HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Sept. 15, 2021 – The votes are in and America has chosen magician Dustin Tavella as the winner of “America’s Got Talent” season 16. Tavella wins the show’s $1 million grand prize and will join “America’s Got Talent Las Vegas LIVE” stage show at Luxor Hotel and Casino. Tavella’s specific performance dates in Las Vegas, as well as the other season 16 fan favorites that will be joining, will be announced soon.  

For more photos of the winner, click here [nbcumv.com].

Tavella won America’s hearts and votes through magic with his inspirational performances tapping into stories from his personal life including his wedding day and his sons’ adoptions. His final emotionally charged act showcased his art of storytelling with the spirit of philanthropy, using magic to spread his message of the power of giving.   

Judge and Executive Producer Simon Cowell said, “I’m so happy for Dustin, this will change his life and his family’s life. Next stop… Vegas!”

“For the past 16 seasons ‘America’s Got Talent’ has discovered incredible acts from across the globe, and Dustin Tavella continues that tradition, effortlessly delivering on what makes this show uniquely special,” said Jenny Groom, Executive Vice President, Entertainment Unscripted Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.  “Dustin opened his heart to America, captivating viewers with his blend of magic and personal storytelling.  His win exemplifies what AGT is all about — positivity, inspiration and connection — and speaks to exactly what our country needs right now.”

“It has been another inspirational season of ‘America’s Got Talent’ and we couldn’t be more pleased to have crowned Dustin Tavella as our Season 16 winner tonight,” said Jennifer Mullin, CEO, Fremantle.  “His messages of hope, gratitude and helping others resonated throughout the season, and we can’t wait to see how his act continues to flourish when he joins the America’s Got Talent Las Vegas LIVE stage show.” 

Born and raised in Pottstown, Penn., he grew up going to magic shows with his grandparents in Atlantic City and fell in love with the art of connecting and entertaining people through magic. With a personal motto of always living life with purpose, Tavella has worked with numerous humanitarian organizations aiding the homeless, mentoring in youth programs and helping women in crisis. He is a magician who aims to inspire audiences by using magic to connect with people from all different walks of life. He now resides in Virginia Beach, Va., with his wife, Kari, and their adopted sons, Xander and Sylas. 

Season 16 of “America’s Got Talent” concluded tonight with a remarkable finale at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood with judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum and host Terry Crews. The show’s top 10 finalists performed along with several superstar guests, including Tony Award-winning actress, singer, and songwriter Idina Menzel; three-time Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum-selling artist Pentatonix; chart-topping powerhouse singer and songwriter Bishop Briggs; actor and comedian George Lopez; actor Rico Rodriguez; “AGT” season nine winner and Las Vegas headliner Mat Franco; and Olympic silver medal gymnasts Jordan Chiles and MyKayla Skinner.  

This summer “America’s Got Talent” has reached more than 60 million viewers across linear and digital platforms. The series is the most-watched summer program for the eighth consecutive year and is the most-watched summer broadcast unscripted program for the 16^th consecutive year.

The “Got Talent” format has had more than a billion global viewers since it began airing in 2006 in America and has aired in 194 territories worldwide. “Got Talent” holds the Guinness World Records title as the Most Successful Reality Television Format, with more than 70 local versions produced across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.

“America’s Got Talent Las Vegas LIVE” opens Nov 4 and will run Wednesday – Sunday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. inside Luxor Theater. Tickets starting at $49, plus tax and applicable fees, are on sale now and can be purchased at mgmresorts.com [mgmresorts.com], luxor.com [luxor.com] and AGTVegasLive.com [agtvegaslive.com] or by visiting any MGM Resorts International box office. An exclusive “AGT Las Vegas LIVE VIP Backstage Tour and Meet & Greet” package, starting at $159, features a backstage tour, a meet and greet with select cast members and more.

Auditions for the next season of “America’s Got Talent,” as well as the new “AGT: Extreme,” are currently underway. Interested acts can visit www.AGTAuditions.com to register for an upcoming audition city or to submit a video online.  

“America’s Got Talent” was created by Simon Cowell and is co-produced by Fremantle and Syco Entertainment. Simon Cowell, Sam Donnelly, Jason Raff, and Richard Wallace are the executive producers.

For more information, please visit the official show site at: http://www.nbc.com/agt [nbc.com] and the official press website at https://www.nbcumv.com [nbcumv.com].

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ABOUT SYCO ENTERTAINMENT 
Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment, is an independent entertainment company which owns TV formats such as “Got Talent” and “The X Factor”. “Got Talent” is officially the world’s most successful reality TV format; “America’s Got Talent” has remained the No1 summer series in the U.S. for the past 16 years; “The X Factor” is the most successful music TV format in history delivering more global chart stars than any other show. These two shows are currently on air in more than 180 countries and are watched by more than a billion people each year. Artists discovered on his TV formats have sold over 600 million records and Simon has launched more superstar careers than any other in history including One Direction, Camila Cabello, Leona Lewis, Fifth Harmony, CNCO, Little Mix, Louis Tomlinson, James Arthur, Paul Potts, Susan Boyle and Grace VanderWaal. He also launched the careers of the international groups Il Divo and Westlife.

ABOUT FREMANTLE
Fremantle is one of the largest and most successful creators, producers and distributors of scripted and unscripted content in the world. From “The Mosquito Coast” to “Got Talent,” “We Are Who We Are” to “Family Feud,” “American Gods” to “Idol” and “My Brilliant Friend” to “Enslaved” – we are behind the world’s most-loved and most-watched shows.

We have an outstanding international network of production teams, companies and labels in over 30 countries - our Fremantle family includes UFA (Germany), Wildside (Italy), Abot Hameiri (Israel), Miso Film (Denmark, Sweden and Norway), Blue Circle (Netherlands), Original Productions (USA) and Easy Tiger (Australia) to name a few.

We produce in excess of 12,000 hours of original programming, roll out more than 70 formats and air 400 programmes a year worldwide. We also distribute over 30,000 hours of content in more than 200 territories.

We are also a world leader in digital and branded entertainment, with more than 426 million fans across 1,500 social channels and over 100 billion views across all platforms - and are the creator of Facebook’s most viewed video of all time, The Sacred Riana. We are part of RTL Group, a global leader across broadcast, content and digital, itself a division of the international media giant Bertelsmann.

For more information, visit www.fremantle.com, or follow us @FremantleHQ [l.workplace.com] and visit our LinkedIn [l.workplace.com] and Facebook pages.

MEDIA CONTACTS

NBC
Rebecca Boswell, Rebecca.Boswell@nbcuni.com,
Allison Ivers, Allison.Ivers@nbcuni.com, 747-203-4086
Paige DuBois, Paige.DuBois@nbcuni.com

Fremantle
Kristina Kirk, kristina.Kirk@fremantle.com, 818-748-2521
Jordan Perlmutter, Jordan.Perlmutter@fremantle.com, 818-748-2548

Syco Entertainment
Ann-Marie Thomson, Ann-Marie Thomson annmarie@sycoentertainment.com
310-435-1034
Nicola Phillips, nicsp@me.com, 310-424-5678