Jessica Sanchez Wins AGT—A Big Win for All Dreamers

It felt like the perfect moment. Like destiny finally catching up with hard work. Filipino-American singer Jessica Sanchez was named the winner of America’s Got Talent Season 20, nineteen years after she first auditioned as a ten-year-old girl with a big dream.

In her final performance on September 24, 2025, she sang “Die With A Smile” by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga while nine months pregnant. Her performance was so powerful that the audience stood up to cheer, and she won the $1 million prize.

But this victory didn’t happen overnight.

Jessica didn’t win the first time she joined America’s Got Talent in 2006, during Season 1. She was just 10 years old and chosen as a wildcard act, but she didn’t make it to the finals. Six years later, in 2012, she joined American Idol Season 11 and reached the very end, becoming the runner-up at just 16 years old. But even after two big tries, she didn’t stop. She kept singing. She kept showing up. 

And this year 2025, she returned to America’s Got Talent for its 20th anniversary, where she sang “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone. The audience gave her a standing ovation, and judge Sofia Vergara was so moved that she hit the Golden Buzzer, sending Jessica straight to the live shows. She returned not just as a contestant, but as a woman carrying both a child and a dream. Her voice, shaped by years of struggle and growth, was stronger than ever. 

In the quarterfinals, Jessica performed “Ordinary” by Alex Warren, showing her vulnerability and strength as she sang while eight months pregnant. In the semifinals, she sang “Golden Hour” by JVKE, a song about love, timing, and beauty that arrives after waiting. The song Golden Hour is about that special moment when everything feels right, when the light is soft, the heart is full, and the wait finally makes sense. Her golden hour came after years of trying. And when it arrived, it was brighter than ever. Judge Simon Cowell said it was “the best performance we heard from you so far.”

Jessica’s journey is not just her own. It speaks to every person who’s ever been told “not yet,” “not now,” or “not good enough.” Her story is like the farmer who plants again after a storm, the student who studies by candlelight, and the leader who keeps fighting for change.

Jessica Sanchez is all of them. She is us.

Sometimes we ask, “Why is my dream taking so long?” or “Why didn’t I succeed yet?” But God sees things we don’t. He may delay our dreams to prepare us for something bigger. He may be building our strength, our character, and our faith. Sharing one of my favorite bible verses, 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Jessica’s story shows that waiting is not a waste. It’s part of the plan. Her win came at the right time, when she was ready, when her voice was ready, and when her story could inspire others.

Her victory shows that dreams delayed are not dreams denied. That talent, when joined with courage, can survive rejection. That even when life gives you a microphone and a baby bump, you can still sing your truth, and be heard. Jessica Sanchez didn’t just win AGT. She won for all of us who refuse to give up.