‘AGT’: Simon Cowell’s Unprecedented Move Leads to a Series First and Changes the Game for Golden Buzzers

Warning: this post contains spoilers from the latest episode of America’s Got Talent.

The sky’s the limit – quite literally – for the acts on America’s Got Talent season 19!

The June 4 episode brought a ton of entertainment as well as a series first when judge and executive producer Simon Cowell disregarded the show’s longtime rules and hit his Golden Buzzer for a second time this season for Sky Elements, a group that performs drone light shows.

As expected, the unprecedented move prompted questioning from fellow judges Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara, and Heidi Klum — and now all four judges get two Golden Buzzers each this season.

“We are using more Golden Buzzers this year because there were so many brilliant, mind-blowing auditions,” Simon tells PEOPLE. “I know right away when I see an act that is Golden Buzzer-worthy. You feel it.” 

“I love that we were the ‘first’ second one,” adds Preston Ward from Sky Elements in an interview with PEOPLE. “We have been the first of many things, so it’s exciting to get to add this to our list of firsts!”

Earlier in the episode, Simon hit his Golden Buzzer for Liv Warfield, a Chicago-based singer who previously performed with Prince, after she delivered a show-stopping performance with her band.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time and the industry is really hard because things have changed over time, but I continue to push because I just want to inspire people,” she said after taking the stage. “I haven’t quit and I won’t.”

Simon was impressed by Liv’s high-energy performance and told her afterwards, “That wasn’t long enough… it was like being, in a good way, being punched in the face by your energy, the band. All these years of frustration and you come on here and I’m sorry, I can’t give you a yes, I’ve got to give you one of these.” He then pressed his Golden Buzzer for her.

But while fans might’ve expected that to be his one and only Golden Buzzer, Simon flipped the scripts when Sky Elements, the final act of the episode, showed up to perform their act.

The Dallas-based group — comprising of Preston, Brian, Phil, Tyler, Kyle and Rick — performs drone shows and “pushes boundaries of technology.” As they noted in their intro package, “Writing code is our talent… I love merging technology with art, and making it as big as possible.”

Because their dazzling drone performance had to be done over the skies of Pasadena, California, Sky Elements brought the judges and audience outside. From there, they mesmerized everyone with their 400-feet-tall, 300-feet-wide night show that featured the drones depicting a rocket ship, the AGT logo and even Simon in an astronaut suit.

Nearly rendered speechless by the performance, Simon felt he had no other choice but to press his Golden Buzzer after their performance. “We keep talking about the rules, there is no rule book, which means I’m gonna do this. Lift off!” he said as he pressed the Golden Buzzer and fireworks went off in the background.

“When I saw Liv Warfield sing, I just knew,” Simon adds in a statement to PEOPLE. “And then I saw Sky Elements, it was unlike anything we had seen before. They took it to the next level. It was unbelievable. Genuinely over the course of this season, I could have given out 5 or 6 Golden Buzzers myself.”

Speaking to PEOPLE after the exciting moment, Preston says: “I couldn’t believe it. We started as a pyrotechnic company, so seeing the pyrotechnics going off behind us when Simon gave us the Golden Buzzer put me right back in that adrenaline rush.”

Explaining what went into the performance, Preston says their show requires “talent in multiple different areas,” including the idea itself, regulatory compliance, the storyboard, the animation, day of execution, computer networking, and safety.

“It all boils down to two things: creativity and attention to detail,” he notes, adding that they had to work with the FAA, Pasadena Air Operations and city for permits. “I know a lot of people at home think drone shows are easy, but hundreds of hours go into the design, permits, etc. before the day of which often gets overlooked.”

The group has big plans for the next round, which Preston says has been “25 months in the making.” He adds, “We are so excited for America to see it. It’s a show that holds many meanings, including a personal meaning to me, that we hope everyone watching will be able to connect to on an emotional level.”

If Sky Elements were to win the whole competition, Preston says their “ultimate goal is to show America the drone shows aren’t just for ‘sky marketing.’ They can reach so many people in a variety of ways.”

“If we were fortunate enough to win, we are going to use the money to fund a tour around America to bring drone shows around the country,” he continues. “All the money left after the tour is going to be donated to a charity focused on infant loss in honor of my daughter, Briley, who died shortly after birth.”

He also hopes to inspire viewers with their performances, encouraging them to “keep an open mind” and embrace their creativity.

“You never know when you will see or think of the next thing that will change your life. Keep pushing boundaries and keep an open mind,” he says. “You may end up in a space that hasn’t even been invented yet, or maybe you will invent a new space yourself. Who would have known that two college friends would dream so big and take this wild ride together?”

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America’s Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.