Cover AGT Season 20 winner Jessica Sanchez attends the ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 20 Winner’s Red Carpet at Hotel Dena on September 24, 2025 in Pasadena, California (Photo: Getty Images / Amanda Edwards)
AGT Season 20 winner Jessica Sanchez attends the ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 20 Winner’s Red Carpet at Hotel Dena on September 24, 2025 in Pasadena, California (Photo: Getty Images / Amanda Edwards)
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Culminating a two-decade pursuit and commencing her global stardom, Jessica Sanchez wins ‘America’s Got Talent’ (AGT) Season 20 and secures the US$1 million prize, among others
The victory, announced in an emotional finale on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 (Eastern Time), saw the 30-year-old and nine months pregnant Jessica Sanchez cementing her status as one of the longstanding television talent shows’ most inspirational winners. Her success marks a stunning comeback, after first stepping onto the America’s Got Talent stage as a child and later achieved global recognition as the runner-up on American Idol.
Sanchez clinched the coveted title over runner-up, freestyle rapper Chris Turner, following a powerful, goosebump-inducing final performance. For her winning song, the California-born singer transformed Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ 2024 hit, Die with a Smile, injecting it with her signature riffs and effortless breath control.
Above Jessica Sanchez Receives a golden buzzer from Sofia Vergara
The judges were effusive in their praise. Sofía Vergara, who had awarded her Golden Buzzer to the American singer of Filipino and Mexican descent earlier in the season, praised her finale performance, saying she looked like a “little pregnant angel”. Simon Cowell, renowned for his critical eye, noted the dual talent on stage, commenting: “Actually, there are two of you. So, it’s like a duo.”
Sanchez’s path to the trophy began with her initial audition, where her rendition of Benson Boone’s Beautiful Things earned the immediate approval and the Golden Buzzer from Vergara, propelling her directly to the live shows. Throughout the subsequent rounds, she continued to impress audiences and judges despite the physical challenges of performing in the advanced stages of pregnancy.
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The emotional depth of her return was palpable, serving as a message of resilience and perseverance. In her final moments before the winner was announced, Sanchez reflected on the gravity of the occasion: “This has been 20 years in the making, this would mean everything.” She stated that her biggest message was that of perseverance, “and just finding that little bit of faith to push through and believe in yourself again.” The singer, who is expecting a daughter that she’s naming Eliana, plans to use the coming weeks to focus on motherhood before returning to her career.
A Twenty-Year Arc of a Dream
Above Jessica Sanchez performing at the 2018 Tatler Ball Philippines (Photo: Ian Santos)
Jessica Sanchez performing at the 2018 Tatler Ball Philippines (Photo: Ian Santos)
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Sanchez’s triumph is framed by a remarkable, winding, two-decade history with major talent competitions.
At the age of just ten, she auditioned for the inaugural season of America’s Got Talent in 2006, where she was eliminated during the semi-finals. While that initial disappointment was a setback, Sanchez credits the experience with galvanising her dream. “I was 10 years old when I tried out for the show the first time,” she told reporters. “Even though I was devastated when I didn’t make it in Season 1, I was determined to show people that I deserved to be in the limelight.”
It was six years later, in 2012, that she found her first major international platform as a runner-up on American Idol Season 11, losing out in the final to Phillip Phillips. This subsequent success led to a recording contract with Interscope Records and the release of her debut studio album, Me, You & the Music, in 2013, which peaked at number twenty-six on the US Billboard 200 chart. She also enjoyed a brief acting stint as the leader of a rival choir, the Hoosierdaddies, on the hit television series Glee.
Despite her early fame, Sanchez admits she stepped back from music for a period, feeling pulled in different directions by external pressures. Sanchez then reconnected to her Filipino roots, performing in the Philippines, including the 2018 Tatler Ball Philippines.
Above Jessica Sanchez performs an acoustic version of ‘Clarity’, the song she performed on ‘Glee’
Her return to the AGT stage, two decades after her first attempt, represented a strategic and deeply personal choice to redefine herself as an artist and a woman. Her victory is not just a personal milestone but a significant moment for the competition, illustrating that a comeback can indeed lead to the ultimate prize.
Above Jessica Sanchez and Sirca Marea perform JVKE’s ‘Golden Hour’ for the semi-finals
The journey to victory was paved with unforgettable performances that demonstrated her vocal control, dynamic range and emotional clarity.
Sanchez performed a powerful rendition of Ordinary by Alex Warren for the quarterfinals. For the semifinals, she made a vocally impressive collaboration with aerialists Sirca Marea in a breathtaking performance of JVKE’s Golden Hour.
Above Jessica Sanchez transforms ‘Die With A Smile’ into pure magic!
Now US$1 million richer, Sanchez is prioritising a break to enjoy motherhood. She and her husband, Rickie Gallardo, are preparing to welcome their daughter into the world. While focusing on her family, she has already set her sights high for the future, stating her ultimate aspiration is to earn a Grammy award.
Her win serves as a powerful testament to the enduring force of talent and the rewarding nature of perseverance, proving that a dream deferred for two decades is not a dream denied, but a story waiting to be completed.
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About
Before assuming the Art and Culture Editor position, Franz has always had a penchant for visual and performing arts. He is passionate about exploring and writing about the local cultural scene and rediscovering the country’s storied past and rich heritage. Besides working on this luxury lifestyle magazine, Franz is an avid book reader, local traveller, museum-goer, chorister, and community theatre playwright.
Work
Franz earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Santo Tomas. He writes about local visual and performing artists and their craft; drinks wines, liquors, and spirits and talks about the creativity of their respective winemakers and master blenders; tries to learn more about business and investments; respects the tradition and artistry that go behind the making of watches and jewellery; and appreciates the genius of architecture and creative design.
As head of Tatler Philippines’ pool of writers, he helps them bring impactful and socially relevant stories to light.
For any leads, you may reach him through @franzsorillaiv on Instagram or franz@tatlerphilippines.com via email.
