The landmark 20th season of America’s Got Talent may still be a couple of months away in the 2025 TV schedule, but the casting process is currently well underway in Pasadena, California ahead of filming beginning this Friday. On behalf of CinemaBlend, I had the chance to attend the in-person open call auditions and chat with a longtime casting producer, and I gained so much insight about how the hopefuls are chosen to audition in front of the show’s celebrity judges and gain global exposure.
Season 20 marks Meg MacGregor’s 18th season as a key part of the casting process for America’s Got Talent, and in between seeing an onslaught of talent ranging from sword swallowers to magicians, she sat down with us to talk about the process. Let’s talk about my key takeaways:
While AGT Doesn’t Go On The Road Anymore, Virtual Auditions Are As Key As In-Person Auditions
First off, let me explain the process a bit. When the Season 20 premiere of AGT airs this spring, the auditions that the judges will see have first seen casting producers like MacGregor either at the Pasadena open call, through a virtual audition, or video submission first. While it’s not something one might think about, given all the people who might want to win $1 million dollars, it makes absolute sense that there would be initial auditions before getting a chance to perform in front of the celebrity judges at the audition tapings.
And while America’s Got Talent used to travel all over the country to find the best acts, for quite some time now the show has been allowing talent to submit virtual auditions along with the option to meet the casting producers in person. During my interview with MacGregor, I asked if there’s a different feeling or weight they give to those who submit either online or go in person. Here are her thoughts:
We no longer are out on the road in all the different cities we used to. So I think no matter what, through a screen is great to just get to meet people, but there is a different sense when you're seeing people in person. You get to break down that barrier a little bit, and I think people do tend to open up a bit more in person. But, you know, if you think about it auditioning virtually is almost the same as just watching a video that's gone viral.
In the case of last year’s winner, Richard Goodall, who’s known as the “singing janitor,” didn’t come to an audition room at all or record an audition tape. He was booked off a video that went viral in 2022 (which you can check out on YouTube). After singing “Don’t Stop Believin’” at a graduation ceremony at his school, he came to AGT with the same song, and ended up sharing the stage with Journey during the finale before winning the whole show. As the casting producer continued:
We used to travel to San Antonio and the whole show would be, ‘Hey, here's what's happening in San Antonio.; And we've gotten to the point now where there are no rules, there's no age. You can be from anywhere in the world. You can have any talent really. So I think seeing how we've been able to grow and the success stories that we've been able to be a part of is probably my favorite part [of being on the show for the past 18 years].
Nowadays, the America’s Got Talent open call auditions are less regional, and a huge hodgepodge of hopefuls who are a mix of locals and dreamers who flew from all over. While I was at the open call auditions, I spoke to identical twins (and high school seniors) known as the Pierce Twins from Chicago who flew all the way from the Windy City with their mom to audition for the first time in person, after trying two times prior via the virtual method.
If There’s A Key Trait America’s Got Talent Looks For, It’s Being Yourself
When I was in a room full of talent who were eagerly waiting for their preliminary audition, I found it so difficult to try and guess who might be the most talented among the bunch. Truly, I wouldn’t be surprised if I walked right past a future finalist! So when I spoke to MacGregor, I had to ask how they whittle down the talent for the audition shows. In her words:
So I think what we're looking for right now is just really like confident, genuine people. People who are real, people that can go out on stage and can kind of hold their own out there. But they can also be unexpected, you know? LA also has a lot of fun characters, so people that just kind of really push the limits on what it's like to perform. And in Los Angeles we always get people that are really creatives. So, I'm interested to see what's gonna come out of that today.
I spoke to MacGregor at around 2 p.m. that day and there were crowds and crowds of people heading into the audition rooms. Apparently the casting producers stay all day and night to see every hopeful in anticipation of finding the next big stars of the show. What a job! It is nice to hear they are looking for people with a genuine passion for their talent and with real stories to tell. It certainly comes through in the series.
The Type Of Act The Casting Producer Is Rooting For Had Me Especially Excited For The New Season
I was also curious about what types of acts they are interested in this season, especially as the show enters its 20th year in 2025. As the past two decades show, any act of any kind could win the hearts of the judges and America, but here’s the two acts MacGregor would like to see go far this season:
If you look at the record of the past 20 winners that we've had, we've had everything from a ventriloquist to vocalist to a dance group to dogs that have won the show twice now. So you think you know what you're looking for, but you never really know until it's in front of you. I think it would be great to have a comedian win – that's never happened before. So I think in a milestone season, it would be awesome if we could have a comic get to the number one spot. I also think it's been a little bit since we've had a kid win and seeing someone that's just has their whole career ahead of them and helping them shape that. So, I think both of those would be interesting.
There’s been a ton of comedians on America’s Got Talent over the years, but never has one gone all the way. Could this be the year? I spoke to a drag queen comedian named Miss Kay Mart, who flew all the way from Tulsa, Oklahoma to don her blue beehive wig and rhinestone cat-glasses and tell jokes for the producers. Could she be part of the auditions that make it to Season 20 on NBC?
It’s also always a sweet story when a kid talent can get the spotlight and perhaps win big on the platform. I saw a whole class of young kids ready to audition for something and a three-year old who sang Moana and The Greatest Showman to the producers, so there’s definitely young talent being considered. We won’t find out until this spring, but knowing what they are rooting for has me ready to tune in.
If you’d like to be considered, talent has until Saturday, March 15 to submit to AGT Auditions. The premiere for Season 20 of America’s Got Talent is set for May 27.
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