# And the winner of the Grace VanderWaal Award for 2017 is... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 1, 2017, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823 "2017-06-01T06:23:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/1 "2017-06-01T06:23:55Z")
12-year-old ventriloquist and Golden Buzzer winner [Darci Lynne](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3akJS-Z4l4c) on _America’s Got Talent_! Absolutely amazing! ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/2 "2017-06-01T13:22:45Z")
I don’t always +1 but when I do, it’s for this OP. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/3 "2017-06-01T13:24:53Z")
Very impressive, both for the ventriloquism and the singing voice. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/4 "2017-06-01T14:26:42Z")
What’s the Grace VanderWaal award? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/5 "2017-06-01T14:27:44Z")
The three most impressive acts were a ventriloquist, a clown and a robot. I was surprised when Merrick didn’t get the Golden Buzzer, frankly. ---
**Author:** ![Dante\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@Dante\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante_G)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/6 "2017-06-01T15:45:53Z")
The stage presence of the close up magician wasn’t very strong, but the magic itself was awesome. Never seen anything like it. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/7 "2017-06-01T18:28:13Z")
For once, I actually agree with **SA**. That act was adorable af. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/8 "2017-06-01T19:51:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What’s the Grace VanderWaal award? A fictitious award that references last year’s winner, 12-year-old singer-songwriter Grace VanderWaal, who won the show performing her own songs. The talent some of these kids have at such an early age is amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/9 "2017-06-01T20:12:08Z")
Puddles Pity Party is awesome. I follow him on YouTube, and have since I saw him perform with Postmodern Jukebox. I don’t watch AMG, but when I saw that he had auditioned, I had to check it out. I hope he goes faaaaar. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/10 "2017-06-01T22:37:47Z")
> [@Dante\_G](#): > > The stage presence of the close up magician wasn’t very strong, but the magic itself was awesome. Never seen anything like it. Link? What was the magician’s name? ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/11 "2017-06-01T23:32:25Z")
I wonder if the ventriloquist girl has multiple voices/dummies? ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/12 "2017-06-02T00:36:38Z")
If you click on the link above, the next video is of her on some British show with 2 other puppets with 2 different accents. She’s very talented. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/13 "2017-06-02T02:36:17Z")
> [@Dante\_G](#): > > The stage presence of the close up magician wasn’t very strong, but the magic itself was awesome. Never seen anything like it. Any ideas on how he does it? What would Penn and Teller (at least Penn) say if he showed up on their show? To me it looked like it was an optical effect, with different levels of lighting showing different coin positions. But boy, he was smooth regardless of how it was done. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/14 "2017-06-02T11:07:25Z")
Agree, looked more like a trick table than manipulation but was still a good illusion. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/15 "2017-06-02T13:18:11Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Puddles Pity Party is awesome. I follow him on YouTube, and have since I saw him perform with Postmodern Jukebox. I don’t watch AMG, but when I saw that he had auditioned, I had to check it out. I hope he goes faaaaar. I think of Puddles as a very well established professional musician. I’m a bit surprised he was allowed to perform on AGT. I watch his videos regularly. The ventriloquist girl has an excellent voice. She could easily qualify for the show as a singer. I wonder if Simon will encourage her to perform without the prop? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/16 "2017-06-02T13:36:02Z")
Mike Geier portrays Puddles. He’s been in several bands. I’m pretty sure he’s had classical voice training. Mike should easily make the finals. Unless fans tire of the mute clown character. This exposure will certainly be a major boost to Mike’s career. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/17 "2017-06-02T15:44:29Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I think of Puddles as a very well established professional musician. I’m a bit surprised he was allowed to perform on AGT. The Pendragons were “allowed to perform on AGT,” and keep in mind they had appeared on at least one NBC magic special in the past. Stand-up comic Wendy Liebman was “allowed to perform on AGT” three years ago, and made it to the semi-finals, even after having her own Showtime special two years earlier. Season 8 winner Kenichi Ebina was reasonably established in Japan before appearing on AGT, IIRC. Season 3 winner Neal Boyd had won some “national collegiate opera” competition before appearing. > [@psychobunny](#): > > If you click on the link above, the next video is of her on some British show with 2 other puppets with 2 different accents. She’s very talented. If she can keep switching her puppets, then she has a good chance of winning. Based on her story, I had a feeling that either (a) she might make it to the finals, but the voters would just get too tired of the same character, or (b) she would fall into the trap of “change for the sake of change.” ---
**Author:** ![Dante\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@Dante\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante_G)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/18 "2017-06-02T15:58:43Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > Any ideas on how he does it? What would Penn and Teller (at least Penn) say if he showed up on their show? To me it looked like it was an optical effect, with different levels of lighting showing different coin positions. But boy, he was smooth regardless of how it was done. No ideas really other than he is a wizard(Harry). I just thought it was awesome. Trick table, optical effects, Don’t care, I want to see more. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/19 "2017-06-02T16:55:49Z")
> [@Dante\_G](#): > > No ideas really other than he is a wizard(Harry). > > I just thought it was awesome. Trick table, optical effects, Don’t care, I want to see more. Can anyone link to this performance, or give the name of the performer? I’m very curious now… thanks! ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823/20 "2017-06-02T17:21:16Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Can anyone link to this performance, or give the name of the performer? I’m very curious now… > > thanks! His name is Will Tsai. [Here is the performance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7wrfzpjf9U). The trick is usually done by palming the coins, but he is obviously not doing that, he seems to have a trick table. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-the-winner-of-the-grace-vanderwaal-award-for-2017-is/787823.md?page=2)