The Texas teen blew the judges away with her soulful rendition of “Die on This Hill” by Sienna Spiro.

14-year-old Lai Noelle scores the 1st *America’s Got Talent *season 21 Golden Buzzer in this exclusive sneak peek

The Texas teen blew the judges away with her soulful rendition of "Die on This Hill" by Sienna Spiro.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

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May 29, 2026 12:00 p.m. ET

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Lai Noelle on the 'America's Got Talent' season 21 premiere. Credit:

- *America's Got Talent *premieres Monday, with the judges handing out more Golden Buzzers than they ever have in one episode.

- Judge Simon Cowell gave his to 14-year-old Lai Noelle, who stunned the judges and audiences alike.

- Fellow judge Sofia Vergara insisted that she had told Cowell she planned to use the move herself.

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The premiere of the reality competition is filled with more Golden Buzzers than have ever before seen on one episode. Judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Mel B, and Howie Mandel, as well as host TerryCrews, will only award 10 of them, which allow a contestant to go straight to the live shows, all season.

** has an exclusive clip from next week's premiere of season 21 showing one contestant having her year made when Cowell recognizes her as a potential winner.

Lai Noelle, a 14-year-old from Texas, was one of the lucky recipients when she belted out "Die on This Hill" by Sienna Spiro.

Even before she began, she had a rapport with the judges. Cowell asked why she had decided to audition this year, which she told him because she had improved as a singer and her confidence had grown. Was she was nervous? He offered her some water, which prompted Mandel to ask if she wanted a sandwich. Yes, she wanted water, but no on the food.

The audience was chanting for her even before the first soulful note of the song, but they were soon standing.

The judges were taken aback.

"Lai, shall I tell you, honestly, what I think?" Cowell said. "Words aren't necessary."

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Vergara looked shocked as Cowell reached over her to hit the buzzer.

The *Modern Family *alum then told Mel B that she had been planning to do the same thing.

But Cowell was already onstage, speaking with Noelle and the adults who'd accompanied her.

"I mean, seriously," he said, "that wasn't her singing, right?"

He told the teen that she had been "spectacular."

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"I told him I'm going to give her the Golden Buzzer, and he stood up and did it," Vergara said back at the judge's table. "He took her from me!"

In all the excitement, Noelle left the stage, but she returned to hear more raves from Cowell.

That's when Cowell said Vergara had actually asked him whether she should make the big move for the contestant, but he'd told her no.

"I shut my eyes for a moment, and I was thinking, that's not you singing,'" Cowell said. "You've got such a gift, and now you take this opportunity. This is amazing. This is why we do this."

Noelle will face tough competition, though, as performers with other skills — past seasons have included skilled aerialists, magicians, dancers, and more — take the stage.

The season premiere of *America's Got Talent *airs Tuesday, June 2 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

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