"I am so honored" - America's Got Talent judge Simon Cowell hits the golden buzzer for the Birmingham Youth Choir

America's Got Talent season 20 episode 6 premiered on NBC on July 8, showcasing the sixth round of auditions. One standout performance from the episode was of the Birmingham Youth Choir, featuring singers aged from 10 to their 20s. They sang a mashup of the traditional 'Hymn of Joy' and 'JOY (Unspeakable)', bringing everyone to their feet.

The judges and audience were left in awe by the Birmingham Youth Choir's cultural and spiritual performance. Judge Simon Cowell described their act as "big" and said that he could see the efforts the team members had put into.

Simon added that he felt "honored" by the choir performing during the show's 20th anniversary. As a token of his appreciation for their amazing performance, the judge pressed the golden buzzer.

"We had lead vocals, we had emotion, and I am so honored that you would come here on our 20th anniversary. And in return I want to give you something," he said before pressing the golden buzzer.

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America's Got Talent contestant Ahkeem Lee shares his motivation for the Birmingham Youth Choir

America's Got Talent season 20 episode 6 introduced a new lineup of contestants, each performing their best, hoping to get a "Yes" from the judges to qualify for the next round.

In the episode, after the Birmingham Youth Choir walked up the stage, team director Ahkeem Lee stepped forward to share his past and explain the reason he started the choir.

Ahkeem shared that he was just 18 years old when he first started the choir. What began as a “fun idea” turned into a meaningful project, as he and his team came together to organize a school supply concert to support children in their community.

After the concert, a lot of the youth came up to them and asked to join. From then on, Ahkeem just kept going, and 10 years later, they remain active and running strong. Simon chimed in to ask the America's Got Talent season 12 team why they decided to enter the show and what their big dream was.

In response, Ahkeem spoke about their hometown, Birmingham, Alabama, acknowledging that it is often criticized for various reasons. He referenced the 1963 bombing at the historic 16th Street Baptist Church as a painful part of the city's past.

Ahkeem emphasized that, through their efforts as a Choir, they want to showcase the world Birmingham’s talented youth and do something for their community.

"I grew up at the historic 16th Street Baptist Church. A lot of people may know that church because in 1963, a tragic bombing happened there, and that was when four little girls were killed," he shared.

The America's Got Talent participant continued:

"While that bombing was such a tragic situation, it played such an instrumental role in bringing international attention to the civil rights struggle in America... 60-something years later, the choir exists, so we wanted the opportunity to show that Birmingham, Alabama, has some talented young people, and we wanted to do something great for the community."

Birmingham Youth Choir went on to perform a mix of Hymn of Joy (also called Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee) and JOY (Unspeakable) by Voices of Fire and Pharrell Williams.

America's Got Talent judge Simon was especially impressed by their performance, feeling compelled to press the golden buzzer for the group.

"This is just the beginning. You're big, now it's going to get bigger. Thank you, that was one of my favorite ever," Simon later told the group.

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America’s Got Talent season 20 episodes premiere every Tuesday on NBC.