Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Lebanese dance act crowned winners of America’s Got Talent show

Lebanese dance act crowned winners of America’s Got Talent show

Mayyas, an all-female dance act from Lebanon, won the $1m prize and the chance to headline a Las Vegas show.

A Lebanese alternative dance troupe has won the top prize on the popular American television show America’s Got Talent, becoming the first Arab participants to do so.

Mayyas, an all-female dance act, won the $1m prize, and the chance to headline a Las Vegas show, after they received the most votes from the public, beating the other 10 finalists.

“Lebanon, this one’s for you,” the group said on their Instagram page following their win in the two-hour finale.

Mayyas has hypnotised audiences with their Arabesque moves and fluid choreography set against creative visual effects. Judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel all praised the group’s performances as “astonishing” and “mesmerising”.


The troupe said their name had come from the Arabic word for “the proud walk of a lioness”.

During their final act, Mayyas’s members wore golden face masks, white feathered belly-dancer outfits, and carried sparkling globes of light as they performed, which was met by a standing ovation from the show’s audience and judges.

This is not the dance troupe’s first reality TV win. Founded by choreographer Nadim Cherfan, Mayyas appeared on the sixth season of Arabs Got Talent in 2019, and went on to win that show as well.

In the same year, they reached the semi-final stage after participating in Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions, an international spin-off of the United Kingdom talent show.

During their audition for the 17th season of America’s Got Talent last June, actress judge Vergara was so impressed with Mayyas that she gave them the golden buzzer, which fast-tracked them to the live shows.

“I’m so proud,” Vergara tweeted after the winners were announced. “You deserve this!”

Mayyas has enjoyed popular support not just from its home country but across the Arab world, garnering almost 370,000 followers on the group’s Instagram page.

Many of Mayyas’s Lebanese fans have praised the troupe for representing them on an international stage, during a time when the country is increasingly mired in chaos and racked with political corruption, steep inflation and a worsening economic crisis.

Lebanese pop singer Maya Diab tweeted her support just before the winners were announced.

“I hope you return home with the title … you have lifted up Lebanon’s name by showing the rest of the world the best of what art is,” she wrote.



Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×