Pasadena, California USA, September 2, 2026 – Kameron Marshall, a close-up magician from Pickering, Ontario, Canada, advanced to the semifinals of America’s Got Talent Season 21 on September 2, after viewers’ votes placed him among the top three acts from Quarterfinals Night 3.
Marshall was the first act Terry Crews announced as moving forward, followed by Acro Canine Crew and comedian Daniel Alvarez, rounding out the top three from a field of eleven performers.
The Acro Canine Crew, comedian Daniel Alvarez, magician Kameron Marshall, poet Guy Kelton Jones I, and singer Isaac Atkins made the top five in viewer voting, with only three advancing. Eliminated from Night 3 were Maria, Holland & Sienna, Pynk Beard, Elsie, Herwan Legaillard, Isaac Atkins, and Guy Kelton Jones I.
The Performance
For his quarterfinal set, aired September 1, Marshall built on the card magic that carried him through auditions and callbacks. He distributed decks of cards to the entire studio audience, and nearly everyone drew an eight of clubs at random; those who did not still landed on cards in the exact order Marshall had predicted. The routine closed with a full-deck order match confirmed row by row, ending on the queen of diamonds.
Guest judge Kenan Thompson, filling in for Simon Cowell as Cowell recovers from back surgery, was pulled directly into the trick as a participant, shuffling and mixing a deck onstage before Marshall’s prediction proved to match his selection. But the magic didn’t stop there. Marshall drew the entire crowd into his miracle involving multiple selections from among thousands of decks of cards distributed to the audience before the show. All of Marshall’s premonitions proved to be correct.
Judges React
The reaction from the panel was immediate and enthusiastic. Mel B told Marshall she didn’t understand what she had just seen and didn’t want to, adding, “I believe in magic. You are fantastic.”
Thompson, who had shuffled the deck himself minutes earlier, called the routine “insane” and said it ranked among the greatest magic performances he had ever seen, an especially notable endorsement given his hands-on role in the trick.
Sofía Vergara, who had championed Marshall since his audition, told him he had “blown her mind away.” Howie Mandel offered the panel’s lone note of restraint, calling the routine outstanding but observing it ran a little long.
Background
Marshall grew up in Pickering, Ontario, and has credited his eighth-grade teacher, Robert Hendy, with inspiring him to pursue magic. He has performed at weddings, private parties, and corporate events since 2013. His audition drew a unanimous four yes votes, with Vergara naming him her favorite act of the night. He returned for the callback round in August, where he won a head-to-head matchup against a fellow magician to punch his ticket to the live shows.
What’s Next for Magic on Season 21
Three magic acts have now advanced on Season 21, via two different paths. Marshall and Geno Ploeger, who secured his spot in the August 26 quarterfinal round, have now advanced to the semifinals. Magic group Hundred Fingers has gone further still, advancing directly to the finals on the strength of a second Golden Buzzer this season. One magic act remains in contention: duo Young & Strange, who return to the quarterfinal stage on September 8.
Full Semifinal Field
Nine of the twelve semifinal spots are filled, with the final three to be decided when the last quarterfinal round wraps up September 8. Confirmed so far:
Quarterfinals Round 1 (Aug. 19): Olivia Befus, Luke Taleno, Royal Lasers
Quarterfinals Round 2 (Aug. 26): Veronika Goroshkova, Come Here, Geno Ploeger
Quarterfinals Round 3 (Sept. 2): Kameron Marshall, Acro Canine Crew, Daniel Alvarez
Three acts have also bypassed the semifinals entirely, advancing straight to the finals on judges’ Golden Buzzers: Hundred Fingers (Howie Mandel), Nene Royal (Mel B), and Lai Noelle (Kenan Thompson). A fourth Golden Buzzer finalist will be named September 8.
The semifinal round airs Tuesday, September 15, with results revealed Wednesday, September 16.
Responses