The first season of Asia's Got Talent (AGT) started airing on March 12, 2015, across 15 countries in Asia, culminating to a grand final airing nine weeks later on May 14, 2015. It featured a grand prize of US$100,000 and an opportunity to perform at the Marina Bay Sands.
The show is hosted by Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez; while the judges are Anggun, David Foster, Melanie C, and Vanness Wu. This show is also co-hosted by Singaporean YouTuber and Power98FM DJ's Dee Kosh for sneak previews, highlights, recaps, and behind the scenes.
The Filipino shadow play group El Gamma Penumbra was declared as the first season winner. News of their win leaked early through social media even before the broadcast of the results, causing dismay among netizens due to the spoiler nature of the leak.
Auditions
The following were the locations for the open ground auditions: Date City Audition location Ref. September 27, 2014 Singapore Basement 1, Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands September 28, 2014 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Taylor's University Lakeside Campus Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia October 5, 2014 Taipei, Taiwan Legacy Taipei
Auditionees were also allowed to submit their audition videos online via the show's official website.
Auditions in front of the judges (and a live audience) were held on January 13–14, 16–18, 20–22, 2015 at the Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios in Johor, Malaysia. They would be screened across five episodes.
The judges' auditions also feature the Golden Buzzer. Each judge would have one chance to use the Golden Buzzer. The so-called Golden Acts, those on whom the Golden Buzzer is used, would automatically advance to the Semi-Finals. Wu was the first to press the Golden Buzzer on Japanese popping act Time Machine, followed by Melanie C on Chinese acrobat-dancer couple Gao Lin and Liu Xin and Anggun on Filipino shadow play group El Gamma Penumbra. Foster was the last judge to push the Golden Buzzer, using it on Filipina singer/soprano Gerphil Flores.
Auditions summary
Image Golden Buzzer Buzzed Out
Auditions 1 OrderName ActBuzzesResultDavidAnggunVannessMelanie1Junior New SystemDance Group Advanced2Li YongcongNovelty Singer Eliminated3Devon WoonMartial Artist Eliminated4Bar Flair ManBar Jugglers Eliminated5Mildred LopezActress Eliminated6Gwyneth DoradoSinger & Guitarist Advanced7Ngo Minh TuStunt Biker Advanced8Ipe StFighting Act Eliminated9Team AmazedMultimedia Act Eliminated10Tatueng MongMusicians Advanced11AltTypeJump Ropers Advanced12Nelson TanMusician Eliminated13Yang Dae YongPianist Eliminated14MeowNovelty Act Eliminated15GonzoTambourinist Advanced16Kicky HanSinger Eliminated17Kelvin Lu Hee WahSinger Eliminated18PitupellaVocal Group Eliminated19Toshanbor SinghOpera Singer Advanced20Perassath ServalDancer Eliminated21Elgi AugustianDancer Eliminated22Time Machine Dance Group Advanced (Golden Buzzer: Van Ness Wu)Number of buzzes per Judge8 buzzes8 buzzes11 buzzes9 buzzes36 buzz / 88
Auditions 2 OrderName ActBuzzesResultDavidAnggunVannessMelanie1Madrid "Bong" ManificoSinger Eliminated2Chong Kah YeenSinger Eliminated3Nguyen Kieu AnhSinger Eliminated4Oscar ChuHarmonica Player Advanced5Ra-LSinger/Musician Advanced6DavidMagician Eliminated7Shawn ChangVentriloquist & Magician Advanced8Han Bok HeeSinger Advanced9Fe & RodfilSinging Duo Advanced10Roy PayamalNovelty Act Eliminated11PrimateBeatboxers Eliminated12Sandy ErlanSuitcase Twirler Eliminated13Gao Lin & Liu XinAcrobatic Dancers Advanced (Golden Buzzer: Melanie Chisholm)14Suwanna HongMusicians Advanced15Bir KhalsaSideshow Act Eliminated16KhusugtunMusicians Advanced17Stefanos KoukasDancer Advanced18Fitri CeradoSinger & Pianist Advanced19The TalentoBand AdvancedNumber of buzzes per Judge6 buzzes6 buzzes5 buzzes7 buzzes24 buzz / 76
Auditions 3 OrderName ActBuzzesResultDavidAnggunVannessMelanie1Dance ThrilogyDance Group Advanced2Angelico "Echo" ClaridadSinger Advanced3ChiqazDance Group Advanced4RachzonjaDrummer Advanced5The Miss TresSinging Trio Advanced6The Singing MagiciansSingers/Magicians Eliminated7Lee ZooJuggler Eliminated8DinGuitarist Eliminated9Nitish BhartiSand Artist Advanced10Double SistersSinging Duo Eliminated11DeenourmousDrag Act Eliminated12Fathin AmiraSinger Advanced13Pa Ben & Lung SengSinging Duo Eliminated14Skin & BonesAcrobatic Duo Eliminated15Mayuresh MandhaneStuntman Eliminated16U Nyein Chan AungSideshow Act Eliminated17Bao CuongSideshow Act Advanced18A22Sword Jugglers Eliminated19Kin-Na-Ree-Nee-TaiAcrobatic Group Eliminated19KST Lion Dance TroupeLion Dance Troupe Advanced20Avijit & TinkuAcrobats Advanced21Nhat AnhPole Dancer Advanced22D'Intensity BreakersFire Dance Group AdvancedNumber of buzzes per Judge4 buzzes6 buzzes4 buzzes5 buzzes19 buzz / 88
Semifinals The deliberation round was held at the Marina Bay Sands, the venue for the semifinals and finals. It was shown at end of the final auditions episode first aired on April 9, 2015. Wu was not physically present during the deliberation round, his input being relayed through Foster, who along with Anggun and Melanie C chose the 20 remaining acts who would compete in semi-finals. The four Golden Acts and the judges' picks would bring the total number of semifinalists to 24. The first eight semifinalists were announced after the deliberation round, with the others to be revealed gradually as the semifinal rounds progress.
While the voting is similar to other voting processes in the Got Talent franchise, the revelation of results would be slightly different, to be revealed in the following week rather than the next night (as semifinal rounds are only once weekly, barring replays). Also, in another twist, the Golden Buzzer returns wherein each semifinal round, the judges would use it as one unit to send one act straight to the finals. This is similar to the Judges' Choice in the other local franchises, albeit one ahead of the vote rather than after and based on the vote. Aside from the Judges' Choice through the Golden Buzzer, the two acts with the most public votes would also advance to the finals. There would thus be a total of nine finalists emerging from the three semifinal rounds.
Ages listed are as of the time of the auditions. In the case of group acts, the age ranges only accounted for the members present at the auditions. The age(s) of any additional member(s) who only appeared in the semifinal may or may not be within the range designated.
Name of actAge(s)GenreActHometownSemifinal WeekResult El Gamma Penumbra 22–40 Dance Dance Group Philippines 3 Khusugtun 25–38 Music Musicians Mongolia 2 Gerphil Geraldine Flores 24 Singing Opera Singer Philippines 2 11–12 Singing Band Thailand 3 Junior New System 16–23 Dance Dance Group Philippines 2 Triqstar 23–33 Dance Dance Group Japan 1 Dance Thrilogy Dance Dance Group Singapore 3 Gao Lin and Liu Xin 26 & 22 Acrobatics Acrobat Duo China 1 Gwyneth Dorado 10 Singing Singer Philippines 1 AltType 26–29 Variety Jump Rope Team Japan 3 Eliminated 23–35The multiple ages accounted for Bảo Cường's age as well as those of his two assistants present at the time of his audition. Danger Sideshow Act Vietnam 2 Eliminated Bebop 19–24 Singing Band South Korea 2 Eliminated Billy Chang 31 Dance Dancer Taiwan 3 Eliminated 30–34 Singing Opera Group Indonesia 1 Eliminated Fathin Amira 22 Singing Singer Singapore 2 Eliminated Gonzo 29 Music Tambourinist Japan 1 Eliminated Nitish Bharti 25 Variety Sand Artist India 1 Eliminated Oscar Chu 18 Music Harmonica Player Taiwan 1 Eliminated Sada Borneo 21–23 Music Band Malaysia 3 Eliminated Sydney Uke 12 Music Ukulele Player Thailand 2 Eliminated Time Machine 23–32 Dance Dance Group Japan 3 Eliminated Toshanbor Singh Nongbet 23 Singing Opera Singer India 3 Eliminated 22–33 Dance Dance Group Philippines 1 Eliminated Young Boys 14–24 Music Comic piano Group Indonesia 2 Eliminated Note
Semifinals summary
Image Golden Buzzer Buzzed Out
Semifinals 1: (April 16) OrderName BuzzesResultDavidAnggunVannessMelanie1Gonzo Eliminated2Gwyneth Dorado Advanced3Oscar Chu Eliminated4Triqstar Advanced5The Velasco Brothers Eliminated6Nitish Bharti Eliminated7Gao Lin & Liu Xin Advanced (Golden Buzzer)8The Brothers EliminatedNumber of buzzes per Judge0 buzzes0 buzzes0 buzzes0 buzzes0 buzz / 32
Semifinals 2: (April 23) OrderName BuzzesResultDavidAnggunVannessMelanie1Young Boys Eliminated2Gerphil Geraldine Flores Advanced3Bebop Eliminated4Khusugtun Advanced5Bảo Cường Eliminated6Sydney Uke Eliminated7Fathin Amira Eliminated8Junior New System Advanced (Golden Buzzer)Number of buzzes per Judge1 buzz1 buzz0 buzzes1 buzz3 buzz / 32
Semifinals 3: (April 30) OrderName BuzzesResultDavidAnggunVannessMelanie1El Gamma Penumbra Advanced (Golden Buzzer)2Dance Thrilogy Advanced3Sada Borneo Eliminated4AltType Eliminated5The Talento Advanced6Time Machine Eliminated7Toshanbor Singh Nongbet Eliminated8Billy Chang EliminatedNumber of buzzes per Judge2 buzzes0 buzzes1 buzz1 buzz4 buzz / 32
Finals The finals, like the semifinals, will be held at the Marina Bay Sands over a span of two episodes, a performance night and a results night. It is presumed that the final two public vote finalists from the third semifinal round would be present together the finalists who already advanced.
Charice and illusionist Cosentino (Australia's Got Talent season 5 runner-up) performed in the results night, Charice singing "Lay Me Down" with Foster on piano and Cosentino performing a metamorphosis/escape act involving a cage and spikes. Anggun also sang "Snow on the Sahara" before joining the rest of the judges in covering their own version of "Let's Groove" by Earth, Wind & Fire.
Order Finalist Act Finished 1 The Talento Singer Fourth place 2 Gao Lin and Liu Xin Acrobatic Dancers Bottom three 3 Gwyneth Dorado Singer Bottom three 4 Dance Thrilogy Dance Group Bottom three 5 Khusugtun Mongolian Throat Singers Runner-up 6 Triqstar Dance Group Middle two 7 El Gamma Penumbra Shadow Dancers Winner 8 Gerphil Geraldine Flores Singer Third place 9 Junior New System Dance Group Middle two
Contestants who appeared on previous shows or seasons El Gamma Penumbra, the winner of the first season, placed fourth on the third season of Pilipinas Got Talent. Gerphil Flores, the third placer of this season, was a semifinalist of the premiere season of Pilipinas Got Talent. The Velasco Brothers, a semifinalist, placed third on the first season of Pilipinas Got Talent. The Miss Tres was a semifinalist on the fourth season of Pilipinas Got Talent. Symmetry was also a semifinalist on the fourth season of Pilipinas Got Talent. Angelico "Echo" Claridad joined the first season of The Voice Kids in the Philippines. He turned all three chairs and joined Team Lea, but was eliminated in the Battles. Jeremiah Velasco auditioned in all five seasons of Pilipinas Got Talent. In his fifth season audition, he mentioned in front of the judges that he also auditioned on Asia's Got Talent. His audition was not aired. The Talento competed in the fourth season of Thailand's Got Talent, reaching the finals. Ira Christy Pitaloka, Rachzonja Adhy Kirana Putra, Ni Luh Ayu Leny, The Blessing, Helen Renata Gunawan, Ari Wibowo, and Rifki Ardiansyah all appeared in the second season of Indonesia's Got Talent while Djitron Pah and Young Boys appeared as semifinalists in the first. Han Bok Hee auditioned on the second season of Korea's Got Talent, singing "Non, je ne regrette rien" by Edith Piaf, the same audition piece she used in this season. Bảo Cường and Nguyễn Thị Huyền Trang were semifinalists on the 2012 season of Vietnam's Got Talent. Neil Rey Garcia Llanes won the 2014 edition of the talent show Talentadong Pinoy. Roadfill Macasero of Fe and Roadfill is already known in the Philippines as one-half of a comic and song duo Moymoy Palaboy, the other half being his older brother and group namesake Moymoy.