There's a new winner of America's Got Talent: All-Stars in town!
On Monday, the superfans chose a winner of the America's Got Talent extension series — and after weeks of impressive competition, the victory went to self-taught aerialist Aidan Bryant.
"It's crazy. I've been working for this really hard and I just feel like it really paid off this time and I got to show a lot more," Bryant, 18, tells PEOPLE after claiming the winner's title. "I got to show a lot more dynamic skills that I haven't been able to, so I'm happy. It's a really big deal for me."
He continues, "The last time I was on, season 16, I didn't know what I was doing. I learned literally everything that you've seen in two years. I wasn't super confident with my choreography and music choice, but now that I came back on this season, I was just ready to get it."
"I was ready to prove to everyone that I can be No. 1 as an aerialist because an aerialist has never won before, and I am super honored to take that spot," adds Bryant.
As fans know, Bryant first competed on season 16 of AGT in 2021, where he ultimately fell short to magician Dustin Tavella — a moment he said "crushed" him. Upon his return to the AGT stage, Bryant made it clear that he wasn't taking his second chance for granted.
"When I heard about All-Stars, I knew I had to take the chance. I cannot lose to [Tavella] again," Bryant said in a Jan. 9 All-Stars episode before earning the superfan vote and a spot in the finale.
From there, the teen performed a breathtaking finale routine that had judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum as well as host Terry Crews on their feet.
"To be in the finals means that all my hard work since I was 14 years old, practicing in the backyard in the tree has paid off," Bryant told PEOPLE at the time. "When I came in second place on season 16, I never dreamed that I would make it that far, but now I feel like this is my second chance to prove to the world that I have gone from an amateur to a professional aerialist."
During Monday's finale, Bryant got a chance to perform a routine on stage with American Idol alum and current Queen frontman Adam Lambert. He was also joined by fellow finalists The Bello Sisters.
"He was awesome," Bryant says of working with Lambert, 41, who also came in second place while competing on Idol in 2009. "He was very sweet and he was awesome."
"Actually, the first time that we ran the act in front of the judges, he forgot where he was supposed to go and I smacked right into him," Bryant shares. "And it was crazy. I saw all the judges laughing up in the air. It was crazy. And then the second time it went right. But it was a good experience. He was super sweet. He had the best personality about it off-stage. He was wonderful."
The remainder of Monday's episode saw the other finalists take the stage for final performances beside guest performers Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Weezer, as well as fellow AGT winners Terry Fator, Mat Franco, and Lindsey Stirling.
Then, Crews narrowed down the 11 finalists to the top five acts. In addition to Bryant, dance group Light Balance Kids, saxophonist Avery Dixon, magician Aidan McCann, and ventriloquist Ana Maria Mărgean nabbed the coveted spots.
From there, McCann placed in 5th, Mărgean finished in 4th and Light Balance Kids fell to third place. With it down to Dixon and Bryant, Crews finally revealed it was the 18-year-old aerialist who won the competition.
"When I was standing on the stage and I was next to Avery, I didn't know, actually, who was going to win, but I knew they brought me back for a reason," Bryant tells PEOPLE. "And I had a small doubt that I wasn't going to win because I messed up my [final] performance. But it was a lot. I was nervous, I was sweating on my forehead."
"Going through my head was, 'What am I going to do after this? What is going to be the next step in my life? What is the opportunity is going to present itself?' And it did," he continues. "I'm in a Vegas show right now. I'm in a Vegas residency at the Luxor. I performed two times a night for five days a week. This has been my dream for the longest time, ever since I was 14."
He adds: "America, they supported me, the superfans, they voted for me. I'm super thankful for that. And I just cannot thank them enough. They put me on this big stage where I am working for a whole year of my life. I'm definitely thankful for them."
Looking ahead, Bryant is excited to perform in Las Vegas for a year, and hopes to one day collaborate with Pink — whom he was inspired by at the very beginning of his aerialist journey.
"When I went on America's Got Talent, I had no technical training. I was never in dance or gymnastics or any type of sports. And I saw a video of Pink and it was just amazing. I [learned] from there," he explains. "Pink, she's amazing. She just had an audition call and she was looking for aerialists right now... so hopefully I will work with her in the future. That would be awesome."
He adds of his future success: "It's just an honor to be here and it's going to put me on a big map and I just need to live up to it and take this opportunity and use it for what's best."
As for what he wants other young aerialist hopefuls to know? "If you want something, you're going to work for it and you're going to get it. You just have to be persistent and stay on it," says Bryant.
America's Got Talent: All-Stars aired on NBC.
