‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 12 Auditions In Cleveland A Huge Success, Draw Massive Crowd

“America’s Got Talent” Season 12 will premiere on NBC next year, and auditions are already taking place in some parts of the United States.

Most recently, the staff and producers of the hit reality TV show were in Cleveland for a successful round of auditions. According to WKYC, thousands of aspiring contestants went to the Huntington Convention Center during the weekend between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The contestants were grouped depending on their acts. Unfortunately, none of the judges were at the auditions because only those who would later receive a call back will get the chance to be featured on the show.

“America’s Got Talent” executive producer Jason Raff expressed his excitement over the turnout. “Some of these people in Cleveland will be performing on TV this summer. This is my 12th time circling the U.S. looking for talent,” he said.

Meanwhile, some of the new acts from the upcoming season include all-male ensemble Frankie Valli and a group of three women who call themselves Autumn Dawn. One singer named Ashley Armanni also auditioned. Magicians, clowns, musicians, dancers and other vocalists were also spotted at the tryouts.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, “America’s Got Talent” Season 11 winner Grace Vanderwaal detailed what it was like auditioning for the show. She shared that after the first round of auditions, all hopefuls are asked to wait for a letter or a call from the staff. Since she passed, she received a letter in the mail with an invitation to head to Los Angeles to face judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Mel B and Howie Mandel.

Since winning in September, Vanderwaal has brought home $1 million, donated to a music charity, appeared in a number of talk shows, headlined a show in Las Vegas, signed with Cowell’s music label Syco and released an EP, titled “Perfectly Imperfect.”