16-year-old Nene Royal rocks from Phuket to AGT 2026 crown
Phuket’s Nene Royal turned rock classics into an AGT 2026 winning run, from four audition “yes” votes to a Golden Buzzer and a Linkin Park show.
- Nene Royal, a 16-year-old singer and guitarist from Phuket, won the 2026 season of America's Got Talent, becoming the show's first Thai winner.
- Her path to victory was defined by her powerful voice and electric guitar performances of rock classics from bands like The Cranberries, Muse, and The White Stripes.
- A key moment in her run was receiving the Golden Buzzer from judge Mel B for her performance of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun," which sent her directly to the final.
- Before being crowned the winner and claiming the US$1 million prize, Nene performed alongside the rock band Linkin Park during the results show.
Four rock classics helped take Phuket’s Nene Royal to the America’s Got Talent (AGT) 2026 crown at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in the United States. The 16-year-old singer and guitarist became the programme’s first Thai winner on September 24, Thai time.
Nene, whose real name is Rattikarn Amloy and who is also known as Praew, claimed an advertised US$1 million prize, approximately 33 million baht. Her route to the title brought together the two elements that defined her appearances: a powerful voice and an electric guitar.
Nene’s rock journey starts with four ‘yes’ votes
Nene introduced herself to the AGT judges with The Cranberries’ “Zombie”, pairing gritty vocals with an energetic guitar performance. The audition earned four unanimous “yes” votes, while footage of the performance quickly spread online.
For the Judges’ Callbacks, Nene returned with Muse’s “Hysteria”, combining vocals, guitar solos and rhythmic tapping on the guitar’s body. The performance secured her place in the live shows.
Nene’s first two song choices established a clear musical direction. Rather than moving away from rock as the competition progressed, the Phuket teenager continued to make both her singing and guitar playing central to the act.
Mel B’s Golden Buzzer sends Nene to the final
Nene’s live quarter-final performance of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” brought the decision that changed her route through the competition. Judge Mel B pressed the Live Golden Buzzer, sending the Thai teenager directly to the final.
For her last competitive performance, Nene chose The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army”. Her own arrangement of the track gave her another opportunity to combine forceful vocals with guitar playing, retaining the rock identity she had established at the audition.
The “Seven Nation Army” performance completed Nene’s competitive run. Speaking in an on-stage interview after performing “Seven Nation Army”, Nene said she had dreamed of becoming a female rock star and felt that dream had come true with the opportunity to perform in the America’s Got Talent final.
Her next appearance would come on results night, when the focus shifted from making a final pitch for votes to learning who would take the title.
Nene joins Linkin Park before the winner is named
Before the final result was announced, Nene performed “The Emptiness Machine” with Linkin Park. The results-night collaboration placed the 16-year-old alongside one of the bands featured in the finale, with her vocals and guitar playing part of the live performance.
Nene’s appearance with Linkin Park drew a standing ovation inside the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. After progressing through the competition with songs by The Cranberries, Muse, Soundgarden and The White Stripes, the Phuket musician was now sharing the stage with another internationally known rock band.
Nene reached the top five alongside Geno Ploeger, VeroniKa Goroshkova, Hundred Fingers and Royal Lasers. The final announcement came down to Nene and Ploeger, with the Thai teenager named the winner and Ploeger finishing runner-up.
Nene’s journey had begun with four “yes” votes for “Zombie”. By the end of the results show, the singer and guitarist from Phuket had added both a Linkin Park collaboration and the Season 21 title to her story.
How AGT’s US$1 million prize is paid
The AGT crown comes with an advertised US$1 million prize, approximately 33 million baht, but that does not mean an immediate payment of the full amount. Under the programme’s established prize structure, winners can choose between an annuity paid over 40 years and a one-off payment representing the annuity’s present cash value.
Spread evenly over four decades, the annuity amounts to US$25,000 a year before tax, approximately 800,000–850,000 baht. The lump-sum alternative is smaller because it reflects the current value of those future payments, rather than their combined total over 40 years.
Tax deductions can further reduce the amount received. The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) generally requires 30% withholding on certain US-source payments to nonresident foreign recipients, including taxable prizes, although exemptions or reduced treaty rates may apply. That general rule does not, by itself, establish Nene’s individual tax liability.
State tax obligations may also apply, while money withheld before payment is not necessarily the same as the recipient’s final tax bill. A reliable figure for Nene’s take-home prize would therefore require confirmation of her payment arrangement, tax residency and applicable tax treatment.
