How Kodi Lee’s America’s Got Talent Win Is Providing New Hope

America’s Got Talent crowned a new champion on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Season 14 ended with singer Kodi Lee winning the reality competition series. Did he know he was going to win it all?

“Heck yeah,” Kodi told E! News after the big ending.

America’s Got Talent judge Gabrielle Union used the coveted Golden Buzzer on Kodi after he auditioned, sending him through to the live rounds earlier this summer.

“Kodi, literally changed the world. For so many families who fight day in and day out for resources and opportunities to give all of our kids shots at winning in life,” Union told E! News’ Justin Sylvester after the finale. “He’s changed everything.”

Kodi, who is autistic and blind, said he’s going to buy grand pianos—in every color—with his winnings.

Tina Lee, Kodi’s mother, said she knew her son was destined for big things since he was a toddler and they first saw his musical ability.

“We knew there was something really special about him. And then as we kept working with him, he just kept blowing people’s minds everywhere we went and we just—we knew. We knew we had to share him with the world,” Tina said.

Being part of America’s Got Talent, and having Kodi Lee crowned the champion, gave Tina some new hope. She said it was hard for her at times and she felt the world was against her while she fought to get Kodi everything he needed. “You’re fighting all the battles to try and everything he needs and it’s really hard. You feel like giving up…and seeing the world react the way they did, I don’t even have the words to express how thankful and how they’ve given me hope,” Tina said. “It’s made me feel like anything is possible.”

Click play on the video above to hear from the America’s Got Talent judges.

America’s Got Talent airs on NBC.

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)