Meet the Season 19 Finalists (Exclusive)

America's Got Talent The fans have spoken and it all comes down to this!

With the end of the semi-final rounds of the 19th season of the national talent show, ten candidates have made it to the two-part finale, which begins on Tuesday, September 17th.

After a breathtaking season filled with gravity-defying stunts and legendary singing performances, America has chosen the final ten contestants who will compete for the grand prize of $1 million.

Below, PEOPLE takes an exclusive look at the individual acts on their way to the final.

Aerial footwork

AIRFOOTWORKS is an air dance group from Japan that embodies a unique blend of dance and street workout. The group was founded by Takashi Jonishi, who pioneered this innovative dance style while rehabilitating after a lower back injury.

The stakes were raised even higher on the August 20 episode of the hit NBC series, as judges Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel jokingly argued about AIRFOOTWORKS' impressive dance performance and who really had the honor of presenting them with one of the coveted Golden Buzzers.

After the group had the judges and the audience standing up with their number to Ed Sheeran's “Celestial”, things took a dramatic turn. Chaos broke out when Simon and Howie tried to press the golden buzzer at the same time.

In an interview with PEOPLE shortly after the performance, AIRFOOTWORKS responded to the feud, saying, “I was really surprised when we came out and that! It was really unbelievable.”

Brent Street

Brent Street is a powerful and soulful dance act representing Sydney, Australia.

Many members have been performing since they were three years old and therefore have almost two decades of experience.

At the auditions, the group received a standing ovation from the audience and judges Howie, Simon, Sofia Vergara and Heidi Klum, who raved about the performance. Afterwards, after a standing ovation and positive feedback from all the judges, the group received Howie's Golden Buzzer.

“That was a very, very, very, very exciting dance… it was also something we've never seen before,” said Heidi, as Sofía explained, “That's my favorite part about being a judge on AGT is being able to watch dancers…that was definitely the coolest thing I saw today.”

Dee Dee Simon

Dee Dee Simon is an inspirational singer from Oakland, California, whose emotional performance style reflects her lifelong dedication to music and acting. A proud nurse at San Quentin State Prison for over 19 years, Dee Dee wowed the audience at her audition with a powerful performance of “And I'm Telling You.”

In addition to the high praise, she also received a standing ovation from all four judges.

During the live shows, Dee Dee received a Golden Buzzer from Heidi. Speaking to PEOPLE shortly after that moment, she admitted that her performance seemed like “a blur.”

“After the buzzer, I just start jumping. I think I just shook my brain because I can't wait to watch it again,” she smiled. “It's so loud in there that I have to watch it again because sometimes you can hear it and sometimes you can't. But the energy in that room, it's the biggest stage of my life and I'm having a blast.”

Hakuna Matata acrobatics group

Based in Tanzania, Hakuna Matata Acrobatic Group was founded by Winston Ruddle, a Zimbabwean who established an acrobatic school in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam.

On the August 13 episode of the hit NBC series, Sofía helped Hakuna Matata Acrobatics make series history when she pressed her Golden Buzzer for the first time ever on the live show. This came after her impressive performance, which saw the group perform a series of acrobatic tricks – all carefully balanced on each other's bodies and on rolling platforms.

“That was perfect!” exclaimed 52-year-old Sofía after pressing her Golden Buzzer. “Everything, everything!”

Learn more Jonasi

Learnmore Jonasi, originally from Chimanimani, Zimbabwe and now living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, delivers a captivating comedic performance that draws humor from everyday experiences.

The stand-up comedian caught the attention of his idol Terry Crews, who pressed his Golden Buzzer at the show's premiere on May 28.

“Backstage, you told me that you would take 14-hour bus rides to perform for five minutes and then take 14-hour bus rides home,” he said before ringing the bell. “Brother, you never have to go home again because you're here with us!”

When asked what fans can look forward to in the final, Learnmore told PEOPLE that he plans to “improve my game.”

“I have to bring something surprising because comedy is all about surprises, like misdirection,” he explained. “So people are going to be shocked because I'm so much more capable than what you've seen before. So I think I need to step up my game and be more vulnerable.”

Richard Goodall

Richard Goodall, affectionately known as the “Singing Janitor,” captured the hearts of Americans with his inspiring rendition of “Don't Stop Believin'” and received the coveted Golden Buzzer from Heidi.

Speaking to PEOPLE after winning the Golden Buzzer, Richard said the title of the song perfectly describes his journey to this point.

“I tried it for AGT 2009 and didn't make it past the first round in Chicago… But as the song says, 'Don't stop believing!' How can I tell that to the kids and not reach for dreams too?” he said. “The songs I love to sing are timeless and give everyone hope. That's what I really want to do, just give people hope. [and encourage them to] never give up.”

Although Richard had previously stated that he had “no expectations” of winning, he told PEOPLE that he would “give it everything I have.”

“I'm a normal person who does normal things for others. I sang in our schools almost every year. Whenever I was asked to sing, I did it,” he added. “To this day, I know how lucky I am. And I don't take any of that for granted.”

Roni & Rhythm

Rhythm & Roni bring a unique dog dance act from Israel. Roni has been training dogs to dance since 2019, but performed for the first time with her canine partner Rhythm in 2022.

After performing her high-energy semifinal routine, Roni told PEOPLE a little more about what fans can expect from her final performance.

“So the idea for next week would be my personal story about how working with dogs changed my life. It's about self-love and valuing yourself as a person,” she explained. “And I hope we can show that.”

Sebastian and Sonja

The aerial acrobatic duo Sebastián and Sonia from Barcelona (Spain) combine risky aerial stunts with ethereal dance movements to deliver a magical display of athletic excellence.

During the September 3 episode of the hit talent show, the couple proved that the show must go on after Sonia injured her arm during rehearsals. Despite the setback, Sebastián performed a solo number to Shawn Mendes' “In My Blood.” When he finished his number, Sonia joined him on stage and the couple kissed before being praised by all four judges.

“A lot of people would have given up,” Simon said, before asking rhetorically, “How do you do this two-person performance with one person and then make it incredible?”

“Honestly, I think most people would have just said, 'You know what, we had an accident and that's why we can't continue. But you did the opposite, you carried on,'” he added before pressing the Golden Buzzer.

Celestial Elements

Texas-based group Sky Elements came to AGT with an epic drone show that transformed the skies and captivated the audience with innovative storytelling. Their performance impressed Simon so much that he gave the group a second Golden Buzzer, leading to a first-ever rule change that allowed for more Golden Buzzers this season.

Shortly after the historic change, Simon told PEOPLE: “We're using more Golden Buzzers this year because there were so many brilliant, overwhelming auditions. I know immediately when I see a performance that deserves a Golden Buzzer. You can feel it.”

“I love that we were the 'first' and second,” added Preston Ward of Sky Elements in an interview with PEOPLE. “We were the first of many things, so it's exciting to be able to add this to our list of firsts!”

Solange Cardinal

Originally from Vila Nova da Barquinha, Portugal, Solange is a professional magician and transformation artist whose performance embodies the power of magic and creativity.

Her performances are unique, packing numerous skills into a short two-minute performance. Her audition surprised the judges and quickly went viral on social media.

Speaking to PEOPLE after her semi-final performance, Solange shared that the judges’ feedback made her feel “special and grateful.” She also added that fans can expect to see “something new” that she lovingly created before she moved on to the AGT Competition.

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America's Got TalentThe two-part season 19 finale premieres Tuesday, September 17 at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC, followed by the finale results show airing September 24 at 8:00 p.m. ET.