It became a hot topic online when Nene Royal or Praew Rattikarn Amlai the 16-year-old rock star from Phuket won the championship on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” in the United States, becoming the first Thai to win.
Looking back at Nene’s competition journey, she peaked in every round, creating massive excitement starting with the audition aired on 7 Jul 2026 GMT+7 in the U.S. Nene Royal chose the hit song “Zombie” by The Cranberries, showcasing impressive singing and guitar skills. She earned four yeses from all judges—Howie Mandel, Mel B, Sofia Vergara, and Simon Cowell—quickly making her name trend online. That audition clip on YouTube has now surpassed 20 million views (Watch clip)
Then in the Judges’ Callbacks round on 11 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Nene selected “Hysteria” by Muse to perform in front of Howie Mandel and guest judge Nikki Glaser. She was chosen by both judges to advance to the live shows, the Quarter Final round. The “Hysteria” clip now has over 7.2 million views (Watch clip)
In the Quarter Final live show on the evening of 25 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Nene performed “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden. This round caused a huge stir as Nene received the Golden Buzzer from Mel B, a former Spice Girls member and one of the judges, granting her automatic entry to the finals. The “Black Hole Sun” clip has now exceeded 13 million views (Watch clip)
On the night of 22 Sep 2026 GMT+7, the finals, Nene performed “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes, again creating a global online sensation. This clip has now gained over 8.3 million views in just over one day (Watch clip)
Then on 23 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Nene performed a special show alongside internationally renowned American rock band Linkin Park, choosing their song “The Emptiness Machine” for the performance. The stage was electrifying, making it a truly special moment. After the clip was released on YouTube, it garnered over 630,000 views within two hours (Watch clip)
Additionally, the show released a special clip featuring Nene Royal singing and playing guitar with The Warning, an all-female hard rock band from Mexico. They performed “Kerosene” together. After about eight hours online, the clip reached over 910,000 views (Watch clip)
When the results were announced, Nene Royal became the champion—the first Thai to win this show—sparking widespread excitement on social media and pride across Thailand. The announcement clip on YouTube reached 130,000 views within two hours (Watch clip)
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