Indonesian contestant Putri Ariani has placed fourth in the latest season of America’s Got Talent (AGT).
The 17-year-old singer, who is blind, performed Elton John’s Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me on a grand piano for the finale, which took place on Tuesday (Sep 26) night in the US.
Putri’s rendition had all four judges on their feet. Heidi Klum called it a “moving performance” while Simon Cowell called her “one of those rare little diamonds we come across every few years who is naturally born to do this”.
Cowell added: “You’ve overcome so much in your life to hopefully fulfill your dream on this show and, boy, after that, do you deserve it.”
However, it wasn’t enough for Putri to win the title and the US$1 million prize.
Following a vote by viewers in the United States and Puerto Rico, the show announced its top five winners of season 18 live on Wednesday night.
Italian dog trainer Adrian Stoica and his dog Hurricane won the top spot while magician Anna DeGuzman came in second place. In third was dance group Murmuration while acrobatic act Ramadhani Brothers took fifth place.
The audience could be heard booing at the results. Judge Heidi Klum said in an interview with Us Weekly after the show: “I was shocked, kind of, how much people were booing”.
“I’ve been been sitting there for many years and I had not really heard anyone boo that loud before in a finale when someone didn’t make it. But I guess people felt very strong.”
The show’s host Terry Crews also expressed surprise that Putri didn’t place in the final two. He told Us Weekly: “I thought for sure it was going to be between her and someone else.”
Putri took to Instagram on Thursday to thank everyone for their support. She called her experience “a wonderful journey”.
“Please keep supporting me throughout my career,” she added.
Putri’s AGT audition in June went viral when she received Simon Cowell’s coveted Golden Buzzer, which meant she automatically advanced to the semi-finals stage.
Putri has competed on other talent shows before – she won Indonesia’s Got Talent in 2014 when she was just eight years old.
