Kaitlyn Maher

Kaitlyn Maher is an American singer and actress who first captured national attention as the youngest Top 10 finalist on America's Got Talent in 2008, when she was only four years old. Born Kaitlyn Ashley Maher on January 10, 2004 in Novi, Michigan and raised in Ashburn, Virginia, she began her public performance career with a YouTube‑posted birthday‑party sing‑along that led to a remarkable audition for the reality‑talent show, where her rendition of “Somewhere Out There” impressed both judges and audiences. Following her AG‑Talent success, Maher performed at high‑profile events such as the 2008 National Christmas Tree lighting attended by President George W. Bush, the 2009 National Cherry Blossom Festival with First Lady Michelle Obama, and numerous benefit concerts for veterans, children’s charities, and wounded warriors, showcasing a commitment to humanitarian causes alongside her artistic pursuits. In addition to her early live appearances, Maher became the first youth ambassador for Compassion International, travelling to El Salvador to meet her sponsored child and filming a music video for her debut single “You Were Meant to Be.”

Her acting résumé expanded rapidly with voice work as Tiny in the Disney film Santa Buddies (2009) and key roles in The Search for Santa Paws, Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups, and the voice‑lead in the PupStar series (2016‑2019). She also appeared as Piper Goodwin in FOX’s The Goodwin Games (2013) and voiced the President’s Daughter in the animated feature Free Birds (2013). Maher continued her education through homeschooling, later attending The Potomac School and excelling on the USA Debate Team, where she won the national Extemporaneous Debate championship in 2021. Published by The Aspen Institute and enrolled at Duke University (class of 2025), she balances academic achievement with a prolific music career, releasing albums such as You Were Meant to Be (2009) and When Did We All Grow Up? (2023), plus singles “We Could Be” and “Fill It Up” in 2024, solidifying her status as a multifaceted entertainer and advocate.