The four judges on America’s Got Talent Fans didn’t know what to expect when Pranysqa Mishra took the stage. The 9-year-old from Tampa, Florida, told judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel that her favorite singers were Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner and Whitney Houston before belting out Ike and Tina’s 1966 hit, “River Deep — Mountain High.”
“I feel like I am literally dreaming because my big dream is to sing in front of so many people and be on this big stage,” Mishra said in a pre-recorded message. ACT interview. “Now it’s becoming reality.”
Amazed by the young girl’s powerful voice, like a little Tina Turner, Klum wasted no time in handing Mishra the Golden Buzzer. “Oh my God, I didn’t expect that,” Klum said before hitting the buzzer. “You expect a lot of things, but I didn’t expect that.”
Singing since age 2, years before auditioning America’s got talent, Mishra, who was born in New Jersey before her parents moved to Toronto, Canada, and later relocated to Florida with her family, was already playing on major sports teams and was interviewed on every major U.S. and Canadian television network.
“I have always loved singing,” Mishra said. “It makes me happy. Even when I was 4, I would pretend to have a microphone and sing as if I was singing for 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 stage performance
The title song “How Far I’ll Go” from the 2016 Disney animated film Vaiana This is the song that made Mishra’s parents notice her natural talent. After hearing it, little Mishra started repeating it incessantly and there was no stopping her after that. Soon after, Mishra was participating in singing competitions and performing at community events.
In the summer of 2020, Mishra surprised the judges on the Tailgate Talent Show in Toronto as the youngest contestant to sing, write songs and play the piano. At the age of 5, Mishra made her first stage appearance singing “Into the Unknown” by Frozen IIin front of a few hundred people.
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2. She has been performing the national anthem professionally since the age of 5.
At the age of 5, Mishra began performing professionally, singing the national anthem for MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS, and NCAA, among others, and for teams such as the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Lakers, Florida Panthers, Miami Heat, and Miami Marlins. In 2023, Mishra sang the national anthem for Team USA at the Billie Jean King World Cup of Tennis in Delray Beach, Miami.
3. She conquered the Apollo singing Aretha Franklin and Beyoncé
In 2022, Mishra performed at the Apollo Theater in New York City. Wearing a white dress, Mishra performed 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
