Branden James Smith (born June 19, 1978), known as Branden James, is an American tenor who has performed as a soloist with American symphony orchestras. James came to prominence as a contestant on America's Got Talent during the show's eighth season.

James has been a "regular soloist" for the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California and has also performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the Chicago Bulls, the Chicago Cubs, and the Chicago Whitesox in Chicago, Illinois. He also sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 2014 Gay Games held in Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. In 2007, he "appeared in concert at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Rome for Pope Benedict XVI celebrating the occasion of his 80th birthday." He also performed for Nelson Mandela's family in South Africa, and has made television appearances in Denmark, Norway, Romania, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has also performed around the world as part of the 12 Tenors.

As a judge on the eighth season of America's Got Talent, Heidi Klum praised James: "I love Branden James. I feel like he has that natural gift, you know, he has that beautiful, beautiful voice that gives me chills."

James was born in Anaheim, California. His grandfather was country music artist Jimmy Smith; Smith collaborated with Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. James' interest in performance began at the age of 17 when a friend heard him singing along to an Amy Grant Christmas album and suggested he audition for choir. He attended Irvine High School in Irvine, California, where his audition led to part with The Irvine Singers. At Irvine High School he was also active in theater.

While a member of The Irvine Singers, a "choir mentor" suggested James' voice had a "natural, classical sound" and recommended a teacher, suggesting he fine-tune his voice and recommending that he make singing his "craft." This same mentor suggested a focus on classical music, which James took up as a professional foundation until later, when he eventually embraced a "crossover" presence as a performer in New York City.

Following his graduation from Irvine High School in 1996, James was accepted and went to study at The San Francisco Conservatory of Music. While a student at The San Francisco Conservatory of Music, James worked as a singing waiter in Switzerland during a summer break. Following his time at The San Francisco Conservatory of Music, James moved to New York City to pursue a career as an opera singer.

In New York City, James developed a fondness for pop music and "became influenced by the styles of: Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Elton John, and Aretha Franklin." He lived in New York City for nine years, auditioning for opera and Broadway theater and performing for two seasons in the chorus at The Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center in New York City. In 2007, in the midst of a rising career in New York City, James "performed before Pope Benedict XVI at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City" as the member of a chorus.

In the summer of 2012, James was given the opportunity to headline a production: David King's "The Spirit of Dance" at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada