announced Wednesday, Sept. 20, 8 p.m. on NBC.
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Angelica Hale makes it to the finals of 'America's Got Talent'

Angelica Hale and Celine Tam, the young Asian/American singers, blew the audience away with their performances Sept. 12. In the end, only Angelica made it to the finals.

Angelica, who is 10-years old (Earlier posts said she was 9. Sometime before the auditions and the finals, she must have had a birthday.), was the first to hear the good news. When she heard her name, she broke down and wept.

Celine was very, very good when she sang "How Far I'll Go," during the Tuesday semi-finals but only five of the 11 performers were going to come back next week. Any of the performers who make it this far in the competition have loads of talent.

If she wants and she perseveres, this young talent will have a singing career. 

The competition is fierce this year. The ten finalists are all very talented with compelling back stories, among them is a recovering burn victim, a deaf person who taught herself to sing and another young singer whose father died last week from cancer.

Angelica, a Filipina/American will have to give the performance of her young life in order to win and the audience will have to vote for her.

Celine Tam & Angelica Hale | Fantastic Quarterfinals Performances on Amer...

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You can vote for both Celine Tam, left, and Angelica Hale.

TWO 9-YEAR OLD Asian/American singers will face off for the first time on America's Got Talent, tonight (Sept. 12).

Do you need a breather from the crazy antics in Washington and the hurricanes in Florida and Texas? Watch America's Got Talent, the most watched television show this summer (Besides Game of Thrones.) Among Asian/Americans, AGT is their favorite TV show, according to a USA Today poll.

Celine Tam and Angelica Hale have amazed the judges and captured America's heart with their vocal talents and just plain cuteness. They made it through three votes to tonight's semi-finals. 

From the top 21 semi-finalists, 10 will make it to the finals next week. What are the odds both of them will make it? They are good enough, but they face tough, talented competition from the other performers.

Watch their quarter-final performances:

You decide. In America's Got Talent semi-finals, the audience gets to vote on their favorite acts.You can vote with an app, online or by phone. Click here to find out how you can vote.

Because of a fundraiser for hurricane victims, America's Got Talent will air an hour later than usual at 9 p.m. tonight (Sept. 12) on NBC.
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America's Got Talent: Celine Tam moves into quarterfinals

IT IS BEGINNING to look like the Battle of the 9-Year Olds is inevitable.

In the second week of the semi-finals of America's Got Talent, another cute Asian/American 9-year old passed muster to advance to the quarterfinals. After perfomring Tuesday night, viewers' choices were announced last night (Aug. 22)

Celine Tam joined fellow Asian/American 9-year old Angelica Hale in the live-show quarterfinals setting up the possibility that the two would face off against each other. I'd hate to be the judge if that happens. Both are cute and both have srong voices beyond their tender years.

Celine was named after her idol Celine Dion, her parents' favorite singer. Her younger sister is named Dion.

Indonesian/American escape artist Damian Aditya had technical difficulties in his act and that threw him off his game enough that the judges didn't give him a pass. His act is so amazing and frightening though, I would notn be surprised to see him in Las Vegas soon.

The dance crew Brobots & Mandroidz, which has Asian/American members, didn't make the cut, the second dance American dance crew to be dropped. It looks like the judges are leaning towards to the Russian dance crew but that remains to be seen in a future show.
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Angelica Hale hits the high note in America's Got Talent..

Angelica Hale

A LITTLE GIRL, dressed in red and looking like she just came from a birthday party, emerged from a swirl of stars began softly as she sang a cover of "Clarity." Her voice continued to grow as Angelica Hale hit some unbelievably high notes, including "The High Note" that wowed the judges.

By the time 9-year old Angelica had completed her song, the four judges gave her a standing ovation and one judge, Mel B., was in tears.

Her performance was good enough for her to move her into the semi-finals. When it came time for her to face the judges with favorite Darcy Lynn Farmer, it didn't look good but the judges gave both singers a thumbs up.

The Korean hip-hop dance crew had a harder time. The dancers were in the sixth, seventh and eighth spots. That meant the TV audience had the opportunity to vote for one of the acts during the live show. 

Since it was a live show, only the east coast viewers had the opportunity to vote, leaving the west coast, where more Asian/Americans lived, no chance to influence the vote. By the end of show, it was announced that the Koreans were out of the running for that last spot heading to the semifinals.

Watch Angelica's amazing performance below:

Angelica was one of seven acts to advance. Besides Farmer, the other semi-finalists will be In the Stairwell, Preacher Lawson, Billy and Emily England, Christian Guardino and Yoli Mayor.

Next Tuesday, the second live show will help determine a new group of semi-finalists, including the other 9-year old Asian/American singer Celine Tam and the dance crew Brobots and Mandroidz, which features three AAPI dancers.
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AAPI performers in tonight's America's Got Talent

Angelica Hale

Just Jerk

TONIGHT and tomorrow night America's Got Talent will be performing in NBC's America's Got Talent competition. Among the Asian and Asian/American performers are two cute-as-the-dickens 9-year olds, two amazing dance crews and an unbelievable escape artist.
In the live competition, the audience will be the judges for the 36 performers who made the live shows.

Performing tonight (Aug. 15, 8 p.m.) will be Angelica Hale, the first of the 9-year olds, and the Korean hip-hop dance crew, Just Jerk.

When she earned the Golden Buzzer, which put her straight through to tonight's love competition, Angelica impressed the judges with her mature diva-like vocals. Hale is a sentimental favorite who survived organ failure and raises money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. 

Just Jerk comes from South Korea and members of the 6-person crew will be joining the military right after their run on AGT. It remains to be seen if the current tension between North Korea and the U.S. will get them any votes. 

Of the known acts set to perform on Tuesday’s Quarterfinals 1 episode of NBC’s long-running reality TV show, here is how readers of Amazon's Gold Derby rank them in terms of who might ultimately win the $1 million prize:

Darci Lynne Farmer – Singing Ventriloquist – 8/5 odds to win
Angelica Hale – Singer – 9/2 odds to win
Preacher Lawson – Stand-up Comedian – 12/1 odds to win
Puddles Pity Party – Singing Clown – 28/1 odds to win
The Singing Trump – Donald Trump Impersonator – 50/1 odds to win
Artyon & Paige – Dancing Duo – 100/1 odds to win
Billy & Emily England – Extreme Rollerblading Duo – 100/1 odds to win
Christian Guardino – Singer – 100/1 odds to win
In the Stairwell – A Cappella Group – 100/1 odds to win
Just Jerk – Hip-Hop Dance Group – 100/1 odds to win
Yoli Mayor – Singer – 100/1 odds to win

I'm not saying to vote for the Asian and Asian/American acts based on their ethnicity, but (what the hell) I'm saying you can show your support for the performers by casting your vote. 

To vote for your favorite:

• You can download an app. Here is the link. 
• You can also vote online or on Facebook. Here are those links. 
• You can also call in to vote by calling in the corresponding phone number for each contestant that will be revealed during the show.
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TGIF FEATURE: Asian America's got talent; 9-year olds stun, magician amazes, escape artist defies death and more

Celine Tam reacts when one of the judges gives her the Golden Buzzer allowing her go straight to the live shows.

THIS SEASON'S America's Got Talent has some fantastic acts that you should catch because you might never see these Asian/American wanna-be entertainers again if they don't make it to the finals.

Several Asian/Americans got the Golden Buzzer, which means they move on to the next phase of the reality show and others, including two dance crews made it to the live shows in Las Vegas.

It's hard to pick a favorite among the Asians and Asian/American acts that move on to the next phase of the talent competition.

Angelica Hale learns she will be going to Las Vegas.

I held my breath as I watched Indonesian/American Demian Aditya get buried alive and his wife, fearing for his life, started yelling, "Get him out. Get him out!" and Simon Cowell tried to put a stop to the act.

And Jeki Yoo amazed the judges with his card tricks within two feet from their seats.

The dance crews Just Jerk from Korea and Brobots & Mandroiz were fantastic in their choreography and amazing moves.

But for my money, I'd bet it will be one of the adorable 9-year old girls, Celine Tam or Angelica Hale, with strong diva-like vocals far beyond their years.

Watch NBC's America's Got Talent on Tuesday and Wednessday nights, 8 p.m. Watch their performances below: