Where is Brandon Leake now? His career after winning AGT

In 2020, Brandon Leake made AGT history by becoming the first spoken word poet to win the competition. Leake tugged at our heartstrings with a raw and expertly delivered piece about his late sister. The performance convinced judge Howie Mandel to send him straight to the live shows with his Golden Buzzer. 

“Brandon took us through the journey of humanity,” Mandel told USA Today. “And this is what’s missing right now: understanding, humanity, and justice. This has been a hard time for all of us, but I thought that the win and the vote for him has given me and the world hope.”

Leake continues performing and teaching poetry across the United States

Brandon Leake’s AGT win earned him $1 million, a new car, and an opportunity to perform in Luxor Las Vegas. The coronavirus pandemic delayed his Vegas tour until late 2021. Leake also secured a representation deal with the United Talent Agency. 

Shortly after his win, Brandon collaborated with Team Harmony Foundation to produce the online series, Hate: What Are You Going To Do? “We here are raising our voices to stand up against all forms of hate, but most importantly, to show the world exactly what love can look like,” Leake said

As the world gradually reopened, Leake resumed performing poetry. In March 2022, he released a poetry book titled Unraveling: Poems, and three months later, his spoken word special, Brandon Leake: A Family Affair, aired on The CW. 

The special contained eight spoken word poems written and performed by Brandon. It gave a unique insight into his family’s role in shaping the person he is. 

Leake posts some of his work on his YouTube channel dubbed Brandon Leake – CTM. Called to Move (CTM) is an artist group Brandon founded during his time at Simpson University to promote talent. 

After graduating, Brandon released his debut album, In My Thoughts. Leake also worked as an academic advisor, a high school teacher, a keynote speaker, and a poetry workshop leader. 

In 2017, he failed to make it to the AGT stage. “After not making it in 2017, I said, ‘Hey, I really want to try this out and get better at it.’ So I toured, I did a lot of work,” Leake told NBC Insider

By the time Brandon returned to the AGT stage in 2020, he’d performed in 36 US states, Canada, New Zealand, and Mexico. He continued:

“I could tell my producer, it wasn’t the first time he had heard spoken-word. But it was his first time, I believe, being moved by it the way I do it. It was a testament to the time I had spent really owning and working on my craft.”

Brandon raises two children with his wife, Anna Leake, in Stockton, California

Brandon and Anna Leake married in September 2017. They welcomed their first child, Aaliyah James Leake, in February 2020 and their second child, Jakari Bennett Leake, in August 2021. 

Leake’s social media posts show he enjoys family time. However, Brandon revealed that his wife and kids distract him from writing, forcing him to compose his poems in the shower. He told NBC Insider:

“Never the same and never replicated. The only consistent thing about my writing is I write best in the shower. God blessed me with really long arms, so I just put my phone outside the water and type. And then I just keep my shoulders from getting wet.”

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