Nene Royal wins the America's Got Talent 2026

Nene Royal, the 16-year-old Thai rocker from Phuket, has been crowned the winner of America's Got Talent (AGT) 2026, after setting the stage alight with ‘Seven Nation Army’ in the final round.

The result was announced live on Wednesday night (US time), or Thursday morning in Thailand, after the local busker-turned-rock star shared the stage with American rock band Linkin Park.

Nene joined the influential rock band on stage, performing Linkin Park's 'The Emptiness Machine' from 2024 album From Zero.

“Incredible... incredible,” said Mike Shinoda, who co-founded the band in 1996, when asked how he felt about Nene’s performance.

Vocalist Emily Armstrong wished Nene good luck. “We’re all in for you, for sure,” she said.

Nene Royal from Thailand joins the influential American rock band Linkin Park on stage, performing 'The Emptiness Machine' from 2024 album From Zero, at AGT 2026.

Since her debut in the audition round of the NBC talent show, Rattikarn "Praew" Amloy, known by her stage name Nene Royal, has garnered enormous attention worldwide with a captivating live rendition of The Cranberries' ‘Zombie’.

Her guitar and singing talent, along with the humility that belies her on-stage rock-star energy, drew more than 1.5 million views in a day for her video on AGT's official account -- a high number even by the show's standards.

The result was announced in only a few minutes, but the 16-year-old winner’s journey to this moment took almost a decade.

Nene Royal has been playing guitar since the age of seven, teaching herself from online videos. (Photo: Nene's father Narong Amploy Facebook account)

A night market busker from Phuket

Nene has been playing guitar since the age of seven, teaching herself from online videos. Before her international breakthrough, she was known in Phuket for busking at the Naka Weekend Market with her bands Ozone and Miniheart, mainly performing rock and metal covers.

Her performances captivated both local and international audiences at the market, even drawing a dedicated fan from Denmark, who gave her a rare Ibanez Musician Series MC300 -- the electric guitar she used for her AGT audition. 

The Thai teenager has since built a following of more than 3 million people across social media platforms and has been named a featured artist for the global instrument brand Enya Music.

Nene Royal and her band, Ozone, perform for a crowd at Naka Weekend Market in Phuket in September 2024. (Photo: OZONE Band FC Facebook page)

The shy girl who took the world by surprise

Her breakthrough came on July 8, 2026, when a video titled "16-Year-Old Nene Royal Is Shy... Until She Starts Singing 'Zombie'" was posted on the AGT channel. That was the moment the world learned her name.

Following the explosive ‘Zombie’ performance, Nene became a global sensation. 

The Thai government has named her a tourism ambassador to help promote the country abroad and announced it would cover all her expenses related to her participation in America's Got Talent. 

She followed up ‘Zombie’ with a cover of Muse's ‘Hysteria’ during the callbacks round, which' surpassed 1 million views online within 14 hours of its release.

Behind the stage

Ahead of the Live Show, Nene opened up during Thailand’s National Mother Day that her mother remains the most important person in her life as she was bestowed a royal recognition for her devotion and gratitude towards her mother on National Mother's Day.

According to Nene, her mother has always been a trusted source of advice and emotional support, repeatedly assuring her that she could turn to her whenever she faced problems or difficulties.

From left: Chuanpit Poonkerd and Narong Amloy. (Photo: AGT)

"I dreamt that she would one day become a superstar," Nene's mother, Chuanpit "Mae Oom" Poonkerd, told Thairath TV. "I want to tell my daughter that I am so proud of her."

Just as supportive is her father, Narong Amloy, who introduced Nene to the world of music and has joined her every step of the way -- from taking her busking to preparing a rehearsal room at home.

Winning the Golden Buzzer with ‘Black Hole Sun’

The Thai rock star made history again on the Live Show with a high-energy performance of Soundgarden's grunge hit "Black Hole Sun" that impressed the judges so much she was awarded a Golden Buzzer by Mel B, propelling her to the Grand Final.

By now, everyone knows that Thailand's Nene Royal can rock, but the fashion sense of the AGT breakout star is also starting to attract notice. During her Live Show performance, she wore a Thai-inspired costume blending Phuket tradition with a rock 'n' roll look, carrying Thai identity, craftsmanship and beauty to an international audience.

Rocking the final with ‘Seven Nation Army’

In the Grand Final on Sept 23, Nene once again lit up the stage with The White Stripes' rock anthem ‘Seven Nation Army’, earning rave reviews from the judges.

"The biggest, most talented, most viral talent to be on that stage. I was standing with your father. This is unbelievable. You should win. Give her the million, America. Give her the million," said Howie Mandel.

Following her performance, Nene said her dream had come true, recalling that she picked up a guitar at a young age and had always wanted to become a rock star. She said she was glad to have reached the show’s final and achieved her aspiration.

"That's my girl. I'm so proud of her," her father wrote in a comment on her final performance video.

Nene Royal takes the crown

A day after her final performance, AGT announced that Nene Royal had officially been voted the winner of the season, securing the show's one million prize.

"I won the AGT!" Nene said in an AGT TikTok live after the announcment. "Thank you everyone for supporting and voting me. I love you guys."

Nene was followed by Geno Ploeger in second place and Hundred Fingers in third place.

From a night market stage in Phuket to the global talent show, Nene's journey and musical talent have never failed to surprise fans. She has captivated audiences with her stage presence at every step, all the way to victory.

And if her story so far is telling us anything, one thing is for certain; this is only the overture.