America’s Got Talent has had 17 winners so far in as many seasons, with the latest being season 10 winner Dustin Tavella, a talented magician with a lovely, heartwarming backstory. Through the seasons, the show has seen singers, magicians, ventriloquists, dance crews, and others take home the trophy.
It’s tough to narrow down the best of the best, but the public has voted on Ranker to choose who they believe to be the 10 best winners of the show to date.
Note: Ranker lists are fan-voted, live, and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
The Olate Dogs (Season 7, 2012)
Seemingly coming out of nowhere, while Olate Dogs initially impressed with their incredible trained dogs who could do unbelievable tricks, the performances just kept getting better and better. Any time the judges and fans had thought they had seen it all, the next performance would up the ante. It was the best season of America’s Got Talent.
The father-and-son team, with dad Richard being a third-generation circus performer, were the ultimate American Dream story. They immigrated from South America where his family did not grow up with much. Fans also loved that the dogs in the show all came from shelters. Since the win, they have toured the country and even performed during NBA half-time shows.
Bianca Ryan (Season 1, 2006)
The very first winner of the American version of the show ranks among the top 10. At just 11 years old, Ryan had the crowd in awe as she belted out Broadway show tunes and songs like “Piece of My Heart” and “I Am Changing.” The little girl with the powerful voice had the judges and fans hooked.
Ryan went on to launch her own albums, including a holiday album with both originals songs and covers. She competed in the spinoff show America’s Got Talent: The Champions and finished second in fan voting (comedian Preacher Lawson was first). She also performed live on season 14 with other previous winners in a mash-up performance and has appeared on Broadway and in movies like the independent crowdsourced feature film We Are Kings.
Kenichi Ebina (Season 8, 2013)
The one move when he dipped his head and it looked like it came clear off his body had fans in shock and awe, securing Ebina a place on the show. He went on to marvel viewers with his moves, which were impressively all self-taught. It’s contestants like Ebina that define why America’s Got Talent should rank among the best family-friendly reality TV shows.
Along with a headlining show in Las Vegas and performing in the AGT tour, Kenichi also returned to compete in America’s Got Talent: The Champions. The man, who hailed from Japan, uniquely included video versions of himself on a screen behind him with which he would act.
Grace VanDerWaal (Season 11, 2016)
Judge Howie Mandel’s Golden Buzzer choice, VanDerWaal was just 12 when she won and coming out of her shell. What impressed fans most was that she not only had an angelic voice but also possessed a strong talent for songwriting, often singing her own original tunes.
She released several albums since and has performed in some major venues including Madison Square Garden and at major events, like the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games. Now 18, she is the youngest person to ever appear on the Forbes 30 Under 30 music list. Her most recent project includes starring in the Disney_+ movie Stargirl based on the novel of the same name and the 2022 sequel Hollywood Stargirl.
Paul Zerdin (Season 10, 2015)
Terry Fator might be the most successful ventriloquist to win America’s Got Talent, but there was another who combined both ventriloquism with comedy: Paul Zerdin. And his performances were strong enough to inch out a win as well.
He was not only able to perform ventriloquism well and with humor, but he had a quick wit and was able to interact on-the-fly with audiences. He, too, participated in the Champions spinoff and has appeared as himself on TV shows like Justin’s House. He did also have a short-lived headlining show in Vegas as part of his winning contract.
Terry Fator (Season 2, 2007)
The most successful America’s Got Talent winner to date, Terry Fator’s name has become synonymous with Las Vegas. He continues to sell out shows with his combination of flawless ventriloquism, impressions, stand-up comedy, and singing. He is not only the most successful AGT winner, which is one of the reality shows with the biggest prizes, he is also among the highest-paid comedians in the world having signed a five-year, multi-million dollar contract for his Vegas performances.
With that said, his residency at the Mirage hotel ended in 2020 after an impressive 11 years. He is currently running a new show in New York, New York in Las Vegas, according to his personal website.
Kodi Lee (Season 14, 2019)
Lee’s touching performances of “You Are the Reason” and “Bridge over Troubled Water” had fans and judges in tears. But more so, his enthusiasm and optimism and the tremendous support he received from his mother had fans rooting for him from the beginning.
Born with optic nerve hypoplasia, Lee was declared legally blind. He was also diagnosed with autism and has Addison’s disease. But he is a musical savant who can listen to any sound or song and replicate it with ease. His story, spirit, and talent combined to make him a shoo-in for the win and made him the first differently-abled person to win the show. While he didn’t participate in the Champions season, Lee did appear on the final to perform. He can be seen now demonstrating a new skill for tap dancing on social media, including Instagram and TikTok.
Mat Franco (Season 9, 2014)
The sign of a good magician is when, after a magic trick, jaws drop and fans are asking one another “how did he do that?” That was the case every time with Mat Franco, who became the first magician ever to win the show.
He went on to perform in Vegas, with his show still playing, and launched his own primetime TV specials called Mat Franco’s Got Magic. In 2020, his residency show was extended for another five years at the LINQ Hotel.
Darci Lynne Farmer (Season 12, 2017)
While opinions on Farmer tend to be mixed when speaking anecdotally with friends and family, according to Ranker, she remains one of the best to ever win the show. Credited with reviving ventriloquism, while two others in the field won (Fator and Zerdin), the fact that Farmer was just 13 when she won brought the concept to a new generation. Interestingly, she ranks among some of the youngest winners on both this show and the first winners of Britain’s Got Talent, which included season 2 winner, 14-year-old street dancer George Sampson.
She went on to make many television appearances and star in a variety of specials. She also embarked on her own tour in 2017 and competed in the Champions spinoff season. What fans love about the young girl is not only her talent for ventriloquism but also singing, which Farmer accomplishes as flawlessly as someone belting out a tune without even moving her mouth.
Shin Lim (Season 13, 2018)
A sweep of his hair and an expressive face was all it took for fans to be entranced by Lim. Indeed, it’s as much his performance abilities as his magic that led him to a win. But when it comes to magic, he’s among the best the show has ever seen, if not the best.
Specialist in close-up magic and sleight of hand, he accomplished tricks that had fans and viewers completely blown away. So much so, in fact, that he competed in and won the Champions season as well. So, it’s no surprise he ranks at the top of the fan's list. The self-taught magician headlines his own show in Vegas and toured with The Illusionists theatrical magician troupe show. He told The Boston Globe that his approach to magic is to make it “more artistic, more visual” and he accomplished that in spades.