I am another who doesn't "get" the hype regarding Grace. Yes, her voice is somewhat unusual, but it's not extraordinary and from what I've heard her sing, she has very little range. I struggle to understand the words she is singing. She is talented and I appreciate her passion for writing and singing, but I don't think she is worthy of the win at this time, maybe in a few years.

I think the Clairvoyants would make a great Vegas act. I'd go see them see them if I was visiting Vegas.

Tape Face is not someone I find entertaining.

I think this is the best year ever. I could live with any of the finalists. I love Grace but don't want her to win. Sal sounds too much like a Sinatra impersonator. Love Sofie, and Laura is totally amazing. I can't see her as a vegas act but think she'll go far like Jackie E. who didn't win either. My pick is the Clairvoyants. They blow me away and will make a great Vegas act. I think Viktor will get a show there too. I do love Tape Face, but not as the winner. I didn't vote so I guess I should shut up...lol

I think Tap Face is absolutely ridiculous, what can anyone get out of stupidity I will never know! Then make a Vegas show out of that? JMO Too many good ones are gone. I like a few but they are all too good to decide who is best.

I agree about Grace, I haven't understood why the judges and s many people think Grace is so wonderful, either. In fact, I was really REALLY mystified when Howie Mandell gave her a Golden Buzzer in the auditions. I didn't understand it then, I don't understand it now. I can't understand most of the words she says or sings, to me her voice is thin, weak and reedy. She's cute as can be, though. Maybe the judges, in their professionalism, recognize something in her song writing ability that is not apparent to an ordinary lay person like me. Tape Face is creepy, he gives me the heebie-jeebies. I just can't stand to look at his eyes. They showed his face up close so much last night, I spent most of his act looking away from the TV.

Sal Valentinetti is my absolute favorite! I don't think he sounds like an impersonator at all. He was just blessed with that voice, it happens to have qualities similar to Frank Sinatra, it's a beautiful voice! I think he will go far. I'd love to see him win tonight, but I'd bet a dollar to a hole in a donut that he will end up in Vegas, or with a recording contract from some major studio whether he wins tonight or not. He has the voice and everything to go with it. It is wonderful to hear a singer that isn't screaming into the mike.

I don't even like opera, but Laura brings tears to my eyes every time she performs. Her voice is incredible, the power and the range ! ! I also love Sophie Rossi. She's my second favorite.

The talent this year really has been better than ever, I think. It will be interesting to see who wins, and it would also be interesting to see follow-ups on the rest of them during this next year.

Rusty

Glad to know I'm not the only one who can't understand the words Grace sings!

I think she was deliberately put last to perform last night, so that the judges would all be able to gush over her and say "you deserve to win" so that's the last thing viewers remember when they vote.

About to watch the PVR'd long version of the finale now.....

I am so very disappointed...

I thought all along she'd win. These were my top three so I'm proud of myself but didn't vote. For the winner though, I wanted the Clairvoyants, but I'm sure they'll get a Vegas gig. I also loved Jon and think he's amazing. Paula was drunk or just stupid. Almost ruined their tricks. As they said...best season ever. I liked every one of the ten and some beyond that.

There were truly some remarkable acts this year, including some who didn't even make it to the finals. We don't typically watch AGT but for a couple of episodes a year, but were captured from the very beginning this season.

Guess who it was that electrified us? :-) I can't quite put my finger on the reasons why, but her performances gave me goosebumps every time. And I consider myself a discerning music aficionado!

On the quirky side, I was also mesmerized by Tape Face from his first performance, but I am a huge fan of the mime genre. You have to get it to appreciate him; I didn't expect him to advance to the final five, but loved that he won so many fans.

I enjoyed Valentinetti but only as much as I do any other impersonator, he is better than most. He didn't make the cut on American Idol with the exact act.

What was wrong with Paula? Good grief! It was funny watching Simon's reaction to her strange behavior.

I just can't see a little 12 yr old girl doing a Vegas act!! I'm another who couldn't understand her words. I wanted the Clairvoyants to win also.

I didn't watch the show. I had seen the Golden Buzzer audition of Grace V., but nothing else until looking her up on YouTube, after reading this thread. I think she'll appeal to audiences for a long time, and she's not just a singer, but a songwriter and composer. She already has the stage presence of a performer, which I think the judges recognized--and all that at the age of 12. Have to admit that I didn't look up the other other contestants, though.

I was disappointed in Stevie Nicks' performance of Landslide--I know her voice isn't the same as it was 40 years ago, and she's been through a lot. It was nice, but it was just off.

Other successful song writers with awkward singing voices include Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, John Hartford, and more recently Ella Henderson. But there's something about them that makes you want to listen. I think Grace will make it as a performer, but not this year. I think the Clairvoyants will win based on the act and their amazing charisma that even comes through the TV. I can't imagine being close up to them. But if they ever learn to say jelly beans instead of chelly beans, their act might be over ;-)

DH and I were very disappointed. Sal was our absolute favorite, from the very beginning. He would be great in Vegas...and I wouldn't be surprised if that happened. I truly don't understand Grace's popularity. She's good, but certainly not great, and her singing can use some work. The Clairvoyants were fabulous, and I expect they will get a Vegas act. Tape Face was crazy, but I have to give him a lot of credit, for having no talent, but going that far!

I echo what Lily said.

Stevie Nicks could have had beautiful mountain scenery behind her, I thought THAT she was poorly presented by AGT. I've seen her in concert, She's always been a mess, but I still love her.

My worry is.....how much of the money will Grace keep? I believe legally parents put away 15% for underage performers. (Child performer trust account)

"THE TURBAN". We talked about THAT all night! Stooooooopid!

I thought it would be Grace or Brian. We always have out closed captioning on (I get tired of repeating everything), or I wouldn't have known half the words to either of their songs. They are loaded with talent (IMO). I hope the 10 finalists all get work from this.

I was not that enamored over Brian as some of the judges were. I compared notes with my daughter who I haven't discussed this with before. Sal was number 10 on her list, but she doesn't remember the Sinatra era. He'll do well. For some reason, I loved Grace from the get go. She's a darling girl with this quirky talent and ability. I love she's still innocently dressed and not trying to be a 20 year old. But the Clairvoyants and Jon blew me away. They will be my favorite Vegas acts although I 've never been there. A great year!! Love that show compared to all the rest of the crap on summer TV. Nick's turban was wild but I love him and ALL the judges. Flawless performances all season except for drunk Paula.

I don't know if I'm really REALLY surprised by the outcome, or just plain disappointed. I am happy for Grace, though, (even though I didn't give her a single vote) and I sincerely hope she lives up to the expectations so many have of her. I wish I would have thought to use closed captioning. It may have changed my opinion of her talent.

Sal was, and still is, my favorite. I still don't think of him as an impersonator, either. I honestly believe he will get some very good gigs out of this, either in Vegas or similar club venues.

I have a very mixed reaction to Victor Kee. He is quite talented, and puts on an unusual act. But to be perfectly honest, his costume makes me uncomfortable, for lack of a better word. He looks too naked!

Brian apparently has a lot of talent, but that is just SO not my kind of music! And yes, Paula whoever-she-is totally ruined the act she participated in.

Nick Cannon has always been a big plus for AGT. I always wonder what kind of 'costume' he's going to show up in next. And this year he's added ever-changing hair styles. He's really a very talented person. I was reading, somewhere on the 'net, about him, and was amazed at the wide range of his abilities.

Can anyone tell me what the sign Tape Face had inked on his hand meant?

Rusty

I agree with susanwv Why would they select a 12 yr old to perform in Vegas? She is good but come on, Vegas? Actually if this for a Vegas show why even let the youngsters in at all?

I hate to see kids like Grace win. IMO, it ruins their childhood. She is a sweet kid. She will develop more talent as she is trained. Not sure if my child voted, but she and her friends were rooting for Grace. The judges saw a kid they can pimp for several years because the teens and Tweens identify with her.

I think that there should be an age limit for these sorts of competitions-losing to a 12 yr old would be hard on the adults,I feel.

Regarding the prize money, from Forbes Magazine "America’s Got Talent’s $1,000,000 prize is actually paid out as a 40-year long annuity, where the winner gets an annual pre-tax payout of $25,000 per year for 40 years." And, "VanderWaal may be offered a lump-sum cash payment in lieu of the annuity, but it will be a fraction of the advertised prize—likely in the $300,000 pre-tax range, putting the 12-year-old performer’s total post-tax take home in the $150,000 – $200,000 range"

Jae, that's similar to Lottery winnings. If you want the full amount, you get a small payment every year for 40 years. If you want it "all at once," the cash you get is approximately half of the value of the prize, and then taxes are deducted before you get anything. I think some states tax lottery winnings, but California (where I live) does not. The IRS taxes lottery winnings, though!

Regarding Grace's age --- Didn't American Idol have a lower-end age limit? Like you had to be at least 16 or something? And I know many times in previous seasons of AGT, the judges have chosen NOT to put kids through to the next level saying stuff like "you're young and you have plenty of time ahead of you to have a chance...." It's just beyond me why they were so jazzed about Grace this year.

"...losing to a 12 yr old would be hard on the adults,I feel."

In my opinion, it's not just losing to a 12-year-old. It's losing to a one-trick pony that's only 12 years old. She writes and sings quirky little (short) songs and plays the ukulele. Can she sing a ballad? Can she play the guitar? Can she do a decent job covering someone's else's hit song?

There are plenty of songs that I really like but I don't understand the words to them as they are sung by the artist whose hit it is. But those aren't the only songs I listen to. They're more of a play-in-the-background-while-I'm-doing-and-concentrating-on-something-else type of song. But I will never pay good money to see a show/concert that consists only of short little songs sung by someone whom I cannot understand in every song.

This is the first year I have watched AGT. I watch Britain's Got Talent every year and love it. I honestly only watched this year because Simon was a judge. I can't stand Nick Cannon. (anyone else find it funny that none of the AGT judges are American?)

I'm not tore up about Grace either. I loved Sophie, Sal, Brian and the little opera singer (can't remember her name, too lazy to google). Tape Face is hit or miss, some of his stuff is hilarious!

The Clairvoyants gave me the creeps! I really couldn't stand their voices, they sounded so smarmy!! And they really can't read minds or anything like that, it's a not-so-clever trick and I was honestly bored by their performance last night. I suppose they appeal to people who believe in fortune telling and that sort of stuff.

The Vegas show is just a 2 night thing. I'm sure they make special arrangements of some sort for a child 'star'. At least I hope they do!

As far as the judges 'pimping' her, I doubt any of them have much of anything to do with the winners once the show is over. I sincerely hope her parents are able to guide her through these next years in such a way that the money, the fame, etc., don't ruin her childhood. Sounds like the money is paid out like big lottery wins are. That's probably a good thing, they can't blow it all right off the bat. I hope some of Grace's winnings are used for some vocal training.

I really wish she had covered someone else's songs, at least once, to show whether she can or not. The performances on AGT are limited to 90 seconds, so her songs were short to fit the time allotted. I'm sure she was singing abbreviated versions for the show.

I'm kind of glad to know I'm not the only one who can't understand her, but it also makes me sad.

Rusty

There seems to be some big misconceptions about a few things.

First of all, Las Vegas has plenty of high quality family oriented shows! They always have and always will.

Second, the winning act was never intended to show up in Vegas and fill a couple of hours all alone. AGT will be sending several of this year's top ten and maybe even some of the earlier acts.

Maybe the Sinatra impersonator will be there, lol!

Regarding Grace's talent....I would far rather listen to this special burgeoning star singing her own lovely little songs than someone covering the music of someone else. Grace's music is already being sung by more established artists. Did I mention that she's twelve?

Look up the lyrics of her songs. They are poignant and enormously singable. Give her a year or two and she will expand on her limited repertoire....perhaps by 13! Oh, she's apparently been singing for a while. There are lots of Youtube videos of her performing the songs of others.

I agree. There is something special about Grace. I loved her the minute I saw her. Husband did not. She's adorable and so talented for 12, and her songs are quirky and sweet. I've watched AGT since the beginning and this year was the best. I like that Simon replaced Howard. Odd that three of the finalists were very young girls , the oldest 14. All were excellent.

I just watched the finals and have not yet seen the results, but I gather from the discussion that Grace won. Good for her, but I would rather have seen the Clairvoyants win. Grace's songs were poignant and relevant to today's youth, much like the songs from the late 1950s, except those were written by adults. She is like Taylor Swift in that regard. Her voice is different, but she can carry the tunes, so she'll be fine.

Laura Breton screwed herself in singing one of the most tragic songs ever written with a huge joyous smile and lolapalooza last note. When sung properly, even this song in Italian should leave non Italian speakers (and sometimes the performer) in tears. If you're not familiar with O Mio Babbino Caro, the singer is telling her father that she's going away to find her lover and if she cannot marry him, she's going to jump in the river and kill herself. The last lines are "father have pity on me" sung twice and NEVER with enthusiasm. This is not to disparage her vocal talent. She'll get plenty of work, but this performance definitely changed the way I saw her. If she knew what she was singing about, she would have done it differently. If you want to see it sung like it's supposed to, check out Sissel on YouTube.

Victor Kee is a less skilled version of Michael Moschen from the 1990s. Check out what Moschen can do with his crystal balls and bouncing balls in the triangle on YouTube.

Sal Valentinetti absolutely killed it in the finale. He won't have to deliver pizza for long. I can't listen to that genre of music for long but he killed it.

Linkin' Bridge did the same. They're the first good thing to come out of Chicago since forever.

Sofie Dossi is cute and flexible but all she does is handstands and neck hangs. Her cleverest trick was shooting an arrow with her feet. That's slick, but I think I see why there's no National League of Professional Handstanders.

The Clairvoyants do a mentalist act. It's a version of magic with secrets all their own. They do it VERY well and are so charismatic.

After watching a news segment of Grace singing the first song in her appearance, I cannot get this song out of my head. She really grows on you and is so humble and sweet. She wants to give most of her money to charity.

I simply cannot believe that Grace won. I can't understand a word she sings and just absolutely do not get the hoopla about her. She's a cute kid but so many people with, in my opinion, far, far more talent than her, were sent home even before the finals. I am so incredibly disappointed in "how America voted". However, apparently I'm in the minority.

I'm with you in the minority group, Suzieque. Personally, I think America got it wrong this year! There were so many that were so much better.

Rusty

Supposedly after Grace's first appearance, she had record offers. I think she'll soar to stardom with her sweet unaffected uncomplicated presentations. I hope she stays as sweet as she is. Loving family.

I just hope that she doesn't become another Justin Bieber. And I will continue to mourn the talented folks who lost to her.

I'll bet all the top ten and more will have careers.

I really wanted Carnac The Magnificent to win.

Oh, wait, that was Nick.

I know it's been awhile, but I just watched the finale results last night. Apparently some of y'all don't know who Paula Abdul (Paula Who??) is. She's a choreographer who became famous for a number of dance videos in the 1980s. As you can tell from her performance on AGT, her personality is not her strongest trait, but she was not high or drunk. She's just quirky, to use Simon Cowell's term. She was a judge on American Idol at the beginning and on X-Factor at the beginning.

Yeah, Nick's turban. He's been going through a period of growing his hair out this year. I suspect there's going to be a big reveal coming soon.

Now to the actual performances. Grace sang poorly on the last show. It sounded like she blew her voice out trying to put some power behind it in rehearsals. I know what that's like from my youth - she's lucky she could sing at all.

It was nice to see The Clairvoyants come in 2nd. I thought they should have won. Apparently I should have voted for them.

Grace was on Fallon last week. She's still adorable and is in Los Vegas.