America's Got Talent is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global Got Talent franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle USA and Syco Entertainment, and broadcasts on the NBC television network. It premiered on June 21, 2006, after plans for a British edition in 2005 were suspended, following a dispute within the British broadcaster ITV. Production would later resume in 2007, following the success of the first season. Each season is mainly run during the network's summer schedule, and has featured various hosts over the course of the program's history. The current host is Terry Crews.
Simon Cowell, creator of America's Got Talent and the Got Talent franchise, is primarily a judge on the British international version of the franchise. He has operated as a judge on AGT since May 2016.
Terry Crews became the host in 2019, following his involvement in AGT: The Champions in January 2019.
Howie Mandel is the longest serving judge on America's Got Talent, since joining in June 2010.
Nick Cannon is the longest-serving host of the series, hosting eight seasons between 2009 and 2016.
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English television personality, entrepreneur, and record executive. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows Pop Idol (2001–2003), The X Factor UK and Britain's Got Talent (2007–present), and the American television talent competition shows American Idol (2002–2010), The X Factor US (2011–2013) and America's Got Talent (2016–present). Cowell founded the British entertainment company Syco in 2005, as well as its now-defunct predecessor, Syco Music in 2002.
Cowell in 2011
Irish boy band Westlife achieved the first official number one on the UK Singles Downloads Chart with "Flying Without Wings" in September 2004.
Cowell alongside Cheryl Cole as judges on The X Factor UK's seventh series on 21 June 2010
One Direction signed to Cowell's record label after finishing third and being mentored by Cowell on The X Factor in the UK in 2010. The group is one of Cowell's international break-out acts.