Before there was X Factor, The Voice, American's Got Talent, and the plethora of other talent-based reality competition shows, there was American Idol. Consequently, Grace VanderWaal originally planned to audition for American Idol in front of the original judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson. "It's always been a dream to audition for American Idol, but you have to be 15 or older," the singer told Teen Vogue in 2016 just months after her AGT win. 

"And as you may know, [the 2016 season was] the last season ... And then one day my mom just called me downstairs and she had her laptop out and was like, 'I signed you up for America's Got Talent.' Just like that. And then the next weekend I auditioned." The last-minute audition was VanderWaal's golden ticket to Hollywood. 

While AGT was never originally in her plans, VanderWaal is grateful for her life-changing experience on the show and doesn't mind being recalled as the 12-year-old who won the whole competition. "I mean, if you will forever remember me as the girl from America's Got Talent, that's cool, 'cause I am," she told Teen Vogue in a 2018 interview. "If you wanna look into me and what I've done recently, that's cool, too. I don't really care at all, [because] at least you remember me and you're thinking about me."

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