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Brandon Leake was named the champion of the fifteenth season of America's Got Talent in 2020. In addition to being an award-winning poet and motivational speaker, Brandon is also the CEO of Called to Move. His organization helps youth through poetry.
Brandon's pieces have been about his late sister, his father, mother, wife, and daughter. The family man now has an upcoming TV special called Brandon Leake: A Family Affair on The CW on June 19, 2022. The one-hour special will feature eight of his original spoken word poems.
Take a closer look at Brandon Leake's life ahead of his upcoming special.
Who is Brandon Leake? The AGT winner who captivated the world with his spoken word poetry
Born in Stockton, California on May 4, 1992, Brandon Leake rose from the ghettos and made his place on the world stage. He was born and raised in a single parent household with his mother Carla Leake-Gibson. He soldiered on through the loss of integral family members and an abusive family life to make his way to college.
His collegiate journey, mixed with the trials of life, led him down the beautiful path of poetic endeavours. In 2012, at Simpson University, Brandon started Called to Move (CTM) with a small group of artists. This group of people gathered to share their gifts and encouraged others to do so, thereby inspiring others through poetry across the country.
In 2016, he released a debut album called In My Thoughts, that kickstarted his tours across Los Angeles, New York, and everywhere in between. He spent a year and a half performing his pieces, led spoken word poetry workshops, and appeared as the keynote speaker.
In 2020, Brandon was the first spoken word poet to perform on America's Got Talent in the fifteenth season of the reality show. He received the Golden Buzzer in the first round from Howie Mandel and eventually emerged as the winner of the season. He was awarded a cash prize of $1 million, a brand new Kia Stinger, and the opportunity to star in Luxor Las Vegas.
For his Dark Side Tour to promote his published poetry and his album called Deficiencies: A Tale from My Dark Side, he performed in 36 US states, New Zealand, Mexico, and Canada. He teaches at Brookside school daycare center, where he worked with his wife and is also an academic advisor at San Joaquin Delta College.
In October 2020, in addition to signing with United Talent Agency, it was also announced that Leake would serve as the producing partner and contributor to Team Harmony Foundation's international web series, HATE: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
Brandon Leake: A Family Affair will provide an intimate look into the spoken word poet's life
Brandon Leake: A Family Affair is the poet's commemorative Juneteenth special airing on The CW on June 19, 2022 at 9 pm. The one-hour special will feature eight original spoken word poems written and performed by Leake. It will provide viewers an up-close peek at his life in Stockton, California. It will also introduce viewers to the people who inspired his poetry, that is, his family.
The special was directed by Brandon Drew Jordan Pierce aka Beedy, and produced by Rotten Science and 3 Arts Entertainment. It will showcase Brandon's remarkable ability to blend humor and depth to connect his personal experiences to the universal themes of love, loss, community, and hope.
Catch Brandon Leake: A Family Affair on The CW on June 19, 2022 at 9 pm or stream it the next day on The CW app.
