All four judges on America’s Got Talent didn’t know what they were in for when Pranysqa Mishra stepped on stage. The 9-year-old Tampa, Florida native told judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel that her favorite singers were Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, and Whitney Houston before blowing through Ike and Tina’s 1966 hit “River Deep —Mountain High.”
“I feel like, literally, I’m dreaming because my big dream is singing in front of so many people and I’m on that big stage,” said Mishra in a prerecorded AGT interview. “Now it’s coming true.”
Astonished by the big voice that came out of this young girl, like a little Tina Turner, Klum wasted no time giving Mishra the Golden Buzzer. “Oh my gosh, I did not expect that,” said Klum before hitting the buzzer. “We expect a lot of things, but I did not expect that.”
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Singing since the age of 2, years before auditioning on America’s Got Talent, Mishra, who was born in New Jersey before her parents moved to Toronto, Canada, and later moved to Florida with her family, was already performing at major sporting teams and has been interviewed on all the major U.S. and Canadian television networks.
“I always just love singing,” said Mishra. “It makes me feel happy. Even when I was like 4 years old, I would just pretend like I have a microphone, and I would just sing like I’m singing to the whole world.”
Here are four things to know about the little singer with the big voice.
1. The Disney Film ‘Frozen II’ Inspired Her First Performance on Stage
The lead song “How Far I’ll Go” from the 2016 Disney animated film Moana was the song that made Mishra’s parents first notice her natural talent. After hearing it, little Mishra started rehearsing it constantly and there was no stopping her afterward. Soon after, Mishra was participating in singing competitions and performing at community events.
By the summer of 2020, Mishra surprised judges on the Tailgate Talent Show in Toronto as the youngest contestant to sing, write songs, and play piano. When she was 5, Mishra had her first performance on stage, singing “Into the Unknown” from Frozen II, in front of a few hundred people.
[RELATED: 5 Things to Know About the Journey-Singing Janitor on ‘America’s Got Talent’]
2. She’s Performed the National Anthem Professionally Since Age 5
By the age of 5, Mishra started performing professionally, singing the National Anthem for the MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS, and NCAA, and more, and for teams including the Boston Red Sox, LA Lakers, Florida Panthers, Miami Heat, and Miami Marlins. In 2023, Mishra sang the National Anthem for Team USA during the Billie Jean King Tennis World Cup in Delray Beach, Miami.
3. She Won Over the Apollo Singing Aretha Franklin and Beyoncé
In 2022, Mishra performed at the Apollo Theatre in New York City. Dressed in a white gown, Mishra belted out Aretha Franklin’s 1968 hit “Ain’t No Way” and Beyoncé‘s 2006 hit “Listen” and won Amateur Night at the Apollo.
Photo: Trae Patton/NBC
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