The young Thai rocker from Phuket, Nene Royal, chose ‘Seven Nation Army’ by The White Stripes for her performance in the America’s Got Talent (AGT) final, maintaining the signature scream that has become a hallmark of her performances on the show.
Nene delivered the rock classic during the final on Tuesday night (US time), competing against the other nine finalists for the America’s Got Talent 2026 title.
Her supporters will have to wait until Wednesday (Thursday in Thailand) to find out whether she has won the US$1 million prize, with the winner to be determined by public voting.
Only viewers in the United States were eligible to vote for the finalists, with voting taking place after the final performances.
After the performance, guest judge KSI said: “This is the first time I have ever seen and heard you, and I am a fan. That was out of this world. You should be so proud and that was insane.”
Mel B said: “I’m glad I pressed my Golden Buzzer for you.” She went on to praise Nene’s “mysterious, mystical stage presence” and her uniqueness in the competition.
She also jokingly said that if Nene did not win the competition, she would sell Howie’s new house.
Sofia Vergara said: “The world is crazy about you right now, because the world has nothing like you. You are unique. We cannot get enough of you.”
Howie Mandel repeated what he said in an earlier round, calling on AGT to give Nene the US$1 million prize for her performance.
Nene, whose real name is Rattikarn Amloy, has attracted attention throughout the competition with her powerful rock vocals and distinctive performance style.
She first impressed the judges during her audition with ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries, before performing ‘Hysteria’ by Muse in the next round and ‘Black Hole Sun’ by Soundgarden in the quarterfinal.
Her performance of ‘Seven Nation Army’ marked the latest chapter in her AGT journey as she sought to win the title and become the first Thai contestant to do so.
The winner will be announced during the AGT results show on Wednesday (US time).
By Marisa Chimprabha
