Thailand’s Nene Royal wins America’s Got Talent, pocketing US$1 million

Thailand’s teenage guitar sensation Nene Royal won the US$1 million top prize on America’s Got Talent, capping a viral run that made the 16-year-old a national celebrity and drew support from across her home country.

Rattikarn Amloy, better known by her stage name Nene Royal, was crowned the winner during Wednesday’s live results show, beating nine other finalists after emerging as the clear favourite before the finale. During Tuesday’s final, she sang and played guitar on a rendition of “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes.

“You should win. Give her the million, America,” judge Howie Mandel said after the performance. Fellow judge Melanie Brown praised Nene’s “mysterious, mystical stage presence” before adding, “You’re from the best place in the world, Phuket, Thailand. I love to go there.”

Her victory caps a rapid rise that began with a swaggering rendition of The Cranberries’ “Zombie”, in which she sang and tore through the song on guitar. The audition amassed more than 200 million views across AGT’s official online platforms, more than any other act this season.