When Nyjah Music and Zyah Rhythm walked onto the America’s Got Talent stage, they had something they could have easily used to get the judges’ attention.
A famous family connection.
Their uncle is Grammy-winning superstar Bruno Mars.
But the teenage brothers didn’t mention him.
Instead, they walked onto the AGT stage as two young musicians from Oʻahu, Hawaii, determined to show the judges what they could do on their own.
Then they performed their original song, “Heartbeat.”
By the end of the audition, Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara and Mel B. had all given them a yes.
Two Brothers From Oʻahu With Their Own Sound
Nyjah Music and Zyah Rhythm are brothers from the North Shore of Oʻahu.
Nyjah was sixteen and Zyah was fifteen when they auditioned for America’s Got Talent Season Twenty-One in 2026.
Music had been part of their lives since they were young. They grew up surrounded by Hawaiian music and family influences, and both brothers developed their own style as singers and songwriters.
Their music also reflects where they come from.
They have performed R&B covers, Hawaiian music and ballads, building an audience online before stepping onto the AGT stage.
But there was one part of their background they deliberately left out of their audition story.
They didn’t tell the judges that Bruno Mars was their uncle.
They Had a Famous Uncle — But Kept It Quiet
The family connection is not a rumor.
Nyjah and Zyah are the sons of Tahiti Hernandez-Kemper, one of Bruno Mars’ sisters.
That means the two teenagers grew up in a family with a remarkable musical history.
Bruno Mars himself grew up performing with his family in Hawaii before becoming one of the world’s biggest pop stars.
But when Nyjah and Zyah arrived at AGT, they didn’t rely on the famous family name.
They wanted the judges to hear their music first.
That decision made their audition even more interesting.
Instead of saying, “We’re Bruno Mars’ nephews,” they simply performed.
And the song had to speak for itself.
Then They Performed “Heartbeat”
Nyjah and Zyah chose their original song “Heartbeat.”
It was a very different approach from simply performing a famous cover.
They were asking the judges to evaluate their own songwriting, harmonies and musical identity.
The song also had a personal meaning.
The brothers later explained that “Heartbeat” was inspired by their grandmother, who had played an important role in their musical upbringing. They described the song as expressing love and wanting to be part of someone’s life.
That gave the performance another emotional layer.
The audience wasn’t simply hearing two teenagers sing.
They were hearing two brothers present a piece of music connected to their family.
Howie Mandel Heard Something Special
After the performance, Howie Mandel was among the judges who immediately responded to the brothers’ sound.
He compared Nyjah’s voice to Grace VanderWaal and told the brothers that he believed they could become memorable.
He also told them that he thought they were stars.
That was a significant reaction.
Howie wasn’t simply impressed because the brothers were young.
He was responding to what he heard in their voices and the identity they were developing as a duo.
Not Every Judge Had the Same Reaction
The judges were positive overall, but Mel B. offered a more nuanced response.
She said the song itself did not completely connect with her, but she specifically praised the brothers’ vocals and harmonies.
That distinction mattered.
It showed that the audition wasn’t simply a case of every judge saying the performance was perfect.
There was genuine feedback about the songwriting while the brothers’ vocal ability remained a clear strength.
Simon Cowell also recognized their talent.
Then came the decision.
Four judges.
Four yes votes.
Nyjah and Zyah were moving forward.
Their Famous Uncle Wasn’t Their Only Connection to Music
The Bruno Mars connection naturally became one of the biggest talking points surrounding the audition.
But Nyjah and Zyah already had their own musical history.
They had been posting music online for years and had developed a following through performances of R&B songs, Hawaiian music and ballads.
They also had a major professional connection with their uncle before appearing on AGT.
In 2025, they performed a cover of Elvis Presley’s “Burning Love” that was produced by Bruno Mars and featured on the soundtrack for the live-action Lilo & Stitch.
That experience gave the brothers an unusual opportunity to work with a superstar relative.
But on AGT, they wanted the spotlight to remain on their own performance.
From AGT Audition to the Live Shows
The four yes votes were only the beginning.
Nyjah and Zyah later returned for the show’s new Judges Callback stage, where Simon Cowell invited them to perform at his home in Malibu.
The brothers described the experience as surprisingly relaxed, saying Simon made them feel comfortable despite his reputation for being a tough judge.
Then came another major breakthrough.
Nyjah Music and Zyah Rhythm advanced to the live shows of America’s Got Talent Season Twenty-One.
Their journey therefore became much bigger than one audition.
Two teenage brothers had walked onto the AGT stage without mentioning their famous uncle.
They earned their place through their own music.
Full-Performance Information
Nyjah Music and Zyah Rhythm auditioned for America’s Got Talent Season Twenty-One in 2026.
The brothers performed their original song “Heartbeat.”
Nyjah was sixteen and Zyah was fifteen at the time of the audition.
They received four yes votes from Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara and Mel B.
Their family connection to Bruno Mars became known after the audition. The brothers are the sons of Bruno’s sister Tahiti Hernandez-Kemper.
They subsequently advanced to the AGT live shows.
Watch Nyjah and Zyah’s Full AGT Audition
Want to see the two teenage brothers who walked onto AGT without revealing their famous family connection?
Watch their full performance here:
Their original song “Heartbeat” gives viewers the chance to hear Nyjah and Zyah on their own terms — before the famous family connection became the biggest part of their story.
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They Didn’t Need the Famous Name
Nyjah Music and Zyah Rhythm could have walked onto the America’s Got Talent stage and immediately told everyone they were Bruno Mars’ nephews.
They didn’t.
They let the music come first.
They performed an original song, showed their vocal harmonies and earned four yes votes from the judges.
Only afterward did viewers discover the famous family connection.
That makes their AGT story even more interesting.
They may have a superstar uncle, but Nyjah and Zyah are building something of their own.
And with their journey continuing into the live shows, the two brothers now have the opportunity to prove that their names can become memorable for more than the family they come from.
Sometimes the best way to step out of a famous relative’s shadow is simply to turn on the microphone and sing.
