Simon Cowell gave a standing ovation to the 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus after their live performance on Tuesday’s episode of America’s Got Talent.

The group performed a unique rendition of the Pink song I Am Here that ended with host Terry Crews, 55, noting that Simon was on his feet along with the rest of the judges.

‘I’m on my feet and I speak for everyone here when I say thank you for your service,’ said franchise creator, executive producer and judge Simon, 63.

‘And also thank you for not doing an obvious song. I mean this is a Pink song, which you turned around with a perfect lyric. And it was fun and it was emotive. For me this was a moment. You are one of my favorite acts this year.’

The 82nd Airborne Division All American Chorus, a military choir of service men and women from Fort Liberty, North Carolina was the last act of the night.

They marched on stage and blew the audience away with their version of the Pink song.

‘We are used to jumping out of planes so this live show performance, we’ve got this,’ Sergeant Matthew Smith said before they took the stage.

Sofia Vergara, 51, gushed about their performance afterward.

‘It was fun, uplifting. It was perfect. You guys sound great. I think this act was better than the audition. I think you guys came together and stepped it up a notch. Congratulations,’ Sofia said.

Heidi Klum, 50, was also impressed.

‘We always see you at attention so it was nice to see you at ease dancing, singing, I loved it,’ Heidi said. ‘I hope America loved it.’

Howie Mandel, 67, told the choir their performance was ‘perfect’ and also thanked the military members for their service to the country.

The two-hour show opened with a performance from 11-year-old singer Eduardo Antonio Trevino from Humble, Texas, who dreamed of becoming the best Mariachi singer in the world.

He took the stage with mariachi musicians and sang Remember Me in English and Spanish.

‘Your act is perfect,’ Sofia said. ‘You’re perfect. You are a star already!’

‘Everyone in America is going to remember you,’ Howie said.

‘I really do believe, remember these words, that we are witnessing a star in the making,’ Simon said.

Hula hoop and aerial artist Grace Good from Las Vegas went next. Grace said she took to social media to find out what viewers wanted to see.

Grace said they wanted more fire so she lit more of the hoops on fire as she spun them around her while hanging upside down dangling by one foot.

‘I thought that was spectacular,’ Sofia said. ‘It was amazing, scary, sexy.’

‘When the act started, I thought it was really boring and then halfway through, it got better, when you set yourself on fire and turned yourself into a firework, it was amazing,’ Simon said.

Singer Lachuné, from Andrews, South Carolina, took the stage and stunned the crowd singing Simply The Best by Tina Turner.

‘Everything about this performance was stunning,’ Heidi said. ‘You’re stunning. Every vocal is stunning. You are simply the best.’

‘I really admire the fact that you took a song that everybody knows and that you made it your version,’ Simon said. ‘You radiate kindness and I would love to see you in the final.’

Howie said he didn’t personally like her version of the song and Simon pressed his buzzer while Howie was speaking.

‘I don’t care,’ Howie said. ‘Only two can go through and I don’t think this was enough to get you to the finals and I think you have what it takes.’

Sofia then pressed her buzzer on Howie.

The youngest contestant this season, dancer Eseniia Mikheeva, seven, went next. Both her parents were dancers and taught her when she was very young. She danced hip hop in a tracksuit to Ciara’s hit Level Up.

‘I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,’ Simon said. ‘Talk about confidence, personality, brilliant.’

‘I wish instead of America’s Got Talent it was America’s Got Adorable,’ Howie said. ‘Because if it’s America’s Got Adorable you just won, little lady.’

Magician Mandy Muden from London took the stage and said she was going on a date with Simon. She then got in a yellow box and had the judges choose pieces of paper from her purse that had changed miraculously into outfits for her date.

‘I feel like the magic could use a little more wow like your personality,’ Heidi said. ‘You remind me of Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous.’

‘Mandy you are very funny,’ Simon said. ‘Very naughty. I’m not saying the magic is the best I’ve ever seen but I have seen Mandy on the British show before. And what I will say about Mandy has done all of these terrible little gigs to get where she has got to. So the fact that you are here in Hollywood tonight, bravo.’

Dance crew Avantgardey, a 20-girl group from Japan, mesmerized the crowd with a synchronized dance act in matching school girl styled outfits.

‘You look like twenty dolls that have come to life all the sudden,’ Heidi said. ‘You set yourself apart from all the other dancers because of this unique look that you have and unique movements that you make. You are one of my favorite dance troops.’

‘You are so original,’ Howie said. ‘You’re my favorite in the dance acts. You need to be in the finals!’

When Terry said that one viewer wrote in and said they didn’t like Howie’s hat, he took it off and put on a black wig worn by the Avantgardey dance group. He then got up and started dancing. Heidi threw Howie’s hat and told him he should wear the wig for the rest of the episode.

Trailer Flowers, a country singing duo from Wildwood, Missouri, took the stage and performed one of their original songs. They wore matching cowboy hats, but halfway through the song Howie pushed Heidi’s buzzer. Howie tried to pretend that he didn’t press it but then Terry played back the footage of him doing it.

‘I knew what you were thinking,’ Howie said. ‘Am I right?’

‘Well sometimes it did sound a little ‘eeeee,’ Heidi said.

‘I don’t agree with her. I think it sounds fantastic,’ Howie joked.

‘I kept waiting for Simon to ask for another song,’ Sofia said.

The Ramadhani Brothers, a dangerous gymnast act made up of two brothers from Tanzania, took the stage next. One brother carried the other in the air holding his head on top of his in the palm of his hand. Then he walked down a flight of stairs blindfolded and climbed stilts all while his brother balanced himself on his head. The audience and the judges gave them a standing ovation.

‘That was spellbinding,’ Simon said. ‘Every single person in this audience I think felt the same thing, which was that this is so difficult, so scary and at any time it could have gone wrong. In my opinion, this is an act that should be in a final and I believe is a million dollar act.’

‘I am mind-blown,’ Heidi said.

‘So far this is my favorite act of the night,’ Howie said.

Sofia’s Golden Buzzer act singer Gabriel Henrique, 27, from Brazil, went next.

He took the stage and sang Jacob Banks’ song Something Beautiful dressed in white.

The judges gave him a standing ovation after hearing him hit the high notes.

‘It was perfection,’ Sofia said. ‘It was just like an angel. You are definitely a star.’

‘You absolutely nailed it,’ Simon said.

Sangsoon Kim, a magician from South Korea, turned shoes into a box of donuts. He took fliers and then magically made the things pictured appear from a skateboard, boxing gloves, to cash.

‘You are like a little Mary Poppins making things appear and disappear,’ Heidi said.

Howie said his act was a little confusing and Sofia and Simon agreed.

‘I think the audition was amazing, tonight, not as good,’ Simon said.

America’s Got Talent will return on Wednesday on NBC with the results of viewer voting.

Two of the 11 acts that performed on Tuesday will advance based on viewer voting and there also will be a live Wildcard Instant Save vote during the Eastern Time Zone live broadcast.

The four judges will each nominate an eliminated act they believe should be in the finals and viewers will be allowed to vote on which act should be saved.