Trae Patton/NBC The Maya America’s Got Talent has crowned its new winner! After weeks of competition, the Mayyas were crowned the competition series champions of Season 17. With the grand prize, the Lebanese all-female dance troupe takes home a $1 million prize and a headline show at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The Mayyas first caught America’s attention during their show-stopping audition, which prompted judge Sofía Vergara to press her Golden Buzzer. During the live shows, the band delivered another hypnotic dance routine that fellow judge and executive producer Simon Cowell predicted would “change the world”. “They are ready for Vegas — I would go and see them,” fellow judge Heidi Klum told PEOPLE shortly after the live performance. “I think they’re incredible. It’s the costumes. It’s like, wow moments. It’s like memorizing, it’s haunting. They hypnotize you in a way.” 13609755 Casey Durkin/NBC Maya on the AGT finale “I think by far, for me personally, it’s probably the most impressive, wonderful act I’ve seen in my years on this show,” added judge Howie Mandel. “It’s unlike anything you can describe. It was amazing. It was just beautiful and exciting and hypnotic and powerful. Then you take into account where they come from and what the culture is and what they’re dealing with and what women are against anyway, throughout the world. They should be the poster people for women’s empowerment.” Of the positive reception, the group’s founder, Nadim Cherfan, formerly of PEOPLE: “[It’s] absolutely incredible. We have to swallow. We couldn’t swallow those feelings, but hearing those comments from those judges gave us a really huge confidence boost.” RELATED: Sofía Vergara’s Golden Buzzer AGT Act Leaves Her With ‘Goosebumps’ as Team ‘Dream’ Moment AMERICA’S GOT TALENT, Sofia Vergara Trae Patton/NBC Sofia Vergara with The Mayyas On Wednesday, the group gave another top performance for the final. Cherfan later told PEOPLE they couldn’t feel more “proud of ourselves” for all they had accomplished. The story continues “Every moment of this experience has been truly unforgettable, from the Golden Buzzer to the semi-finals to now the finals,” he said. “It’s not about the title anymore. It’s a huge bigger message for our people to make them believe in themselves and give hope to our country going through a dark time.” RELATED: AGT Judges Praise Mayyas After ‘Memorizing’ Dance Routine: ‘Not Like Something You Can Describe’ Mayyas Casey Durkin/NBC/Getty The Maya Before the results were announced in Wednesday’s final, excitement was at an all-time high. The Black Eyed Peas and AGT alums Light Balance opened the show with an electric number, before the judges and host Terry Crews got excited about the Season 17 finalists’ final performances. Top 11 acts — The Mayyas, magician Nicolas Ribs, singer Sara James, artificial intelligence (AI) group Metaphysic, saxophonist Avery Dixon, country band Chapel Hart, pole dancer Kristy Sellars, magician Yu Hojin, comedian Mike E. Winfield, singer of country Drake Milligan and singer Celia Muñoz — then had the chance to take the stage again. RELATED: America’s Got Talent Finalists Share Season 17’s Most Memorable Moments Ahead of Finale AMERICA’S GOT TALENT — “Auditions” Episode 1704 — Photo: Mayyas — (Photo: Trae Patton/NBC) Trae Patton/NBC Maya on America’s Got Talent Ribs and Hojin performed magic with former AGT winner magician Shin Lim, while Milligan sang with fellow singer Jon Pardi and Chapel Hart sang with Darius Rucker. Winfield had the opportunity to participate in a comedy roast of Cowell, with the help of Jeff Ross and fellow season 17 comedians Tom McMillian, Mr. Pants and Lace Larabee. Muñoz also performed with fellow ventriloquists and AGT alums Darci Lynne and Terry Fator, while Sellars and The Mayyas performed a thrilling routine together. Finally, Dixon performed with Trombone Shorty and James sang with the Black Eyed Peas. Legendary actor Henry Winkler also appeared in the finale. RELATED: From Magicians and Singers to Pole Dancers! Meet the America’s Got Talent Season 17 Finalists AMERICA’S GOT TALENT — Quarterfinals 1 Episode 1709 Pictured: (lr) Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Terry Crews, Sofia Vergara, Simon Cowell (Photo by Trae Patton/NBC via Getty Images) Trae Patton/NBC/Getty The judges and host of America’s Got Talent Later in the evening, the Top 5 acts were announced, with Milligan, Sellars, Metaphysic, The Mayyas and Chapel Hart taking the slots. From there, Chapel Hart finished fifth, Metaphysic finished fourth, Milligan finished third and Sellars finished second. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories Season 17 of America’s Got Talent can be streamed in its entirety on NBC.com or Hulu.
