How much money do you get for AGT?

'America's Got Talent' will come back with its 17th season on May, 31. While the show is known for its $1 million prize cash, there are loopholes to the coveted prize. Here, check out how much the winner actually takes home. 

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By Natalia Lobo

May 24, 2022 07:52PM EST

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May 24, 2022 07:52PM EST

By Natalia Lobo

For 15 years, 'America’s Got Talent' has been giving a platform to many talented artists, dancers, singers, magicians and more to showcase their abilities to a wide public. Its 17th season will premiere next week on NBC, and you can also watch it on fuboTV (free-trial) or Peacock. 

Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel will return to the judging panel, while Terry Crews will be the host for his fourth season. In September, magician Dustin Tavella took the crown as AGT winner and became part of the long-list of talent to have won before. 

The winner list of AGT includes singer Grace VanderWaal, magician Shin Lim, spoken word artist Brandon Leake and more. While the shows advertise that the winner will take home $1 million and have a residency in Las Vegas, reality is a little more complicated than that. 

America’s Got Talent 2022: What’s the real prize for the winner of AGT?

The show says that the winner will earn $1 million. However, a disclaimer that appears in the screen during the announcement explains the details of the agreement: "The prize, which totals $1,000,000, is payable in a financial annuity over 40 years, or the contestant may choose to receive the present cash value of such annuity."

That means, according to Forbes, that the winner has two options. One is to receive $25,000 a year for 40 years, or they can opt to get a lump sum, which is usually around $300,000. For example, according to Talent Recap, season 5 winner Michael Grimm took home $200,000 after choosing this prize option.

However, the disclaimer also says that contestants are informed of the rules prior to the show, so they know the conditions. The lump sum depends on the average inflation rate. And in both cases, the prize is taxed so the total is always less. 

On the other hand, the contestants also headline a Las Vegas residency but the duration depends on the contestant. For example, according to Talent Recap, Grace Vanderwaal had a three-day engagement, while other contestants have been making shows in Las Vegas for years, which could also be more rentable than the prize cash itself.  

All-female acrobatic gymnastics troupe Acromazing celebrated their AGT victory on Sunday night, taking home $100,000 prize money.

The group from the NSW South Coast has shared the heartfelt encouragement they received from one particular judge ... Australia’s own Kate Ritchie.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: AGT winners’ performance.

Watch Australia's Got Talent on Channel 7 and stream it for free on 7plus >>

Acromazing is a group of 19 talented girls with an acrobatic technique the judges have described as “faultless”.

For their finale, they produced a moving routine that had the judges and the audience in raptures, with Shane Jacobson calling their routine “poetry in motion”.

“Our most supportive judge had to be Kate Ritchie - the words she was saying to us after our performances, they really were coming from her heart,” gymnast Maddi and coach Shelby told 7Entertainment.

Kate’s support

“All of the judges were incredible but Kate was a standout for us.

“We didn’t get to talk to her too much backstage but caught a few moments - thank you words, like, to say congratulations.

“But it was more the comments that really got to us from the judges’ desk,” they explained.

Ritchie said their finale performance was “absolutely faultless, and so incredibly beautiful I wanted to cry”.

“It may sound silly, but I feel so proud of you. I have a young daughter myself and seeing a unit of young girls working so beautifully together, you should be so proud,” Ritchie said.

Acromazing has received $100,000 in prize money, which they plan to distribute among the girls and invest in the future of the group.

The group currently trains in what they call “the cow shed,” a large structure they have used since 1987.

“It’s really old and is ready for some renovating, we just hope to put the money towards the future generations to come,” Shelby said.

Shelby said they do not have the required floor training facilities and the toilets are currently outside.

“It gets freezing in the winter and boiling hot in the summer,” the coach said, adding it was challenging for the girls who train five days a week, up to four to five hours a day.

Shelby said getting to the AGT level takes “a lot of strength, conditioning and hard work, their families are right in it with them”.

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‘Changed the lives of many’

Because “the cow shed” has been around for so long, the girls explained the program is appealing to many young girls in the area and has “changed the lives of many young kids”.

“We hope that it opens the doors for many young children,” Shelby said.

The group plans to “put on more shows and do events because (AGT) has really shown that acrobatic gymnastics is a spectator sport and people really do love to watch it”.

How much money do you win if you get the golden buzzer?

How much does an AGT judge get paid?