'America's Got Talent' Crowns Grimm Winner

NBC's top-rated summer hit "America's Got Talent" crowned Michael Grimm the winner of season five. Grimm beat out thousands of acts, including Jackie Evancho, Prince Poppycock and Fighting Gravity, to take home the coveted $1 million grand prize and a headlining show in Las Vegas.

Grimm grew up in South Mississippi where, raised by his grandparents, he would play the piano and sing at church on Sundays. At the age of 12, he started working at local bars and as he grew older, he perfected his guitar playing, vocals and songwriting skills by listening to different styles of music. In 2000, Grimm was encouraged to move to Las Vegas because of the abundance of work. He worked in Las Vegas with many different artists, learning and playing a wide variety of musical styles. He eventually formed his own three-piece band, working in small local bars, casino lounges, and a few Vegas steakhouses. When he auditioned for America's Got Talent, he had a goal - to show his appreciation to his grandparents. Just like many others, his grandparents lost everything in the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Grimm, now having won "America's Got Talent," can give his grandparents the home they lost.

In its fifth season, "America's Got Talent" aired Tuesdays (9-11 p.m. ET) and Wednesdays (9-10 p.m. ET) on NBC hosted by Nick Cannon. Sharon Osbourne, Howie Mandel and Piers Morgan starred as the celebrity panel of judges. The series, which recently was renewed for a sixth season, is a true celebration of the American spirit, featuring a colorful array of hopeful stars, including singers, dancers, comedians, contortionists, impressionists, jugglers, magicians and ventriloquists, all vying for their chance to strut and perform on stage hoping to win America's hearts - and the $1 million prize.

Looking forward to next season, "America's Got Talent" has also announced the first three audition cities for next season: Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago. The open auditions begin in October and in early 2011 the series will hold auditions in New York, Atlanta, Seattle and Houston. Prospective candidates can go to www.AGTauditions.com pre-register and get more information.

NBC.com will continue to host the official website for "America's Got Talent" - http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/ - and will feature full episodes of the show, weekly video highlights, contestant photos and online voting where fans were able to vote for the finalists and ultimately the winner this year. ??

See the winning moment here: http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/the-winning-moment/1249317/

"America's Got Talent" is produced by FremantleMedia North America and Simon Cowell's SYCO Television. Simon Cowell, Cecile Frot-Coutaz ("American Idol"), Jason Raff, Ken Warwick ("American Idol") and Georgie Hurford-Jones are executive producers.

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