Sixteen-year-old Thai rocker Nene Royal has won America’s Got Talent Season 21, turning a childhood dream of becoming a superstar into reality and earning the chance to take her music to a global audience.
She became the first Thai contestant to compete on America’s Got Talent and has gone on to win the competition.
Nene, whose real name is Rattikarn “Praew” Amloy, from Phuket, beat nine other finalists to win the title after captivating audiences throughout the competition with her powerful vocals and guitar performances.
The victory caps a remarkable journey that began when she first picked up a guitar at the age of seven.
ิby Marisa Chimprabha
“I started playing guitar when I was seven and my biggest dream is I really want to be a superstar on tour,” Nene told the AGT judges during her audition.
Nene also performed with Linkin Park as part of the America’s Got Talent Season 21 finale.
She joined the rock band for a performance of “The Emptiness Machine”. She had previously said she hoped to perform with the band.
Her dream took her from performing at markets in Phuket to one of the world's best-known television talent shows.
Before AGT, Nene built her confidence by busking at local markets and developed much of her guitar technique through self-directed practice and online videos. She also performed with the Phuket-based band OZONE and established herself in Thailand’s music scene through competitions and television appearances.
Her AGT journey began with a rock version of The Cranberries’ “Zombie”, which earned four yeses from judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel and Mel B. She later performed Muse’s “Hysteria” in the Judges’ Callbacks before delivering Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” in the live quarter-finals.
Mel B awarded Nene a Live Golden Buzzer for that performance, sending her directly to the final.
For the final, Nene chose The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army”, combining her trademark guitar playing, powerful vocals and rock stage presence. She performed the song alongside the Mexican rock band The Warning.
After the performance, host Terry Crews reminded her that she had picked up a guitar at seven and decided she wanted to become a rock star. Nene replied that her dream was becoming a reality.
“Yes, absolutely! My dream has come true,” she said.
Nene has made no secret of her ambitions beyond AGT. Before the final, she said she wanted to become a world-class artist and go on international concert tours.
“After AGT, I’ll do the same thing — practise music and create work,” she said. “I want to be a world-class artist. I want to go on a world concert tour.”
She also cited Thai stars Lisa and MILLI as role models.
Her rise has been rapid. Before AGT, she finished in second place in the Overdrive Guitar Contest in 2023 and received an Outstanding Player award at the King Power Band Competition in 2025. She has also appeared on the Thai television programme Super 10.
From a young girl learning guitar in Phuket to winning one of the world's best-known television talent competitions, Nene has now taken a giant step towards the global music career she has dreamed of since childhood.
