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Roberta Battaglia was one of the last four standing during elimination countdown in America's Got Talent.NBC/NBCUniversal

Toronto’s own 11-year old Roberta Battaglia may not have won the coveted US$1-million America’s Got Talent grand prize this year, but the charismatic young Canadian has crept into just about everyone’s heart.

The winner of the competition’s 15th season was Brandon Leake, who was judge Howie Mandel’s Golden Buzzer pick, giving him immunity from elimination until later in the competition, and AGT’s first-ever spoken word poet to compete. Singing duo Broken Roots took the first-runner up spot with Nashville-based Cristina Rae in third place.

Battaglia placed fourth.

Roberta Battaglia, 11-year-old Toronto singer, among America’s Got Talent finalists

“This is only the beginning,” said Battaglia. “I love you, judges. Thank you to the world.”

Said judge Sofia Vergara: “You’re amazing. This is just the beginning for you, because now the world is watching you. You’re so young –11 years! The world is about to open up for you. I love you and I think America loves you too.”

Winners are selected by audience vote, although Canadians were not eligible to cast votes.

Battaglia was the first of 10 finalists to perform in Wednesday’s finale, singing Canadian artist Alessia Cara’s Scars to Your Beautiful.

“I love the song. I feel like it carries a great message to other people," Battaglia told The Globe and Mail on a break during rehearsals,

Following the performance, Cara tweeted, “This angel girl (and fellow Canadian) covered my song on AGT tonight and I’m so flattered. 11 years old and absolutely killed it. Congratulations!!!”

After her stunning performance, the judges gave Battaglia a standing ovation and Toronto native Mandel said, “You are the one to beat tonight, I really believe that.”

Poised in a pink party dress, Battaglia owned the stage, swaying with confidence as she maintained steady vocals with a range of control well beyond her years.

Only one Canadian has ever won AGT – Vancouver-born magician Shin Lim in Season 13.

Early in the season, Battaglia sang Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s duet Shallow from A Star is Born, earning the coveted Golden Buzzer from judge Sofia Vergara and sending her directly to the show’s live rounds. It got her worldwide attention. “You keep surprising me every time you’re on stage, more and more," Vergara said,

Of her experience on AGT, Battaglia said, “I was so overwhelmed with emotions and excitement … the most amazing moment I will probably ever have in my life. It’s such an amazing journey; I don’t want it to end.”

Battaglia named Pink, Etta James and Aretha Franklin as her strongest influences. From as young as age 3, the singer has loved the stage. Her father and mentor, Alessandro, an Italian-born singer who plays the saxophone and piano, performed with Roberta at local banquets and weddings. Battaglia began to enter singing competitions, finishing second place at the Canadian National Exhibition’s Rising Star Talent Competition for juniors. America’s Got Talent discovered the preteen after her powerful rendition of Shallow on Toronto’s Breakfast Television morning show went viral in March, 2019. Battaglia was just nine years old.

Even apart from her music, Battaglia is a standout. At age 8, she raised about $3,000 for Toronto’s SickKids Hospital by selling bracelets she designed herself. And, saying she had been bullied, Battaglia used her AGT platform to speak up for others facing similar experiences.

There were 44 AGT acts that qualified for the quarter-finals when Battaglia performed a pitch-perfect rendition of Lauren Daigle’s You Say, winning enough audience votes to advance her to the semi-finals on September 8, where she covered What About Us by Pink, her first stage appearance after turning 11 a week earlier.

What’s next for the singing sensation?

“I’ll be going back to school, online,” said Battaglia. With some 38,000 Instagram fans now following the Canadian superstar, that is.

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