Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. prevailed on Wednesday night’s finale of NBC's America's Got Talent, taking home $1 million and a contract to headline a trio of gigs at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

"Thank you so much for just believing in me," the Logan, West Virginia car washer said after his win. "It's been a long, hard journey, ever since I was a kid ... and it's finally paying off."

Murphy faced stiff competition in the form of the other finalists: Colorado youth shadow dancers The Silhouettes; Oakland rock band PopLyfe; and dance troupe Team iLuminate.