Grace VanderWaal stole hearts on 'AGT' nearly a decade ago. Where is the singer now?

USA Today

24-07-2025

Grace VanderWaal may not be a ukulele-strumming wunderkind anymore, but her talent sparkles just the same.
The singer-songwriter and former child star stole hearts on "America's Got Talent" nearly a decade ago as the winner of Season 11. VanderWaal, whose precocious vocal prowess at age 12 earned her a Golden Buzzer vote, was featured in NBC's "Greatest Golden Buzzers!" special on Tuesday, July 22.
Since her "AGT" victory, VanderWaal, now 21, has carved a multifaceted career spanning music, film, and modeling. In April, she released her sophomore album "Childstar," an emotional body of work that sees VanderWaal reckon with her upbringing in the entertainment industry.
"My whole life, I could tell everyone really wanted this narrative from me, a caricature of what people think child stardom is, I think more for entertainment gratification," said VanderWaal during an April appearance on the "Zach Sang Show."
"Like, the white men in suits saying, 'You got to take off your clothes to sell something, honey.' ... It's not a cartoon like that, but it does still exist, and that's the more interesting conversation because it's much more subliminal, nuanced."
Here's what to know about VanderWaal's life and career:
Did Grace VanderWaal win 'AGT'?
VanderWaal, who taught herself to play the ukulele at age 11 by watching YouTube videos, made a splash on "AGT" when she auditioned for the reality-competition series in 2016.
The young singer wowed the judges with her raspy tone and performance of the original song "I Don't Know My Name." When asked by Simon Cowell if she thought she could win the show, VanderWaal modestly replied, "I mean, miracles can happen."
VanderWaal's knockout audition struck a chord with Cowell's co-judge Howie Mandel, who voted her through to the next round with a Golden Buzzer designation. "This is a show about surprises," Mandel said. "I think you are a living, beautiful, walking miracle."
VanderWaal endeared herself to America week after week and emerged victorious in the Season 11 finale, beating out mentalist duo The Clairvoyants and magician Jon Dorenbos.
What albums, songs is Grace VanderWaal known for?
Just three months after her "AGT" win, VanderWaal released the EP "Perfectly Imperfect," which peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart.
VanderWaal followed up her musical debut with her first full-length album, 2017's "Just the Beginning," which spawned the singles "Moonlight," "Sick of Being Told" and "So Much More Than This." That same year, VanderWaal was recognized with the Rising Star Award at Billboard's Women in Music event.
The singer dropped another EP, "Letters Vol. 1," in November 2019. Following a nearly six-year hiatus, VanderWaal returned to the music scene in April 2025 with the album "Childstar."
During her April interview on the "Zach Sang Show," VanderWaal reflected on the album's opening track, "Proud," which details the singer's struggles with early career success and "America's sweetheart" image as a child star.
"I felt that. I knew that," said VanderWaal, who added that her home life was in turmoil around the time of her "AGT" win.
"'Gratitude' is a word that holds a lot of negativity to me 'cause that word tortured me for a long, long time. ... I had to completely separate myself from emotion, neglect, pain, grief — these terrible deep feelings that I was feeling — because how dare I have those feelings when people that I even love in my household right now are struggling with their life, and I just practically won a $1 million."
Grace VanderWaal interview: Teen sensation opens up about songwriting struggles in single 'Stray'
What movies, TV shows has Grace VanderWaal starred in?
VanderWaal made her acting debut in 2020 with a starring role in "Stargirl," a Disney+ adaptation of the best-selling young adult novel of the same name. The Julia Hart-directed musical romance spawned a sequel, 2022's "Hollywood Stargirl."
The singer reflected on her burgeoning acting career in a March 2020 interview with USA TODAY.
"It's so different! Just because I'm not telling my own story," VanderWaal said at the time. "(At my shows), I know exactly what I want people to feel. But when you're telling someone else's story, it's more difficult to try to figure out what they would have wanted people to feel."
More recently, VanderWaal appeared in Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis," playing teen pop star Vesta Sweetwater in the 2024 sci-fi epic starring Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, and Nathalie Emmanuel.
Grace VanderWaal's first onscreen kiss in Disney's 'Stargirl' was a 'big deal'
Is Grace VanderWaal a model?
In September 2017, a then-13-year-old VanderWaal signed a modeling contract with IMG Models. Shortly after landing the deal, the singer was spotted attending the Marc Jacobs show at New York Fashion Week.
VanderWaal has remained active in the fashion week circuit, attending New York Fashion Week in February 2019, Paris Fashion Week in March 2020 and September 2022, and a three-peat at New York Fashion Week in February 2025.
Contributing: Carly Mallenbaum, USA TODAY; Karen Roberts, The Journal News