America's Got Talent (season 6)
The sixth season of America's Got Talent, an American talent show competition, began broadcasting in the United States during 2011, from May 31 to September 14 on NBC. This season is most notable for featuring a participant who entered the competition and conducted a performance that set a world record for the highest shallow dive. Although there were no major changes in the program's format or with its panel and host, nor any major disruptions to production, this season's competition did see a number of acts who secured a place in the live rounds being forced to drop out due to obligations on other events that would conflict with their participation on the program.
The sixth season was won by jazz singer Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr., with silhouette dance group Silhouettes finishing in second, and glow-light dance group Team iLuminate placing third. During its broadcast, the season averaged around 11.82 million viewers, with its opening episode attracting the highest viewing figures for a season of America's Got Talent to begin on with, at around 15.28 million viewers.
Season Overview
Auditions for the sixth season's competition took place across Winter - mid-Spring 2011, across eight cities around the United States. Production staff filmed those held within the cities of Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, Seattle, Minneapolis, and New York;auditions held within the cities of Denver and Chicago were not filmed. Due to weather conditions, Piers Morgan was unable to attend some of the auditions held within Minneapolis, though this did not disrupt production. Unusually, the sixth season saw a number of participants who went to audition for this year's competition, being forced to drop out despite securing a place in the live rounds, after determining that it would conflict with other obligations each had that year. In an interview held on May 16, 2011, on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Howie Mandel described the program as the most dangerous for that year, indicating in his interview that ambulances had to be called six times during auditions after a number of participants injured themselves during their act. One of the most notable events of this season was the involvement of Darren Taylor, who operated under his stage name of Professor Splash and established a new world record, during one of his live round performances, for the highest shallow dive.Of the participants who auditioned for this season, 61 secured a place in the live quarter-finals, with twelve quarter-finalists in each one - eleven of these acts would later be given a second chance in the Wildcard quarter-final, after losing their initial quarter-final. Around 24 of these advanced to and were split between the two semi-finals, with 10 semi-finalists securing a place in the finals, and 4 finalists securing a place in the grand-final. The following below lists the results of each participant's overall performance in this season:
| Participant | Age | Genre | Act | From | Quarter-Final | Result |
| Aeon | Acrobatics / Variety | Parkour performers | Los Angeles | 5 | ||
| Anna Graceman | 11 | Singing | Singer | Juneau, Alaska | 1 | ' |
| Attack Dance Crew | 19–25 | Dance | Dance Crew | Tallahassee, Florida | 2 | |
| Avery and the Calico Hearts | 9–10 | Music | Vocal Trio | Lubbock, Texas | 4 | |
| Beth Ann Robinson | 14 | Dance | Dancer | Dothan, Alabama | 5 | |
| Breena Bell | 8 | Acrobatics / Dance | Gymnastic Dancer | Lincoln, Alabama | 5 | |
| Brett Daniels | 50 | Magic | Magician & Illusionist | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 5 | |
| Captain and Maybelle | 38, 32 | Danger / Variety | Sideshow Performers | Douglasville, Georgia | 3 | |
| Charles Peachock | 35 | Variety | Juggler | Kent, Ohio | 4 | |
| Dani Shay | 22 | Singing / Music | Singer & Musician | Orlando, Florida | 2 | |
| Daniel Joseph Baker | 20 | Singing / Music | Singer & Pianist | Katy, Texas | 2 | |
| Dezmond Meeks | 28 | Singing / Music | Singer & Pianist | Pineville, Louisiana | 1 | |
| Duo Aero | 23, 24 | Danger | Trapeze Aerialists | Saint Paul, Minnesota | 1 | |
| Dylan Andre | 19 | Singing / Music | Singer & Musician | Zieglerville, Pennsylvania | 2 | |
| Echo of Animal Gardens | 15, 32 | Animal / Comedy / Variety | Talking & Singing Bird Act | Lake Geneva, Wisconsin | 1 | |
| Fatally Unique | 13–22 | Dance | Dance Crew | Rockford, Illinois | 4 | |
| Fearless Flores Family | 8–35 | Danger | Stunt Motorcyclists | Myakka City, Florida | 1 | |
| Frank Miles | 50 | Danger | Stunt Performer | San Francisco | 4 | |
| Gabe Rocks | Animal | Dog Tricks Act | Bellingham, Washington | 5 | ||
| Geechy Guy | 46 | Comedy | Stand-up Comedian | Rochester, Michigan | 2 | |
| Gymkana | Acrobatics | Gymnastics & Acrobatic Troupe | College Park, Maryland | 5 | ||
| Ian Johnson | 16 | Variety | Yo-yo Performer | Hebron, Illinois | 3 | |
| J. Chris Newberg | 41 | Comedy / Music | Comic Guitarist | Birmingham, Michigan | 1 | |
| Kalani Basketball Freestyle | 24 | Variety | Basketball Juggler | Honolulu, Hawaii | 5 | |
| Kevin Colis | 33 | Singing / Music | Singer & Musician | New Braunfels, Texas | 5 | |
| Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. | 35 | Singing | Jazz Singer | Logan County, West Virginia | 3 | ' |
| Landon Swank | 26 | Magic | Magician & Illusionist | Wasilla, Alaska | 2 | ' |
| Lys Agnès | 27 | Singing | Opera Singer | Denver, Colorado | 3 | ' |
| Matt Wilhelm | 32 | Danger | Stunt Bike Rider | Chicago | 5 | |
| Mauricio Herrera | 33 | Singing | Singing Showman | Orange, California | 3 | |
| Melissa Villaseñor | 23 | Comedy | Comic Impressionist | Whittier, California | 4 | |
| Miami All-Stars | 13–43 | Dance | Dance Troupe | Miami | 1 | ' |
| Mona Lisa | 29 | Singing | Vocal Duo | Santa Ana, California | 2 | |
| Monét | 12 | Singing | Singer | Charlotte, North Carolina | 3 | |
| POPLYFE | 12–16 | Music | Band | Oakland, California | 3 | ' |
| Powerhouse | Singing | Choir | Burbank, California | 5 | ||
| Professor Splash | 50 | Danger | High Diver | Denver, Colorado | 3 | |
| Purrfect Angelz | 22–36 | Dance | Dance Troupe | Los Angeles | 3 | |
| Sam B | 32 | Dancing | Dancer | Falls Church, Virginia | 4 | |
| Sandou Trio Russian Bar | 25–43 | Acrobatics / Danger | Russian Bar Acrobats | San Antonio, Texas | 1 | |
| Scott Alexander | 41 | Magic | Magician & Illusionist | Lancaster, Pennsylvania | 4 | |
| Seth Grabel | 29 | Magic | Magician | Los Angeles | 3 | |
| SH'Boss Boys | 5–7 | Singing | Rap Trio | Atlanta, Georgia | 3 | |
| Shevonne | 20 | Singing / Music | Singer & Musician | Tampa, Florida | 6 | |
| Silhouettes | 4–18 | Dance | Silhouette Dance Group | Denver, Colorado | 2 | ' |
| Smage Brothers Riding Shows | 18–25 | Danger | Stunt Motorcyclist Team | Elkhorn, Wisconsin | 2 | ' |
| Snap Boogie | 18 | Dance | Dancer | Boston, Massachusetts | 1 | |
| Squonk Opera | 33–52 | Music | Operatic Band | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 1 | |
| Steven Retchless | 24 | Dance | Pole Dancer | Las Vegas | 2 | |
| Summerwind Skippers | 22–36 | Acrobatics / Variety | Jump Rope Acrobats | Boise, Idaho | 3 | |
| Taylor Davis | 18 | Singing / Music | Singer & Musician | Leesburg, Georgia | 4 | |
| Team iLuminate | 25–33 | Dance | Glow-light Dance Group | Los Angeles | 4 | ' |
| The Fiddleheads | 21–23 | Music | Bluegrass Band | Dahlonega, Georgia | 1 | |
| The Kinetic King | 47 | Variety | Kinetic Artist | Saint Paul, Minnesota | 4 | |
| The Rhinestone Ropers | 28, 52 | Danger | Wild West Performers | Jerome, Idaho | 2 | |
| Thomas John | 22 | Variety | Juggler | San Francisco | 2 | |
| Those Funny Little People | 23–53 | Dance / Variety | Novelty Dancers | Chicago | 1 | |
| TNC Elite | Dance | Cloggers | Charlotte, North Carolina | 5 | ||
| West Springfield Dance Team | ' | Dance | Dance Troupe | Springfield, Virginia | 5 | |
| Yellow Designs Stunt Team | 25–41 | Danger | Stunt Bike Team | Monument, Colorado | 4 | |
| Zuma Zuma | 28–42 | Acrobatics | Acrobatic Tumblers | Las Vegas | 4 |
- Ages denoted in this column pertain to a participant age in their final performance for this season.
- These participants were entered into the Wildcard quarter-final after losing their initial quarter-final.
- The ages of these participants were not disclosed on the program.
- For health and safety reasons, Professor Splash had to perform outside the studio; judges were required view the performance in person, and used hand-carried signs in place of their buzzers.
Quarter-final Summary
Quarter-final 1 (July 12)
Guest Performers, Results Show: Avril Lavigne, and cast of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.- Because of the majority vote for Miami All-Stars, Mandel's voting intention was not revealed.
Quarter-final 2 (July 19)
Quarter-final 3 (July 26)
Guest Performers, Results Show: Stevie Nicks, Fighting Gravity, and The SmurfsQuarter-final 4 (August 2)
Guest performers, Results Show: Maroon 5, and Jason DerüloQuarter-final 5 - YouTube Round (August 9)
Guest performers, Results Show: OK Go and Pilobolus, Keenan Cahill, Rebecca Black, Tay Zonday, and Up and Over It.Quarter-final 6 - Wild Card Round (August 16)
Guest Performers, Results Show: Colbie Caillat, and cast of Les MisérablesSemi-final Summary
Semi-final 1 (August 23)
Guest Performers, Results Show: Demi Lovato, Prince Poppycock, and New Boyz- Because of the majority vote for West Springfield Dance Team, Osbourne's voting intention was not revealed.
Semi-final 2 (August 30)
Finals Summary
Final - Top 10 (September 6)
Guest Performers: Michael Grimm ; and Il Divo.Grand-final (September 13)
Guest Performers: Terry Fator ; Def Leppard, OneRepublic, Tony Bennett and Queen Latifah, cast of Cirque du Soleil's Iris, and Jackie Evancho.| Grand-finalist | Order | Act | Performed with | Result |
| Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. | 1 | Jazz Singer | Patti Labelle | 1st |
| Team iLuminate | 2 | Glow-light dance group | Cobra Starship | 3rd |
| POPLYFE | 3 | Band | Stevie Wonder | 4th |
| Silhouettes | 4 | Silhouette Dance Group | LeAnn Rimes | 2nd |
Ratings
The following ratings are based upon those published by Nielsen Media Research after this season's broadcast:| Order | Episode | Airdate | Rating | Share | Rating/Share | Viewers | Rank | Rank | Rank | Rank |
| 1 | "Los Angeles Auditions & Atlanta Auditions" | May 31, 2011 | 8.8 | 14 | 4.3/12 | 15.28 | #1 | #3 | #1 | #3 |
| 2 | "Seattle Auditions" | June 7, 2011 | 7.4 | 13 | 3.7/12 | 12.93 | #1 | #3 | #2 | #5 |
| 3 4 | "Houston Auditions" "Minneapolis Auditions" | June 8, 2011 | 7.1 | 12 | 3.7/10 | 12.64 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #6 |
| 5 | "Seattle Auditions" | June 14, 2011 | 7.3 | 12 | 3.5/11 | 12.59 | #1 | #2 | #1 | #1 |
| 6 | "Atlanta Auditions" | June 21, 2011 | 7.1 | 12 | 3.4/11 | 12.30 | #1 | #2 | #1 | #2 |
| 7 | "New York Auditions" | June 22, 2011 | 7.5 | 12 | 3.9/11 | 13.49 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #1 |
| 8 | "New York Auditions" | June 28, 2011 | 7.3 | 13 | 3.3/11 | 12.46 | #1 | #2 | #1 | #3 |
| 9 | "Auditions Episode 9" | June 29, 2011 | 7.6 | 13 | 4.1/12 | 13.71 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #1 |
| 10 | "Final Auditions" | July 5, 2011 | 7.2 | 12 | 3.6/11 | 12.59 | #1 | #2 | #2 | #4 |
| 11 | "Las Vegas Week" | July 5, 2011 | 8.8 | 14 | 4.6/13 | 15.78 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #1 |
| 12 | "Las Vegas Week" | July 6, 2011 | 7.3 | 12 | 3.6/11 | 12.85 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #3 |
| 13 | "Quarterfinals, Week 1" | July 12, 2011 | 7.9 | 13 | 4.0/11 | 14.07 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #1 |
| 14 | "Quarterfinals, Week 1" | July 13, 2011 | 6.8 | 11 | 3.0/9 | 11.43 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #2 |
| 15 | "Quarterfinals, Week 2" | July 19, 2011 | 7.3 | 12 | 3.6/10 | 13.04 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #1 |
| 16 | "Quarterfinals, Week 2" | July 20, 2011 | 5.9 | 10 | 2.7/8 | 10.32 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #2 |
| 17 | "Quarterfinals, Week 3" | July 26, 2011 | 6.6 | 11 | 3.1/9 | 11.54 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #1 |
| 18 | "Quarterfinals, Week 3" | July 27, 2011 | 6.0 | 10 | 2.8/8 | 10.74 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #2 |
| 19 | "Quarterfinals, Week 4" | August 2, 2011 | 6.8 | 11 | 3.1/9 | 11.92 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #1 |
| 20 | "Quarterfinals, Week 4" | August 3, 2011 | 5.8 | 10 | 2.5/7 | 9.96 | #1 | #2 | #1 | #2 |
| 21 | "Quarterfinals, YouTube" | August 9, 2011 | 6.6 | 11 | 3.0/8 | 11.46 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #1 |
| 22 | "Quarterfinals, YouTube" | August 10, 2011 | 5.7 | 9 | 2.5/7 | 9.73 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #3 |
| 23 | "Quarterfinals, Wildcard Show" | August 16, 2011 | 6.0 | 10 | 2.8/5 | 10.40 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #2 |
| 24 | "Quarterfinals, Wildcard Show" | August 17, 2011 | 5.6 | 9 | 2.5/7 | 9.74 | #1 | #2 | #1 | #3 |
| 25 | "Semifinals, Round 1" | August 23, 2011 | 7.0 | 11 | 3.3/9 | 11.99 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #1 |
| 26 | "Semifinals, Round 1" | August 24, 2011 | 6.4 | 10 | 2.9/8 | 11.12 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #2 |
| 27 | "Semifinals, Round 2" | August 30, 2011 | 6.8 | 11 | 3.1/8 | 11.14 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #1 |
| 28 | "Semifinals, Round 2" | August 31, 2011 | 6.5 | 10 | 2.6/7 | 10.65 | #1 | #2 | #1 | #2 |
| 29 | "Top Ten" | September 6, 2011 | 7.1 | 11 | 3.1/8 | 11.85 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #9 |
| 30 | "Top Ten" | September 7, 2011 | 7.2 | 11 | 3.0/8 | 12.36 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #7 |
| 31 | "Finals, Performances" | September 13, 2011 | 8.1 | 13 | 3.8/10 | 13.67 | #1 | #1 | #1 | #4 |
| 32 | "Finale" | September 14, 2011 | 8.5 | 14 | 3.6/10 | 14.37 | #1 | #2 | #1 | #3 |