America's Got Talent revamps judging process for Season 21 live shows

America's Got Talent has entered the Quarter‑Finals of its Season 21 live‑show phase. The competition’s format was altered as judges Simon Cowell and Mel B now select the quarter‑finalists, a shift explained by Cowell. Training camp sessions for the season were held in Seattle, and the new process changes how acts advance toward the finals.

One of the judges’ callback acts, singer Travis Garland, received mixed feedback but was approved by Cowell, Mel B and Sofia Vergara to move forward. Garland, a former member of the boy band NLT, has also performed as a vocalist on Dancing With the Stars and is married to dancer Erika Garland.