Autistic Singer Kodi Lee Wins Top Honor In ‘America’s Got Talent’ Finale

America’s Got Talent awarded Kodi Lee, a 22-year-old singer, who is both autistic and blind, its top honor for season 14 of NBC’s talent contest. Lee has been leaving the judges as well as the audience in awe ever since his first inspiring appearance back in May. His performance was so good that judge Gabrielle Union granted him the Golden Buzzer, which automatically sent him into the live shows.

Despite his disabilities, Lee has never stopped expressing himself through music and chasing his dream of becoming a musician. During the audition rounds, his supportive mother Tina Lee described how her son communicates through music. “We found out that he loved music really early on. He listened and his eyes just went huge, and he started singing, that’s when I was in tears,” Tina said. “I realized he’s an entertainer. Through music and performing, he was able to withstand living in this world because when you’re autistic, it’s really hard to do what everybody else does. It actually has saved his life playing music.” During his final performance, Lee sang “You Are the Reason” alongside Leona Lewis.

Lee was awarded $1 million, and he will be headlining shows from Nov. 7-10 at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

When Lee was asked what he would do with the money, he told host Terry Crews he was going to “buy lots of grand pianos in every color.”