‘AGT’: 9-Year Old Opera Singer, Comic Josh Blue Are 1 Step Closer To Victory After 2nd Quarterfinals

Another five bite the dust! After a shaky, uneven night of performances, America has voted on who deserves to keep their “America’s Got Talent” dream alive.

The 12 hopefuls who hit the Dolby Theater stage during Tuesday’s live second quarterfinals night returned to the stage on Wednesday to see who would move on and who would be going home. Only seven contestants could progress, so five ended up going home disappointed.

The night began as host Terry Crews announced the three acts who were “on the bubble,” in sixth, seventh and eight place in the total vote count. This group, who would be eligible for the audience vote save and a judges save, included the singing trio T.3, the Broadway-aspiring songstress Tory Vagasy and the singing group Korean Soul.

Crews then revealed the contestants who would be performing again, and which acts would be sent packing.

The Golden Buzzer-winning Northwell Nurse Choir sailed through — no big surprise, after their emotional and inspiring performance on Tuesday. Mystical mentalist Peter Antoniou also managed to get through.

One of the most tense moments came when Crews called forward both 9-year-old opera singer Victory Brinker and 16-year-old self-taught aerialist Aidan Bryant — both of whom were fan and judge favorites. However, instead of sending either home, Crews gleefully declared they would both be moving forward.

Finally, comedian Josh Blue felt the same love from viewers as he did from the judges on Tuesday, earning enough votes to make it to the semifinals.

Meanwhile, Korean dance group Dokteuk Crew got sent home, along with funk singer Johnny Showcase, dance crew Shuffolution, and the acrobatic group Positive Impact Movement.

Finally, it all came down to the acts looking for last-minute saves. As it turns out, the audience save vote swayed toward Vagasy, who will have another chance to stun (and perhaps deliver a song the judges like even more) in the semifinals.

As for the judges’ save vote, it was a 2-2 tie with Sofia Vergara and Heidi Klum casting their votes for T.3, while Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel votes for Korean Soul. That meant the tie breaker would come down to total audience votes, and Korean Soul managed to eke out the win, giving T.3 the boot.

ET’s Matt Cohen spoke with the judges after Tuesday’s show, and each one opened up about their favorite acts from the second quarterfinals night.

Howie Mandel had nothing but praise for Blue, sharing, “I think he was extraordinary and I think he is always extraordinary and I think that he’s just such a really good writer and thinker… He is one of the funniest comics I’ve ever seen.”

Meanwhile, Brinker got a lot of love from Vergara and Klum. Vergara said Brinker was her hands-down “favourite” from Tuesday’s show, while Klum marveled at the young girl’s potential.

“She is 9 years old, and I mean in five years, she is going to be a superstar,” Klum marveled.

For Cowell, it was the autodidactic aerialist Bryant who truly stood out.

“He’s 16 years old, self trained, it’s extraordinary what he did today. And that’s what this, the Vegas show, everything’s all about,” Cowell shared. “He’s amazing! He’s a great kid. I would say that that kind of attitude is what the show is all about.”

“America’s Got Talent” airs Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Check out the video below to hear more from the judges about this season’s live quarterfinals rounds.

MORE FROM ET:

‘AGT’: Simon Cowell Gets Emotional Speaking With Singer Nightbirde

‘AGT’ Singer Nightbirde Drops Out to Focus on Her Cancer Battle

Terry Crews Says Matt Mauser’s Kids Cried During His ‘AGT’ Audition

‘AGT’: The Best and Biggest Acts in First Live Quarterfinals

‘AGT’: Contortionists, Comedians and Jugglers Shine in Final Auditions