Chula Vista native Jessica Sanchez wins ‘America’s Got Talent’ 20 years after first audition

Chula Vista native Jessica Sanchez was crowned the winner of “America’s Got Talent” Wednesday, nearly two decades after she first took the stage as a 10-year-old contestant on the show’s debut season.

Now 30 and nine months pregnant, Sanchez delivered a powerhouse finale performance of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile,” earning a standing ovation and clinching the $1 million prize along with a headlining slot at AGT Live in Las Vegas.

“This has been 20 years in the making for me. This would mean everything,” Sanchez said before host Terry Crews announced her victory.

Sanchez is no stranger to the spotlight. After her first AGT audition in 2006, she rose to fame as a runner-up on “American Idol” in 2012. But her career journey hasn’t always been smooth. Speaking to the San Diego Union-Tribune in July, she reflected on the pressures she faced as a young artist.

“I felt like music became a job where there were requirements I had to meet as a woman in the industry — and as a Filipino woman in the industry — and that there were standards I had to meet,” she said.

“I was falling into insecurity and I had to take a step back and figure out who I was. I didn’t want to sell out and put a mask on. So, I immersed myself in family and faith. I moved back to San Diego from Los Angeles, and then to Irvine, which has a large Asian population. I may not be exactly what the labels want or what the industry wants. I’m not a super bubbly person or an in-your-face person. I’m more quiet and timid, and I feel like that’s okay … I don’t have to win the approval of everybody.”

Every AGT episode ends with a disclaimer noting the $1 million prize is paid as a 40-year annuity or a reduced lump sum. That works out to about $25,000 a year before taxes, Yahoo reported.