The winner of a nationwide talent competition is creating a bit of a stir.
Bluesy crooner Michael Grimm was crowned the champion of NBC's "America's Got Talent" Wednesday night. Click here to watch a performance by Michael Grimm.
The 30-year-old from a small town in Mississippi appeared shocked when he heard his name announced, then bent over to hug and console the runner-up, 10-year-old Opera sensation Jackie Evancho of Pittsburgh. An early favorite by both the judges and viewers, many banked on her to take the title. Click here to watch a performance by Jackie Evancho.
But in the end, viewers were charmed not only by Grimm's incredible voice, but also his soft-spoken manner and signature stingy-brimmed hat. Describing himself as "just a boy from Mississippi," he humbly spoke of surprise that he was voted through all the weeks of competition.
Grimm has said all along that, if he won, he planned to use some of the $1 million prize money to help his grandparents who raised him and lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. He now plans to give them a new home. Grimm also wins a headline show in Las Vegas.
The two other finalists were Prince Poppycock, the outlandishly costumed creation of Los Angeles store clerk John Quale, and the performance troupe Fighting Gravity, a group of 13 fraternity brothers from Virginia Tech at Blacksburg, Virginia.
Viewers of the talent show are making their voices heard in forums online. One viewer is clearly unhappy with the choice writing, "The person that we all thought should come in last our of the final 4 wins it. Unbelievable. Another boring singer unleashed on the world while original talent gets over looked."
Another is thrilled with the choice saying, "Absolutely agree with the choice! First night Michael Grimm sang knew he should be the winner!"
And yet another viewer questions whether the young girl's age had something to do with her loss, saying "Jackie...should have won! Could it be that some folks thought she was too young be successful in Las Vegas? Can't figure it out, but her talent was certainly the winner!"
What do you think about the results? Do you think Michael Grimm deserved to win? Do you think Jackie Evancho's age had anything to do with her not taking the title? Leave your comments below.
