America’s Got Talent Season 21 Quarterfinals 4 closed the Live Quarterfinals with eleven acts performing and the results arriving during the same three-hour broadcast. Heidi Klum returned as a guest judge while Simon Cowell recovered from back surgery, but the night’s biggest decision belonged to Sofía Vergara.
Unitree’s humanoid robots moved through a tightly synchronized routine that looked less like a technology demonstration and more like a futuristic action sequence. Heidi Klum was on her feet, Howie Mandel called it one of the most amazing things he had ever seen, and Sofía finally stopped waiting. She hit her Live Golden Buzzer and sent Unitree directly to the Finals.
America’s Vote filled the remaining three advancement spots. Young & Strange, Cesar Dias, and Travis Garland moved into the Semifinals, while Lara D and Bird and Byron reached the Top 5 but were eliminated alongside Rubén Roldán Bustos, Cameron Logsdon, Tyrone & Margo, Akira, and Jesse Joe.
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Related Golden Buzzer Performers: Lai Noelle, Acro Canine Crew, Luke Taleno, Lara D, Hundred Fingers, Isaac Atkins, Mackenzie Sol, Rubén Roldán Bustos, Royal Lasers, and Veronika Goroshkova.
Golden Buzzer Tracker
Golden Buzzer Tracker:
- Unitree – Sofía Vergara’s Live Golden Buzzer
Golden Buzzer Winners
Unitree
Golden Buzzer – Sofía Vergara
Unitree filled the stage with humanoid robots moving in formation alongside human performers, but the scale of the routine quickly went beyond synchronized dancing. The robots dropped, recovered, kicked, turned, and moved through martial-arts-style sequences with enough speed and precision that the judges were reacting before the routine had finished.
Heidi Klum stood and said she had never seen anything that crazy in her life. Howie Mandel called it one of the most amazing things he had ever seen and predicted it would become one of the season’s most viral moments. Mel B stopped the conversation long enough to confirm that the white figures really were robots before declaring the performance amazing.
Sofía admitted the robots were a little scary, but she also said Unitree did not even need her help. Then she hit the Live Golden Buzzer. Gold covered the stage as Unitree became the fourth Quarterfinal act to bypass the Semifinals and move directly into the Season 21 Finals.
Best Performances
Young & Strange
Young & Strange began with the same kind of mistake that has become part of their act. One magician complained that the other had measured in meters instead of feet, only to discover that the supposed error involved something considerably more important than stage placement: a safety line.
That joke became the setup for a full Las Vegas-style illusion. The pair emphasized the conditions before beginning: the front and sides of the box were open, the stage was brightly lit, and the box itself was raised so there could be no hidden trap door. Then the switches began. One magician appeared where the other had been, another person appeared inside the box, and the routine kept returning to the original measurement joke as the apparent danger escalated.
Heidi Klum said she could see the act in Las Vegas. Mel B said what looked like one trick was really a combination of multiple illusions and called it “freaking magic.” Sofía said she wanted badly to use the Golden Buzzer on them but hesitated because they were performing early in the night. Howie said that if the decision had been his, he would have hit it. America’s Vote ultimately put Young & Strange into the Semifinals.
Cesar Dias
Cesar Dias walked into “Unchained Melody” with the voice of a serious singer and the physical instincts of a performer waiting for everything around him to go wrong. The contrast was the act. He held the long vocal phrases while small mishaps and awkward movements kept undercutting the romance of the song.
Howie Mandel described him as a clown who could sing and pointed to how physical the comedy had become. Mel B wanted even more things to go wrong but still praised the combination of singing and comedy. Heidi Klum said she liked his comedic timing even more than the voice, while Sofía said she liked the Quarterfinal performance more than Cesar’s audition.
Cesar told Terry Crews that reaching the Semifinals would mean everything because the AGT stage had given him wings. By the end of the night, America’s Vote gave him that next performance. He was the first public-vote act announced as a Semifinalist.
Travis Garland
Travis Garland took Ariana Grande’s “Dangerous Woman” and pushed it into his own vocal range rather than imitating the original. The song let him move from controlled lower phrases into runs and higher notes that showed exactly why the judges had kept talking about his technical ability.
Mel B responded with a string of “wow”s before admitting she never would have chosen the song for him, then praising him for making it his own. Heidi Klum praised his voice and stage presence. Sofía called his voice one of the best in the competition, and Howie went further, saying that among the season’s solo singing acts, Travis was the best pure singer.
The result came down to Travis, Lara D, and Bird and Byron for the final Semifinal position. Terry Crews announced Travis, and the singer immediately thanked the viewers who had kept him in the competition.
Bird and Byron
Bird and Byron kept their Quarterfinal performance deliberately intimate. Guitar, two voices, and a song built around uncertainty in a relationship gave the duo room to let the harmonies and rough edges carry the emotion instead of covering the stage with production.
Howie stood and compared listening to them to savoring a fine wine. Mel B acknowledged that the vocals were not perfectly pitch-perfect throughout, but said the imperfections did not bother her because she could feel the emotion. Heidi Klum pointed to the chemistry between the two performers, while Sofía called the voice one of the most interesting she had heard and described the performance as the biggest step up of the night.
Bird and Byron made the Top 5, surviving the first wave of eliminations. Their run ended only when Travis Garland took the final America’s Vote spot in the Semifinals.
Lara D
Lara D returned to the Live Shows with the same controlled vocal quality that had made her Sofía’s audition Golden Buzzer. She held back at the beginning and then widened the performance as the song moved into its larger phrases.
Sofía said Lara had a commanding stage presence and a flawless voice. Mel B felt Lara had stepped things up from the audition and was beginning to establish her own lane. Howie said she performed like a professional and never appeared nervous, while Heidi Klum compared the atmosphere around the performance to Billie Eilish.
Lara reached the Top 5, but with only three public-vote positions available after Unitree’s Golden Buzzer, she did not advance to the Semifinals.
Biggest Surprises
Unitree Turns a Robot Demonstration Into a Finals Performance
The biggest surprise was not that Unitree impressed the panel again. It was how quickly the performance escalated. What began as synchronized robotic movement became flips, kicks, recoveries, and martial-arts-style sequences performed by machines that moved with enough speed to make Heidi Klum visibly stunned.
Sofía initially sounded almost reluctant to use the Golden Buzzer because she believed Unitree was strong enough to advance without it. Then she used it anyway, ending the voting question entirely and moving the act straight to the Finals.
Cameron Logsdon’s Impressions Get Tougher Live Show Criticism
Cameron Logsdon built his Quarterfinal set around celebrities working ordinary jobs. Robert De Niro became a frightening daycare worker, Ryan Reynolds made prank-like telemarketing calls, Adam Sandler worked as a lifeguard, Keanu Reeves made sandwiches, and Jeff Goldblum scooped ice cream.
The final impression added a live element. TikTok viewers selected Jim Carrey while Howie supplied “librarian” as the job, forcing Cameron to combine the two on the spot.
The judges were much less unified than they had been earlier in the season. Mel B wanted stronger storytelling and felt the impressions needed more than accurate voices. Heidi thought the impressions were good but wanted bigger laughs. Sofía preferred the audition, and Howie said the voices were there but the comedy writing needed to become strong enough to stand on its own. Cameron was eliminated in America’s Vote.
Rubén Roldán Bustos Doesn’t Survive America’s Vote
Rubén Roldán Bustos attacked the Quarterfinal stage with the athleticism that earned Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer during the auditions. The routine sent him through a series of fast parkour movements, jumps, and elevated obstacles that kept the performance moving almost continuously.
Howie said the performance remained inspirational even if Rubén had two legs, while Heidi called his entrance one of the best she had seen on AGT. Sofía said his performance was an example of refusing to let anything stop him. Mel B praised what he could physically accomplish but wanted him to show more personality and confidence between the tricks.
Despite the praise and Golden Buzzer history, Rubén did not make the Top 5 and was eliminated before the final three voting positions were announced.
Tyrone & Margo Make the Judges Hide Behind Protection
Tyrone & Margo made the danger visible before the judges said a word. The panel watched from behind protective shielding while arrows and crossbow shots moved through a routine built around precision between two performers who had to trust each other completely.
Sofía called it one of the most dangerous acts she had seen on AGT and praised Margo’s presence. Mel B admitted she had struggled to watch their audition but forced herself to watch this time, only to wish she had looked away again. Howie emphasized that despite AGT seeing many crossbow acts, Tyrone & Margo still felt original.
The spectacle created one of the night’s strongest danger moments, but America’s Vote ended their Season 21 run.
Akira Still Leaves the Judges Trying to Explain What They Watched
Akira returned with another intentionally strange mix of physical comedy, visual gags, movement, and near-nonsense. The act moved quickly enough that Sofía eventually admitted she was not always sure what Akira was doing even though she found it entertaining.
Heidi Klum embraced the chaos and said she had no notes. Howie found Akira unique and funny. Mel B was much less convinced, saying she liked his enthusiasm but still did not understand why he was doing what he was doing.
The confusion had always been part of the act’s identity, but it was not enough to earn one of the available Semifinal positions.
Acts Advancing to the Semifinals
Young & Strange, Cesar Dias, and Travis Garland earned the final three Semifinal positions through America’s Vote. Young & Strange expanded their magic into a large-scale illusion with comedy built into every mistake, Cesar mixed a legitimate singing voice with physical comedy, and Travis delivered one of the strongest pure vocal performances of the Quarterfinal round.
Unitree did not need America’s Vote. Sofía Vergara’s Live Golden Buzzer sent the robot dance act directly to the Finals, joining the other Live Golden Buzzer recipients already waiting there.
What This Means for Season 21
The Quarterfinals are now complete. Twelve acts earned places in the Semifinals through America’s Vote, while the four Live Golden Buzzer recipients bypassed that round and moved directly into the Finals. The final Quarterfinal completed a field that ranges from stand-up comedy and singers to magic, dog acts, aerial performance, dance, and technology-driven variety.
Quarterfinals 4 also reinforced how little protection an audition Golden Buzzer provides once public voting begins. Lara D and Rubén Roldán Bustos both entered the Live Shows as Golden Buzzer acts, yet neither advanced. Lara reached the Top 5; Rubén was eliminated earlier in the results.
The Semifinals begin September 15, with twelve acts competing for the remaining Finals positions. For Young & Strange, Cesar Dias, and Travis Garland, the turnaround is immediate: each has only a week to find another level after surviving the final Quarterfinal.
Variety Spotlight
Quarterfinals 4 may have been the broadest variety mix of the Live Shows so far. The episode moved from robot choreography and grand illusion to vocal performances, physical comedy, celebrity impressions, parkour, knife and crossbow danger, novelty comedy, and intimate acoustic music.
The contrast was especially sharp between Unitree and Bird and Byron. Unitree filled the stage with technology, synchronized machines, and a futuristic visual concept, while Bird and Byron created one of the night’s strongest reactions with two voices, a guitar, and visible chemistry. Young & Strange used production scale without losing their comedy, while Cesar Dias used deliberate mishaps to turn a familiar song into a physical-comedy routine.
Booking Takeaways
Quarterfinals 4 featured magicians, singers, a music duo, physical comedy, celebrity impressions, parkour, danger acts, novelty performance, and a technology-driven robot dance act.
The episode showed how differently those categories can hold a live audience: Unitree created spectacle through technology and synchronization, Young & Strange combined comedy with a large illusion, Tyrone & Margo generated tension through visible danger, and Bird and Byron created a quieter connection through vocals and guitar.
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Related Season 21 Recaps: Auditions 1, Auditions 2, Auditions 3, Auditions 4, Auditions 5, Auditions 6, Auditions 7, Deliberations, Judges’ Callbacks Week 1, Judges’ Callbacks Week 2, Quarterfinals 1, Quarterfinals 2, Quarterfinals 3, and the Season 21 Hub.
America’s Got Talent Season 21 Quarterfinals 4 FAQ
Who advanced from AGT Season 21 Quarterfinals 4?
Unitree, Young & Strange, Cesar Dias, and Travis Garland advanced from America’s Got Talent Season 21 Quarterfinals 4. Unitree advanced directly to the Finals through Sofía Vergara’s Live Golden Buzzer, while Young & Strange, Cesar Dias, and Travis Garland advanced to the Semifinals through America’s Vote.
Who received the Live Golden Buzzer during AGT Quarterfinals 4?
Unitree received Sofía Vergara’s Live Golden Buzzer after its humanoid robot performance during America’s Got Talent Season 21 Quarterfinals 4, sending the act directly to the Finals.
Who advanced through America’s Vote in AGT Quarterfinals 4?
Young & Strange, Cesar Dias, and Travis Garland earned the three Quarterfinals 4 advancement spots decided by America’s Vote.
Who was eliminated from AGT Quarterfinals 4?
Lara D, Rubén Roldán Bustos, Cameron Logsdon, Bird and Byron, Tyrone & Margo, Akira, and Jesse Joe were eliminated during America’s Got Talent Season 21 Quarterfinals 4.
When are the AGT Season 21 Semifinals?
The America’s Got Talent Season 21 Semifinals begin Tuesday, September 15, 2026, with the results revealed on Wednesday, September 16.
