When 13-year-old Sara James walked onto the America’s Got Talent stage in 2022, she was already a rising star in her native Poland. But nobody in the audience could have predicted just how quickly her audition would turn into one of Season 17’s most memorable moments.
Sara had already made a name for herself before traveling to America. In 2021, she won The Voice Kids Poland and later represented Poland at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in second place. Still, America’s Got Talent was a completely different challenge — and it was her first trip to the United States.
For her audition, Sara chose “Lovely” by Billie Eilish and Khalid. She explained that she had watched America’s Got Talent before and wanted to discover whether the idea that dreams can really come true was true for her too.
Once she began singing, any doubts disappeared.
Sara delivered a powerful performance while maintaining impressive control over her voice. By the end, the audience was on its feet, and the judges were clearly impressed. But Simon Cowell saw something beyond her vocal ability. He believed Sara had the kind of natural presence that could make her a star.
Simon told her she had a “real star glow.”
Then he reached for the Golden Buzzer.
Gold confetti exploded across the stage as Sara stood in shock and became emotional. Simon’s Golden Buzzer sent her directly to the live shows, instantly giving the young Polish singer an enormous international audience.
Sara continued her journey and reached the Season 17 finale, becoming one of the Top 11 acts competing for the $1 million prize. She did not win the season, but her appearance on AGT opened an important new chapter in her career.
And Sara was never simply an unknown teenager discovered by a talent show. She already had experience, success, and a growing career in music before arriving in America. AGT gave her something different: a much larger international platform.
After the show, Sara continued developing her career and releasing new music. Her releases include “Brighter Day” (2023), “DETOX” (2024), “KIKI” (2025) and “PRICE TAG,” released on April 28, 2026.
Today, Sara James is no longer the nervous 13-year-old standing beneath a shower of Golden Buzzer confetti. She has continued growing as a recording artist and building her own identity in music.
Her journey from The Voice Kids Poland winner and Junior Eurovision runner-up to an America’s Got Talent Golden Buzzer recipient is remarkable. And perhaps the most exciting part of Sara’s story is that she achieved all of this while still so young.
She may not have won America’s Got Talent, but Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer helped introduce Sara James to the world — and her musical journey is clearly far from over.