PASADENA, Calif. – The confetti had barely settled on the stage of the Peacock Theater when the cheers turned to jeers. On September 24, 2025, during the electrifying live finale of America’s Got Talent Season 20, Filipino-American singer Jessica Sanchez was crowned the champion, securing a $1 million prize and a headline residency at Las Vegas’s Bakkt Theater. At nine months pregnant, Sanchez delivered a show-stopping rendition of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’s “Die With a Smile,” her voice soaring with raw emotion and precision that left judges in awe. But for millions of viewers tuned in across NBC and Peacock, the moment felt less like a triumph and more like a travesty. Social media exploded with cries of “rigged,” as fans lambasted the show for favoring a seasoned vocalist over what they called true “talent” acts, igniting one of the fiercest backlashes in the program’s two-decade history.
Sanchez’s win capped a season-long narrative arc that producers had teased from the start. Nearly 20 years after her debut audition as a wide-eyed 10-year-old on the inaugural season of AGT in 2006, the Chula Vista, California native returned with a vengeance. Back then, the pint-sized powerhouse belted out Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” earning praise from Simon Cowell but falling short in the semifinals via wildcard elimination. Fast-forward to 2025: Now 30, married, and expecting her first child—a daughter named Eliana—with husband Michael Sanzone, Sanchez stepped back into the spotlight amid personal reinvention. After placing as runner-up on American Idol Season 11 in 2012 and releasing her debut album Me, You & the Music, which peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard 200, she had stepped away from music to focus on family and self-discovery. “I needed to sing for me, not for the world,” she shared in a tearful audition clip.
Her Season 20 audition was pure magic. Accompanied by a live band, Sanchez transformed Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” into a soul-stirring anthem of resilience. Judge Sofia Vergara hit her Golden Buzzer almost immediately, sending Sanchez straight to the live quarterfinals. “You’re a little pregnant angel with a voice from heaven,” Vergara gushed, her words echoing through the theater. Over the next 15 weeks, Sanchez navigated the grueling competition while her baby bump grew, performing hits like Celine Dion’s “I Surrender” and originals that blended R&B soul with pop flair. Her journey resonated deeply, especially with Filipino communities worldwide, who rallied behind her as a symbol of perseverance. By the semifinals, she reprised JVKE’s “Golden Hour,” edging out competitors like comedian Steve Ray Ladson to secure a top-five spot.
The finale lineup was a diverse showcase of AGT‘s eclectic spirit: freestyle rapper Chris Turner, whose mind-reading improvisations stunned with Oxford-honed intellect; singer Jourdan Blue, a Howie Mandel Golden Buzzer pick whose gritty vocals evoked a young Adele; the harmonious Leo High School Choir from Chicago; and the glowing, fiber-optic dance troupe LightWire. Other finalists included rapper Mama Duke, aerial duo Sirca Marea, and dance group Team Recycled. As host Terry Crews built suspense, the top five emerged: Sanchez, Turner, Blue, LightWire, and the choir. In a nail-biting reveal, Crews announced Sanchez as the victor, beating Turner in the final showdown. “This has been 20 years in the making,” Sanchez sobbed, clutching her belly as fireworks lit the sky. Cowell, visibly moved, pulled her aside backstage, whispering, “If you ever need anything, I’m here for you.”
For Sanchez, the win was historic on multiple fronts. She became the first AGT contestant to claim the crown after a prior appearance, the first solo female victor since ventriloquist Darci Lynne Farmer in 2017, and—most poignantly—the first to win while pregnant. Stepping offstage, she radiated gratitude in an Instagram Live: “I’m still on this beautiful journey. Dreams delayed are not dreams denied.” Fans in the Philippines erupted in national pride, with posts flooding X (formerly Twitter) hailing her alongside recent Filipino triumphs like Sofronio Vasquez’s The Voice Season 26 win and Veejay Floresca’s Project Runway Season 21 victory. “Pinoy pride on the global stage!” one user exclaimed, sharing memes of Sanchez as a “superhero mom.”
Yet, beneath the celebration, a storm was brewing. Within minutes of the broadcast’s end, #AGTRigged trended worldwide, amassing over 500,000 mentions on X by dawn. Viewers flooded comment sections on NBC’s site and Reddit’s r/AGT subreddit with vitriol, accusing producers of scripting the outcome to fit a feel-good redemption arc. “This was so rigged from the beginning,” one top-voted Reddit thread read, garnering 12,000 upvotes. “Jessica’s a pro singer with an Idol fanbase—how is that ‘talent’ against Chris Turner’s genius brain? It’s predictable and predetermined, like hyperglycemia after a banana split.” Another user fumed, “She got pity votes for being pregnant. Chris Turner is a once-in-a-lifetime act; no one else could replicate his freestyling. He got cheated!”
The backlash zeroed in on AGT‘s perennial sore spot: singers dominating a show meant to spotlight variety acts. Since its 2006 debut, AGT has crowned just three vocalists in 19 seasons—Grace VanderWaal in 2016, Brandon Leake in 2020 (spoken word), and now Sanchez—prompting cries of “another singing competition.” Detractors pointed to Turner’s semifinal stunner, where he improvised rhymes about judges’ secrets in real-time, earning a standing ovation. “I’d pay to see LightWire or Chris in Vegas, not another ballad belter,” a TikTok rant with 2 million views declared. Jourdan Blue’s supporters echoed the sentiment: “She was robbed. Jessica only won because of the sob story and that bump.”
Some ire veered into uglier territory, with veiled racism targeting Sanchez’s Filipino heritage. On X, posts speculated wildly: “Filipino bloc voting stole it from real Americans,” one claimed, drawing parallels to international fan campaigns. Others weaponized DEI buzzwords, sneering, “A woman of color beats the white boy? Must be rigged.” These comments, while downvoted by supporters, amplified the toxicity, prompting AGT superfans to counter with defenses of Sanchez’s merit. “Her voice is unmatched—pure heart and dedication,” Vergara posted on X, her message liked 14,000 times. Mel B, another judge, doubled down: “Jessica blew the roof off. Singers belong here too.”
The controversy wasn’t isolated; it tapped into broader frustrations with reality TV’s authenticity. AGT, a juggernaut pulling 10 million viewers per episode this season, has weathered rigging scandals before—from 2018’s Michael Ketterer favoritism whispers to 2022’s Mayyas dance troupe win debates. But Season 20’s milestone status amplified the stakes. Producers leaned hard into nostalgia, replaying Sanchez’s child audition clips and framing her pregnancy as “making history.” Critics argued this manufactured drama overshadowed raw innovation. “The show’s as formulaic as a diabetic’s dessert,” one viral tweet quipped. On forums like GoldDerby, polls showed 62% believed Turner deserved the win, with users vowing boycotts: “Won’t watch next year—any of the other nine finalists beat her unremarkable voice.”
Sanchez, ever gracious, addressed the noise indirectly in a TODAY.com interview days later. “I just hope to inspire people,” she said, cradling her bump. “It’s been a long journey, but I’m grateful for every minute—singing for America again, seeing what they think of my creativity.” She revealed plans to use the prize for Eliana’s future and a family-focused music project, perhaps a lullaby album. Cowell, in a rare vulnerable moment, told NBC Insider the win “means so much” to him personally, harking back to spotting her spark two decades ago. “She’s proof talent endures,” he said.
As the dust settles, the divide underscores AGT‘s enduring appeal—and its pitfalls. For every detractor decrying a “rigged” result, thousands celebrated Sanchez’s underdog saga. Her finale performance clip has racked up 15 million YouTube views, spawning covers and fan edits. Philippine media hailed her as a “redemption queen,” with GMA News quoting her: “From 10-year-old semifinalist to grand winner—this is for every dreamer who paused.” Yet, the outrage lingers, a reminder that in talent wars, not everyone leaves feeling golden.
What does this mean for AGT‘s future? With Season 21 auditions looming, executives face pressure to diversify judging—rumors swirl of a fresh face like Lizzo or Post Malone—and recalibrate voting to curb perceived biases. Crews, in a post-finale Variety chat, defended the process: “America votes; we deliver.” But as Sanchez prepares for motherhood and her Vegas debut, one thing’s clear: Her voice, once a whisper in the crowd, now echoes louder than the backlash. In a world craving real stories, her win—rigged or not—proves some talents are too big to silence.
Whether this controversy boosts ratings or erodes trust remains to be seen. For now, as Eliana’s due date nears, Sanchez tunes out the noise, humming softly to her unborn daughter. “The world is healing,” one supportive X post read amid the chaos. In the theater of dreams, perhaps it is—one note at a time.
