12-year-old singer is America’s Got Talent 11 champ

MANILA, Philippines - They’re getting younger these days and obviously starting early. We’re talking about winners of reality-talent contests.

Twelve-year-old singer and ukulele player Grace Vanderwaal bagged the top plum in the Season 11 of America’s Got Talent (AGT), which ended recently. The native New Yorker bested veteran performers and more seasoned artists in the formidable line-up this season.

The Clairvoyants duo — Thommy Ten and Amelie Van Tass — from Vienna, Austria, are this season’s runners-up. Football veteran Jon Dorenbos of the Philadelphia Eagles was in third place. He was a recipient of the Golden Buzzer from guest judge Ne-Yo. Both Jon and The Clairvoyants delighted the audience with their amazing magic tricks.

 Fourth and fifth placers Brian Justin Crum and Sal Valentinetti are both singers. Sal is a pizza delivery man from New York who was also a recipient of the Golden Buzzer from Heidi Klum during the auditions. He crooned Frank Sinatra’s My Way. Brian, meanwhile, is a powerhouse vocalist.

Second placer The Clairvoyants duo Thommy Ten and Amelie Van Tass delight the audience, including judge Howie Mandel (right), with their amazing magic tricks—Photos from AGT’s Facebook page

Early on in the auditions, it wasn’t hard to predict that Grace would immediately have a chance to land in the finals. She got the Golden Buzzer from judge Howie Mandel after she rendered an original song, I Don’t Know My Name.

Grace snagged a recording deal with Columbia Records, company of such big-time music superstars as Adele and Taylor Swift. This early, Grace has been booked for live performances and she is being tagged as “the next Taylor Swift.”

 In fact, Grace got the thrill of her life when she received a bouquet of roses from Taylor hours after Grace was pronounced winner of AGT.

Football veteran Jon Dorenbos of the Philadelphia Eagles lands in third place

As an artist of Simon Cowell’s SyCo Music, Grace will headline a three-night performance at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Oct. 27 to 29. Sharing the stage with her are AGT acts The Clairvoyants and Tape Face.

Simon, creator of the reality-talent show, returned as a celebrity judge for Season 11 and joined Howie, Heidi Klum and Mel B. Host of AGT is Nick Cannon.

Since the show is not only for singers, Simon said in a recent interview that audiences will never get bored watching “magicians, singers and jugglers,” who are also fun and entertaining for him.

Guest judges for the AGT auditions included singers Reba McEntire, Ne-Yo, Louis Tomlinson and Michael Bublé, actors Neil Patrick Harris and Marlon Wayans, journalist Piers Morgan and comedian George Lopez.