The winner earned a $1 million prize and a headlining gig at 'AGT's Las Vegas show.
America's Got Talent has crowned a new champion! On Wednesday night's live finale, The Mayyas were declared the winner of season 17, and were awarded with a $1 million prize and a headlining gig at AGT's Las Vegas show.
The Lebanese female dance troupe immediately impressed judge Sofia Vergara and earned her Golden Buzzer.
"No matter what the outcome in this competition is, already us being here on the biggest stage in the world, as the first Lebanese dance team to be here is already a prize for us," the group's founder, Nadim Cherfan told ET's Denny Directo after their finale performance Tuesday night. "We are proud of each other, so no matter what the outcome is we are all winners."
Cherfan noted that the ongoing struggles in her group's home country make the experience all the more meaningful.
"We come from a country where, right now, surviving day today is crucial for us," she said. "When you come from such a place like Lebanon, it's going into its darkest time now... to be able to stand here, this is why I think the girls were really emotional. We didn’t have time to dream in Lebanon, and now we're here and are living the dream."
The runner-up was Kristy Sellers, who wowed time and time again with her pole dancing routines, which incorporate acrobatics, immersive animation, and technology.
Following her impressive finale performance, the Australian dancer told ET's Denny Directo that she thought she did "something that will connect with people."
"I created it for my daughter," she said of her performance. "I don't know if she’s old enough to really understand what I did, but it’s there forever now. That’s the great thing about it. It’s a little time capsule, a little gift that if she’s ever down she can just look at it and remember."
As for what she'd do with the million-dollar prize, Seller said, "I'd actually really like to get a bus that you can live in and go on a trip with the family. I thought that would be really cool."
However, the real prize, Sellers told ET, "has always been the Vegas show."
"That’s what I really want. The money is incredible, don’t get me wrong, wouldn't mind it, but the reason I entered this competition was for the Vegas act. It’s what you can’t win on any other talent show in the world."
See more of ET's AGT coverage below.
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