How Much Money Does the Winner of ‘AGT’ Get? Prize Details Revealed

Alyssa Norwin July 29, 2025, 2:52 pm

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Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Terry Crews, Simon Cowell — Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

Winning America’s Got Talent doesn’t only come with major exposure, as millions of viewers tune in to watch the acts perform week after week. In addition, winners also receive a major cash prize.

The prize for winning AGT is $1,000,000, but the winners don’t actually pocket that much money.

Every episode of the show ends with a disclaimer that says, “The prize, which totals $1,000,000, is payable in a financial annuity over 40 years, or the contestant may choose to receive the present cash value of such annuity.”

The $1,000,000 prize divided by 40 comes out to $25,000 a year before taxes. Those who want the money all at once can opt to do so, but the amount will be far less than $1,000,000 once interest rates are taken into account. In 2016, Forbes estimated the lump sum amount to be $300,000 before taxes.

The winner of each season also gets to headline a multiple-night AGT Live event in Las Vegas. Other past performers from the show appear during the special live show.

Aside from that, it’s up to the stars themselves to use the show to jumpstart their careers. Some past winners, like Grace VanderWaal and Darci Lynne Farmer, have done just that. Others, like Season 19 winner Richard Goodall, have opted to keep their day jobs (for him, it’s being a school janitor) and continue performing on the side.

Where Is 'AGT' Season 19 Winner Richard Goodall Now?

Goodall told Entertainment Weekly that he plans to “invest a little” of the money and then “plan smart” for the future. “[My wife and I] don’t make any plans other than what we talk about together,” he explained. “We’re not fancy people, so it’s not going to be anything fancy or extravagant. We’re just regular people, and the money is … we just try to be conservative about it. We have no idea or expectations of what’s coming ahead.”

America’s Got Talent, Season 20, Tuesdays, 8/7c, NBC