America’s Got Talent host Terry Crews is back for Season 21, guiding the show through its live quarterfinals phase this week on NBC. The former NFL star continues to anchor the summer competition series as it enters its most unpredictable stretch yet.
Terry Crews Returns for Record-Tying Eighth Season
Crews took the AGT stage as host again when Season 21 premiered on June 2, 2026. This marks his eighth consecutive season leading the show, a run that ties him with Nick Cannon for the longest hosting tenure in the program’s history.
Crews first stepped into the host role for Season 14 and has remained a fixture of the franchise ever since. His return was confirmed back on March 12, 2026, when NBC announced the show’s renewal alongside the full returning judging panel.
Fans of the series have grown accustomed to Crews’ high-energy hosting style, which blends genuine enthusiasm for the acts with a warm rapport built over nearly a decade on the show. He has spoken openly about seeing his job as more than just hosting duties, describing himself as something of a mentor to the performers who take the AGT stage each season.
Who Joins Crews on the AGT Season 21 Panel
The America’s Got Talent host works alongside a judging panel that returned fully intact for Season 21. Simon Cowell is back for his 11th season as a judge and executive producer, while Howie Mandel returns for his 17th season, the longest tenure of anyone on the panel.
Sofía Vergara is in her seventh season as a judge, and Mel B, formerly of the Spice Girls, returns for her eighth season after rejoining the panel in Season 20. Together with Crews, the group handed out ten Golden Buzzers during this year’s auditions, two from each judge and two from the host himself.
AGT Season 21 Live Shows Are Underway
The live phase of the competition began on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, with the first Quarterfinals episode airing at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. The results episode follows on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, also at 8 p.m. ET, marking the moment viewers first learn which acts have advanced.
Season 21 introduced a significant format change under Crews’ hosting. For the first time, the judges have no Golden Buzzers to hand out during the live quarterfinals. Every advancement decision during this phase rests entirely with the viewing audience.
Here is how the current live show format breaks down:
- 44 acts total, split into four groups of 11 for the Quarterfinals
- Each week, three acts advance per group based on audience votes
- Voting is open through the NBC website, the AGT mobile app, and for the first time, TikTok comments
- Viewers can cast up to 10 votes per method before voting closes each Wednesday at 7 a.m. ET
Full Live Show Schedule
The America’s Got Talent host will lead viewers through the following schedule as the season progresses toward its finale:
| Round | Performance Show | Results Show |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinals 1 | Tuesday, August 18 | Wednesday, August 19 |
| Quarterfinals 2 | Tuesday, August 25 | Wednesday, August 26 |
| Quarterfinals 3 | Tuesday, September 1 | Wednesday, September 2 |
| Quarterfinals 4 | Tuesday, September 8 | Wednesday, September 8 (same night) |
| Semifinals | Tuesday, September 15 | Wednesday, September 16 |
| Finale | Tuesday, September 22 | Wednesday, September 23 |
The September 8 Quarterfinals round will run as a special three-hour live event with instant voting and immediate results, meaning there will not be a separate results episode the next day for that round.
A New Callback Round Shaped This Season’s Cast
Before the live shows began, Season 21 introduced a brand-new Judges’ Callbacks round, which ran from August 4 through August 11, 2026. This round gave select acts that did not initially advance a second chance to earn a spot in the Top 44, with judges reviewing performances filmed at their own homes.
This addition gave the AGT panel, alongside Crews, extra flexibility in shaping the final lineup beyond the original ten Golden Buzzer acts from auditions. The remaining 34 spots were filled through unanimous judge decisions and the new callback performances.
Where AGT Films and How to Watch
Season 21 continues to film at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in California, the same venue used in recent seasons. Episodes air live on NBC and stream the following day on Peacock for anyone who misses the broadcast.
Viewers hoping to influence the results need to watch live, since voting for each week’s episode closes the following morning. Streaming the next-day Peacock version does not allow for participation in that week’s vote.
Looking Ahead to the Finale
The season is scheduled to wrap with a two-night finale on September 22 and September 23, 2026. Both finale nights will run at 9 p.m. ET rather than the show’s usual 8 p.m. ET slot, shifted to accommodate additional premiere-week programming for The Voice Season 30 in the earlier hour.
On finale night, the America’s Got Talent host will once again have the honor of announcing the Season 21 winner, following the format used in recent years where finalists perform on night one and the champion is revealed during night two’s results broadcast.
Season 20 concluded with singer Jessica Sanchez taking home the title, so this year’s finalists will be looking to follow a strong vocal-performance precedent as they compete for the $1 million grand prize.
With auditions for AGT’s 2027 season already open through video submissions and virtual open calls, the franchise shows no signs of slowing down as it heads toward its finale this September.
Stay tuned and drop your predictions for who you think will win Season 21 in the comments below!