Thai Teen Rocker Nene Royal Wins America's Got Talent

A 16-year-old rock singer from Phuket, Thailand, has won the 21st season of "America's Got Talent." Nene Royal, whose real name is Rattikarn Amloy, was crowned the winner on September 23, when host Terry Crews announced her name at the end of the live results show. She is the first Thai contestant to win the series, and she takes home the $1 million prize along with a headlining slot in Las Vegas.

The announcement was a shock even to her. According to the Hindustan Times, Royal collapsed to the stage floor in California when the victory was announced, then told reporters she was "very happy" and feeling "emotional." She finished ahead of runner-up Geno Ploeger, an American magician, while the South Korean magic group Hundred Fingers took third place.

From viral audition to the finale

Royal arrived on the show with one asset the judges could not teach: years of guitar practice. She picked up the instrument at age seven and says she learned mostly by watching online videos, which earned her a music scholarship to a private international school in Phuket. She told AGT that after playing her first chord she fell in love with the guitar and set out to become "the girl rock star," with the goal of touring the world.

Her audition made that plan look realistic. Royal played a driving rendition of the Cranberries' "Zombie," and the performance went viral, becoming the most-viewed tryout of the season with hundreds of millions of views across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, according to NBC. She followed it with Muse's "Hysteria" and Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun." The Soundgarden performance, in the live quarterfinals, prompted judge Mel B to press her Golden Buzzer, sending Royal straight to the finals under the season's updated format.

For the live final on September 22, Royal performed the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army," staying with the guitar-driven sound she had built across the season. The following night, after the votes were counted, she returned to the stage alongside Linkin Park for a duet of "The Emptiness Machine," reported by Blabbermouth. Photos posted on her social media showed her with members of the band and carried a caption saying that dreams come true when hearts fight.

The win puts her in the record books twice over. Royal is the first act to win "America's Got Talent" after receiving a live Golden Buzzer in the show's history. She is also only the fourth Asian act to take the title, after Kenichi Ebina, Shin Lim and Jessica Sanchez, according to Startefacts.

Thailand celebrates a hometown win

The victory set off celebrations back home. Royal's school in Phuket held watch parties for students and teachers, and said in a Facebook post that she had done it, calling her champion and saying the school was proud of her. Videos of her earlier performances of "Zombie" and "Black Hole Sun" had already gone viral in Thailand, according to the Hindustan Times.

Thai prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who was in New York for the UN General Assembly meetings, sent his congratulations and thanked her for showcasing Thai talent to a global audience. In a statement, he said: "Nene's success is proof that young Thais have the potential to compete with anyone in the world when they are given the opportunity, stay determined and continue to develop their talent." Deputy government spokeswoman Ploythalay Laksameesaengjan said the prime minister praised her talent and dedication, which "brought pride to Thai people."

A rock win on a variety show

Talent shows tend to reward pop vocalists and novelty acts, so a guitar-driven rock win stands out. Royal's setlist read like an alternative rock syllabus: the Cranberries, Muse, Soundgarden and the White Stripes. Each performance kept the focus on her guitar playing and her rock-ballad delivery, a style that carried through four rounds without a costume change in genre.

Judges and viewers bought in early. The Music Man reported that Nene Royal stayed with the heavy alternative edge she favored from the start, and her "Black Hole Sun" quarterfinal performance earned her a direct ticket to the finals. By the time the finale aired, she was widely seen as the frontrunner, with particular attention from fans at home in Thailand.

Details of Royal's Las Vegas headlining slot have not yet been announced. What is settled is the prize and the title: one million dollars and the season crown, won by a teenager who taught herself to shred from online videos and walked off the stage a millionaire.

Sources: Hindustan Times via TBS News, Blabbermouth, The Music Man