Lara D stepped onto the stage of America’s Got Talent as a relatively unknown Australian singer, but walked away as one of the night’s most talked-about performers after receiving a Golden Buzzer for her near-flawless rendition of “Oscar Winning Tears.” While her performance alone stunned the judges, her background and career prior to the show reveal a far more established artist than many viewers initially realized.
The moment came during Season 21 auditions, where Lara delivered a powerful interpretation of RAYE’s emotionally charged track “Oscar Winning Tears,” a song inspired by deception and emotional manipulation. Her vocal control and stage presence immediately drew praise from the judges, with Sofia Vergara calling her “very special,” while Howie Mandel described her performance as exactly the kind of unexpected talent he had been searching for.
As Mandel moved toward the Golden Buzzer, Vergara acted first, pressing it in an emotional moment that sent gold confetti raining down and secured Lara’s place in the live shows.
However, Lara D — also known as Lara Dabbagh — is far from an unknown name in the music world.
The 23-year-old singer from Sydney, Australia, has been pursuing music since the age of eight, developing a contemporary pop sound influenced by Australian rhythms and production styles. According to her official profile, her music is often compared to artists such as Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Alicia Keys, and Sabrina Carpenter. She is also a self-taught musician who has built her career with the goal of reaching an international audience.
Before her AGT breakthrough, Lara was previously signed to Sony Music Australia, later continuing her career independently. She rose to wider recognition in 2019 after competing on The Voice Australia, where she advanced to the second round of the live shows. During her run, she performed songs including “Scars To Your Beautiful,” “Umbrella,” “Lovely,” “Green Light,” and “All The Stars,” showcasing her versatility across genres.
Reports also indicate she previously auditioned for America’s Got Talent Season 15 in 2020, although her performance never aired. Around the same period, she appeared in promotional material for the show and later signed her first recording deal.
Following her time with Sony Music Australia, Lara released her debut EP Yours Truly and continued to build her catalog with singles including “Better By Myself” (2022), “Now” (2022), “A.T.M. (All the Money)” (2023), and “Crazy” (2025). At the time of writing, she has built a strong digital following, with approximately 99.8K Instagram followers, 50.3K TikTok followers, and over 130K YouTube subscribers, alongside more than 18,000 monthly Spotify listeners.
Her recent AGT audition, however, marked a turning point. Despite her established career, Lara’s performance captivated both the audience and judges, turning what began as an introduction into a breakout moment that instantly elevated her profile on one of television’s biggest stages.
What made the night even more notable was the ongoing Golden Buzzer competition among the judges, with Sofia Vergara ultimately securing the moment for Lara after earlier near-misses in the episode, adding to the dramatic energy of the audition night.
From early competition shows in Australia to a viral Golden Buzzer moment in the United States, Lara D’s journey reflects both persistence and reinvention — proving that for some performers, the biggest stage recognition can come long after the first spotlight.
