Before hitting the stage for America’s Got Talent‘s second round of auditions this year, 10-year-old Roberta Battaglia told host Terry Crews that her dream was always to simply “be on AGT.”
However, following her jaw-dropping vocal performance, it seems the Toronto-born musician might need to dream a little bigger, as she has made it to the live rounds of Season 15.
That’s right, on Tuesday night’s episode of the much-beloved NBC show, Battaglia dazzled the celebrity judges with a performance of the Oscar award-winning Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper duet “Shallow” — from 2018’s A Star is Born.
Not only did she receive tremendous praise from Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell, but Modern Family star Sofia Vergara rewarded the young contestant with the golden buzzer — which can only be pressed by each judge once, per season.
Overcome with emotion and nervousness, Battaglia, for the second time, broke down in tears after her performance as she was covered in golden confetti and Vergara, 47, rushed to the stage to embrace her.
“You are so amazing. You were so good,” said the Colombian-American actor with a smile to the teary-eyed girl.
Cowell, 60 — who is notorious for his honesty and blunt critiques — even complimented Battaglia, telling her that she was “so likeable” and “so humble.”
“There’s one way you win over bullies: It’s by being happy and successful. Bullies are always threatened by talented people, so in a weird way … it’s a compliment,” added the judge, after Battaglia revealed she was victim to bullying.
“It shows your strength that you’ve come all the way from Canada to be here,” he added. “We are honoured to have you as our guest.”
“It was amazing. It was breathtaking,” added Vergara. “You’re 10 years old. It’s impossible to sing like that at 10 years old.”
“And you know what? Let’s see who’s going to bully you after this,” she added, before pressing the golden buzzer.
The last episode of Season 15 auditions for America’s Got Talent airs on June 23 before the series’ live round begins, where fans will eventually see Battaglia’s return to the stage.
This year’s winner will win US$1 million in prize money.
In the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, auditions are now taking place with the judges through virtual video calls, according to People.
The majority of auditions, however, were filmed in the America’s Got Talent studio earlier this spring, before production shut down and restrictions on mass gatherings were in affect.
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