“America’s Got Talent” needs no introduction when it comes to name recognition, with the reality competition series running in a high-profile pack alongside the likes of “American Idol” and “Dancing With the Stars.” The unique talent show, which debuted in 2006, features an assortment of participants showing off their skills, ranging from singing and dancing to magic, ventriloquism, and everything in between. Each contestant hopes to impress the panel of judges in order to advance to the next round, and ultimately the finals. Within that structure there’s the coveted Golden Buzzer, which has become an iconic part of the show.

The Golden Buzzer is an oversized, gold-hued button that can be dramatically pushed to allow an act to bypass the rest of the judged rounds and go straight to the fan-voted quarter-finals when one of the judges (or anyone with access to the Golden Buzzer) deems the act indispensable. It was introduced in Season 9, and while the rules for it have changed over the years, it remains a mainstay of the show, for better or worse. For Season 20 — which is airing at the time of this writing — each judge (plus the host, Terry Crews) gets to press two Golden Buzzers during the audition rounds, ultimately sending 10 acts on the fast-track to potential victory.

A Golden Buzzer push is one of the flashiest moments on “America’s Got Talent,” stopping the reality competition show in its tracks by showering an act with golden confetti and allowing them to skip the rest of the audition rounds. Pushing the Golden Buzzer shows the initiator’s complete confidence that an act should be ushered past all the other judged rounds and go straight to the quarter-finals. Emotional banter, dramatic gestures, and floods of tears often follow a Golden Buzzer moment, though it can also be tense.

There have been instances of a Golden Buzzer press causing a dispute among the judges, with some of them feeling the act that’s just been put through isn’t worthy. On the other hand, it sometimes leads to unanimous agreement. Either way, it’s considered a show-stopper. However, while it certainly has its appeal to fans, some have argued that the Golden Buzzer has been played out and used too often. Does it need a new angle or a total shake-up? Perhaps, but there’s no sign that the Golden Buzzer is going away anytime soon on “America’s Got Talent.”

Since being introduced in Season 9 of “America’s Got Talent” to save an act from elimination, the Golden Buzzer has allowed dozens of performers to bypass major hurdles in the competition, and multiple Golden Buzzer earners have gone on to scoop the top prize. Between Season 9 and Season 19, seven Golden Buzzer earners have won the entire competition, with the person who initially pushed the Golden Buzzer often relishing in that winner’s success as if it were their own.

Some of the most memorable “America’s Got Talent” winners who earned the coveted Golden Buzzer include the then-12-year-old ukulele-playing singer-songwriter Grace VanderWaal (who was behind that song in Windex’s “The Story of Lucy” commercial) in Season 11, the then-12-year-old ventriloquist Darci Lynne in Season 12, and the spoken word poet Brandon Leake in Season 15. Only time will tell how many more Golden Buzzer earners will go on to sweep the competition before the well-worn stunt is graciously ushered off the “America’s Got Talent” stage.