Published by: Iana Henson
Date Published: October 13, 2025
Time Published: 12:08 PM
Almost two decades after first stepping onto the America’s Got Talent stage, Jessica Sanchez has finally claimed the spotlight that once seemed out of reach.
On September 24, 2025, the Filipina-American singer was crowned Grand Champion of AGT Season 20 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Her winning performance of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ "Die With a Smile" earned a standing ovation from all four judges and sealed her victory—a moment made even more remarkable as she sang while nine months pregnant.
Sanchez bested freestyle rapper Chris Turner and singer Jourdan Blue, becoming the first returning contestant to win in the show’s history and the first solo female champion since Darci Lynne in 2017. Her journey is one marked by resilience, growth, and the unshakable belief that hard work pays off.
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To better understand the magnitude of her win, it’s important to look back at how it all began. Jessica’s AGT story started in 2006, when she auditioned at just 10 years old with Celine Dion’s "I Surrender." Though she only reached the semifinals, the experience planted a dream that never left her.
"I was on Season 1 when I was 10 years old, and just going through all those years of feeling rejected and feeling like a failure, I had to pick myself back up and believe in myself again," she recalled.
"I continued to fight for my dreams... it’s been really hard trying to find myself as an artist and as a woman."
From those early struggles, the stage became both her battlefield and her sanctuary. In 2012, her breakthrough came on American Idol, where she stunned with Whitney Houston’s "I Have Nothing" and Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli’s "The Prayer."
Even as runner-up, the moment etched her name in the hearts of millions. Still, she chose to step away, sharpening her artistry in silence and preparing for the moment she now owns.
And now, more than a decade later, destiny brought her back to the very stage where her dream first started.
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Years of waiting led to 2025—a season written like destiny. Returning for AGT’s milestone 20th year, Sanchez walked onto the stage with Benson Boone’s "Beautiful Things." The audience held its breath, and Sofรญa Vergara, visibly moved, slammed the Golden Buzzer, showering her in gold and sending her straight to the live shows.
"She’s back, and she’s better than ever," Vergara commented.
"I think she was born to do this, and I was so happy to give her the Golden Buzzer."
What could have been a challenge turned into inspiration when Jessica revealed her pregnancy. Instead of stepping back, she pressed forward—her growing child a symbol of strength, not limitation. In the quarterfinals, she poured her heart into Alex Warren’s "Ordinary" drawing another standing ovation. Then in the semifinals, her soaring rendition of JVKE’s "Golden Hour" painted the stage with brilliance. Each note was more than music—it was resilience transformed into sound.
As Simon Cowell described it, her comeback was nothing less than a moment of destiny, perfectly timed with AGT’s landmark season.
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Finally came the grand finale—a night that felt like both the closing of a long journey and the start of something new.
Jessica, nine months pregnant, stepped onto the stage in a flowing gown and delivered "Die With a Smile" with a grace that silenced the room before shaking it with applause.
"You’re perfection. You look like a little pregnant angel," Vergara told her. Mel B praised her as flawless and pitch perfect every single time, while Howie Mandel called her the best act of the night. Cowell, never one for easy praise, noted she gave an extra 10 percent despite her condition.
When confetti rained down and her name was called—Jessica’s first words were humble, "I’m just feeling very loved. I’m feeling very blessed and so grateful."
Later, she reflected, “The fire that lit inside of me when I was 10 years old being on that stage—it came back, even more so now that I found out I was pregnant," she added.
Beyond the title and the $1 million prize, Jessica’s win was personal. As she said, the same fire she felt at 10 years old came alive again—only stronger now that she carries new life with her. Her story is no longer just about chasing a dream, but proving that even after rejection and years of waiting, second chances can shine brighter than the first.
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And so, her triumph moved beyond a single season and into something timeless. Jessica Sanchez’s story is not just a chapter in AGT history—it is a testament to endurance and faith. From a rejected 10-year-old to a triumphant woman on the brink of motherhood, her Golden Hour is both a personal triumph and a shared inspiration.
Her voice now carries more than melodies; it carries proof that patience and persistence can bend fate itself. This victory is not an ending but a beginning, not a curtain call but the rising of a brighter stage.
And like the day’s last light that turns ordinary skies into gold, Jessica’s moment reminds us that dreams, no matter how delayed, can still arrive in their perfect time.
References:
[1] Chung G. (2025, September 26). How Jessica Sanchez’s America's Got Talent Win Made History 20 Years After Her First Audition. E! Online. https://www.eonline.com/news/1423043/americas-got-talent-winner-jessica-sanchez-on-first-audition
[2] ABS-CBN Entertainment. (2025, September 25). Jessica Sanchez wins America’s Got Talent. ABS-CBN Entertainment.
https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/9/25/jessica-sanchez-wins-america-s-got-talent-1143
[3] People. (2025, September 25). America’s Got Talent Champion Jessica Sanchez Is on ‘Cloud 9’ Winning 19 Years After First Competing (Exclusive). People. https://people.com/agt-champion-jessica-sanchez-on-winning-19-years-after-first-competing-exclusive-11817658
[4] People. (2025, September 25). Who won America’s Got Talent Season 20? All about Jessica Sanchez (who first auditioned at 10 years old!). People. https://people.com/who-is-americas-got-talent-season-20-winner-jessica-sanchez-11816900
[5] Deseret News. (2025, September 25). She just won ‘America’s Got Talent’—and she’s 9 months pregnant. Deseret News. https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2025/09/25/agt-2025-winner-jessica-sanchez-motherhood-new-music/
[6] NBC Insider. (2025, September 25). What Simon Cowell said to Jessica Sanchez moments after her AGT win means so much. NBC.
https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/what-simon-cowell-said-to-jessica-sanchez-moments-after-her-agt-win-means-so-much
[7] Rappler. (2025). Jessica Sanchez winner America’s Got Talent 2025. Rappler.
https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/series/jessica-sanchez-winner-america-got-talent-2025/
[8] Logan, E. (2025, September 25) AGT Champ Jessica Sanchez Belting "Die With a Smile" Is Masterful: "A Pregnant Angel." NBC.
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