Roberta Battaglia's dreams are coming true. The 10-year-old singer came out to audition for the America's Got Talent judges during Tuesday's new episode, and her earnestness earned her the Golden Buzzer from the show's newest judge.
Battaglia was joined by her mom at the audition and told the AGT cameras, "I feel like I'm just dreaming, but it's actually real life, and I can't believe it!
Recommended Videos
"I might only be 10 years old, but I have big dreams," she added, before taking the stage, where her nerves seemed to get the better of her. But she was quick to share some love with newcomer judge Sofia Vergara.
"Let me just say, I love you and I watch you on Modern Family," Battaglia said, smiling. "I just adore you."
When she told the judges that she's 10, they were all shocked, and Heidi Klum later remarked to Vergara that her daughter is the same age and would never get up onstage in front of so many people.
However, from the moment the young singer began to perform her rendition of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's "Shallow," it was clear she had the talent to back up her bravery.
Battaglia burst into tears at the standing ovation after her performance -- which included all four judges.
"It's amazing what you just did," Klum marveled.
"It's so beautiful," Vergara added.
Simon Cowell jokingly asked, "That wasn't you singing, was it? It wasn't someone behind you?"
"You know what, you are so likable, so humble -- bearing in mind you've got this great [talent]," Cowell continued, adding that she must have some great friends to keep her grounded.
"Yeah, but sometimes I do get bullied," Battaglia admitted.
"There's one way you win [against] bullies, it's by being happy and successful," Cowell said. "Bullies are always threatened by talented people, so in a weird way it's a compliment and it shows your strength."
Vergara couldn't contain her appreciation for the singer, saying, "You're 10 years old, it's impossible to sing like that at 10 years old."
"And you know what? Let's see who is going to bully you after this!" she added, as she stood and slammed down the Golden Buzzer, showering Battaglia in shimmering confetti.
This means Battaglia will be moving on to the next round of competition, skipping the Judge Cuts round.
What this season's live rounds will look like is still a bit murky, considering the coronavirus shutdowns that were enacted following the taping of the first few episodes of the AGT audition rounds.
ET spoke with Cowell regarding the audition rounds, and he explained how the show tried to push through until that was no longer an option.
"When we first started, we had a full audience, and then day by day, you know, things started to get worse, so we went nine days with an audience and then we had to do two days without an audience, which we'd never done before," Cowell recalled. "By day 11, we just went ok, it's, it really, really isn't safe now."
For more on this season of AGT, check out the video below.
America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
RELATED CONTENT:
'America's Got Talent': Inspirational Homeless Choir Earns Golden Buzzer From Tearful Terry Crews
'America's Got Talent' Reopens Auditions Online