'America's Got Talent' Crowns New Champion in Shocking Season 13 Finale!
*Caution: Spoilers ahead, obviously!*
America's Got Talent crowned a new winner on Wednesday, at the conclusion of one of the most surprising, shocking finales in the show's history.
And the winner is….
...Close-up magician Shin Lim!
It all came down to the 26-year-old illusionist and the acrobatic group Zurcaroh, who surrounded Lim in celebration and lifted him on their shoulders on stage when his name was announced.
"Thank you so much to everyone! I love you all so much!" Lim told host Tyra Banks after the big reveal. The magician earned the $1 million in prize money and a Las Vegas engagement for his efforts.
Lim's victory came as something of a shock for many fans, as 14-year-old funk-rock songstress Courtney Hadwin was the odds-on frontrunner coming into the finale. However, she was cut before even making it to the top 5.
With Hadwin gone, the next fan favorite was singer Michael Ketterer -- who even performed an original song written for him by Garth Brooks during Wednesday's live finale. However, the inspiring father of six ended up in fifth place!
Meanwhile, Rock violinist Brian King Joseph earned third place while talented comedian Samuel J. Comroe came in fourth place.
ET's Denny Directo caught up with the night's big winner after the show, and he opened up about how "crazy" it felt to take home the grand prize.
"I'm really happy I can't stop smiling," Lim marveled. "I don't think I ever smiled this much in my life!"
The skillful prestidigitator also reflected on what it was like being on stage as the finalists were eliminated one after the other, leaving only him and Zurcaroh standing.
"It was a roller coaster for me. And I've been hanging out with all these guys a long time, so when each person went home I'm just like,'What?!' Lim recalled. "So it was just such a mix of emotions that I couldn't really hold it in. The only thing I could do was start pacing. Like, I had to pace."
As his fellow members in the Top 5 were axed, Lim had a hard time keeping his nerves in check.
"[The producers] were telling me, 'Stand in the spot,' I was like, 'Nope, I can't do that right now,'" Lim recalled.
Being a close-up magician -- who have notoriously had a tough time making it to the finals on AGT, especially when they work almost exclusively with playing cards -- Lim admitted, "I didn't even think I was going to make it past the auditions."
However, over the course of the show, he said the encouragement, support and advice he got from the judges and his fans helped him hone his craft and push the boundaries of his art, and he feels "honored" to have been a part of the competition.
"I've learned so much and it was such a learning experience," Lim shared. "I've grown so much as a performer and as a person, and I want to thank everyone involved."
Season 13 of America's Got Talent kicked off all the way back in May, and after 16 weeks of heated competition, heart-wrenching back stories and jaw-dropping performances, the 75 contestants who made it past the audition rounds were whittled down to the final 10.
The finalists all delivered rousing performances on Tuesday during the final night of competition, leaving it all out on the stage before the winner and runners-up were revealed during Wednesday's live two-hour finale.
Among those going into the finale were three acts who had all earned the coveted Golden Buzzer during the audition rounds: Hadwin, who got the Golden Buzzer from Howie Mandel; Ketterer, who received the honor from Cowell, and Zurcaroh, who got the Golden Buzzer from Banks, and were the first act of the season to earn the honor.
Opera singer Daniel Emmet, stand-up comic Vicki Barbolak, singer Glennis Grace, and married trapeze artists Duo Transcend made up the other hopefuls who battled their way to the top 10.
Check out the video below for a look at some of the best performances from this season of America's Got Talent.
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