Simon Cowell Names Guest Judges for America’s Got Talent Judge Cuts

Simon Cowell has announced four high-profile celebrities who will join the America’s Got Talent panel—alongside Howie Mandel, Mel B., and Heidi Klum—for the upcoming Judge Cuts. The guest judges set to appear are George Lopez, Reba McEntire, NE-YO, and Louis Tomlinson.

The Judge Cuts portion of the competition is scheduled to begin Tuesday, July 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. For the remainder of the season, America’s Got Talent will air twice weekly, with new episodes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. During the Judge Cuts, the panel deliberates and selects which acts advance to the live shows. Following the format used in previous seasons, each episode typically features a “Fifth Judge” who joins a specific regular panelist and has the opportunity to save one act.

Here is a closer look at the four guest judges joining the show:

George Lopez brings a long, diverse career in television, film, and stand-up comedy. Known for his sharp observational humor and wide appeal, Lopez is currently performing on the stand-up arena tour “The Comedy Get Down,” alongside Charlie Murphy, Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley, and Cedric the Entertainer.

Reba McEntire is a multi-media entertainment figure whose career spans music, television, film, theater, and retail. As a successful recording artist and actress, Reba has become a household name and brings decades of industry experience and stage presence to the Judge Cuts panel.

NE-YO (born Shaffer C. Smith) is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and actor. With three No. 1 albums and more than 10 million albums sold worldwide, NE-YO has also written and produced hits for many major artists. His 2015 album Non-Fiction, which included the singles “Money Can’t Buy” featuring Jeezy and “She Knows” featuring Juicy J, reached No. 1 on the R&B charts and No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Top 200.

Louis Tomlinson rose to fame as a contestant on The X Factor, where he was grouped with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, and Zayn Malik to form One Direction. The band went on to become one of the most successful acts in recent history, selling more than 60 million records, completing multiple world tours, and earning widespread international recognition. Following One Direction’s 2015 album Made in the A.M., the group announced a hiatus from touring in 2016. Tomlinson’s background on an audition-driven show like The X Factor provides him a unique perspective for judging talent competitions.

Last season’s Judge Cuts structure gave each guest judge the chance to influence which acts moved forward by attaching the guest to a specific regular judge and allowing that guest to exercise a single save. While the show has not provided detailed pairings for this season’s episodes, fans can expect a similar format where the guest judges weigh in alongside the main panel to determine who advances to the live rounds.

With this mix of comedians, country star power, R&B expertise, and pop music experience, the Judge Cuts panel brings diverse perspectives to help evaluate a wide range of performers. Their collective backgrounds—spanning songwriting, live performance, television, and global touring—should offer valuable insight as judges assess vocalists, comedians, dancers, variety acts, and other contestants vying for a spot in the live shows.

America’s Got Talent viewers can tune in starting July 12 to see how the new guest judges shape the competition. As the season progresses and the panel narrows down acts for the live performances, these guest appearances are expected to add fresh opinion and energy to the deliberations that determine who moves forward in the race for the grand prize.