Thai teenage rock performer Nene Royal has been named winner of America's Got Talent 2026, taking home the US$1 million prize at the age of 16.

Nene Royal, whose real name is Praew Rattikan Amloi, won America's Got Talent season 21 after reaching the final alongside four other acts.

A rock performance in the final

For her final performance, Nene chose Seven Nation Army, the well-known rock song by The White Stripes.

She gave the track her own interpretation, using her rock vocal style and stage presence in a performance that won over both the audience and the judging panel, according to the report.

The 16-year-old had been widely seen as a leading contender before the final.

Her victory makes her the latest Thai performer to gain a major international platform through a televised talent contest, with her final appearance drawing particular attention from fans at home.

The five finalists

Nene Royal competed in the AGT 2026 top five against Royal Lasers, a dance act incorporating laser lighting, and Hundred Fingers, a South Korean magic act.

The other finalists were Ukrainian pole-acrobat Veronika Goroshkova and 22-year-old American magician Geno Ploeger.

The final result gives Nene the title of AGT 2026 champion and the US$1 million prize.

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24 September 2026

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During finals, these were published as well:

Congratulations young lady!

Your performances are truly spectacular, and I'm certain that you have now earned a place in the hearts of every Thai and many foreigners as well.

I'd say that she is well on the way to realizing her dream - according to NBC, Royal explained in the episode that "I start playing guitar since I was 7, and my biggest dream is I really want to be superstar on tour" https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/who-won-agt-21-results-spoilers

Fantastic performance...she's a fantastic guitarist....and congratulations Miss....so good for you and for Thailand!

BRAVO Nene!

If 16-year-old Nene hadn’t won, it would have been proof that AGT was rigged.

Now she needs to be careful that she isn’t ruthlessly exploited for promotional purposes. Every Thai news outlet and probably the TAT and the government as well, will want a piece of Nene’s success and use it for publicity.

She needs a strong, experienced manager who will protect her interests and make sure she isn’t taken advantage of. Simon Cowell should sign her!

Edited 13 hours ago13 hr by rustinorman

Well done.
Deserved.

A thousand times better and more real than Lisa's K-pop nonsense....

CP president gifts Nene Royal a 34 million baht luxury condo. Before heading to the US for the America’s Got Talent final, 16-year-old Thai rock singer Nene Royal and her family received a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condominium at Mulberry Grove The Forestias. The nearly 99-square-metre unit, valued at 34 million baht, was presented to Nene’s parents by CP president Dhanin Chearavanont and his family on 5 September. The gift was made to recognise Nene’s determination and dedication to her musical dream, and to provide a home and foundation for her family.

https://x.com/KhaosodEnglish

Congratulations. I must admit I don't follow AGT (or similar - okay Eurovision occasionally). I see in the article it mentioned there was a Korean act also competing. I don't know the rules, but do the contestants need to hold US citizenship (including those with dual nationality)? I read both Nene's parents are Thai..

1 minute ago, ronnie50 said:

Congratulations. I must admit I don't follow AGT (or similar - okay Eurovision occasionally). I see in the article it mentioned there was a Korean act also competing. I don't know the rules, but do the contestants need to hold US citizenship (including those with dual nationality)? I read both Nene's parents are Thai..

No such rules.

All nationalities welcome

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

No such rules.

All nationalities welcome

That's interesting - so why do they call it "America's Got Talent"?

54 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

That's interesting - so why do they call it "America's Got Talent"?

Geez. don't ask me.

The contestants have gotten a lot more international over the years.

The voting is only within the USA though.

Perhaps the USA is a lot less xenophobic than the ruling maga party.

Another factor is that it's more fun to watch with such diverse acts so thus a bigger audience and more money / better ratings.

Clips are watched of course globally on youtube and the fame and million dollar prize for winning draws them in.

From Japan alone!

Edited 7 hours ago7 hr by Jingthing

1 hour ago, ronnie50 said:

That's interesting - so why do they call it "America's Got Talent"?

because the contest is held in america...just like britians got talent etc.

Just now, pomchop said:

because the contest is held in america...just like britians got talent etc.

I mean, I get that, if these people actually lived in America or Britain. I don't get it if they are foreigners competing in a US or UK domestic TV show. It's not like Eurovision - which allows any country in its annual song contest that is a member of the EBU (European Broadcasting Union - which includes some non-European country broadcasters).

It's a global franchise including a Thailand version but I think other than the American and British versions the contestants are overwhelmingly local nationals.

Country/Region	Local Name	Network
United Kingdom	Britain's Got Talent	ITV
United States	America's Got Talent	NBC
Germany	Das Supertalent	RTL
Denmark	Danmarks har talent	TV 2
Asia	Asia's Got Talent	AXN
Arab World	Arabs Got Talent	MBC
China	中国达人秀 (China's Got Talent)	Dragon TV
Argentina	Talento Argentino	Telefe
Italy	Italia's Got Talent	Sky Uno
Philippines	Pilipinas Got Talent	ABS-CBN
Spain	Got Talent España	Telecinco
Slovenia	I ja imam talenat!	RTS
Thailand	Thailand's Got Talent	Channel 3

Edited 6 hours ago6 hr by Jingthing

6 hours ago, redwood1 said:

A thousand times better and more real than Lisa's K-pop nonsense....

Her guitar playing is on another level...jimi hendrix , jimmy page and other greats would be proud. Like the lyric in chuck berrys Johnny be good: He(she) could play a guitar like ringin' a bell.

Scary to think anyone can teach themselves to play like that as well as learn what appears to be near fluent English. She is on a different level.

Well done. As said above now somebody make sure she has some very tough and strong agents and financial advisors to protect her from all the scammers who will come slinking from under their rocks.

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

It's a global franchise including a Thailand version but I think other than the American and British versions the contestants are overwhelmingly local nationals.

Sure, that makes sense - franchising the theme and changing the name of each country. I mean, Kantana in Thailand is loaded with programs like that (American TV thematic game shows, etc). It's a well-worn entertainment franchising theme worldwide. But then each country should stick to it (talent from their country). Then the global franchise holder could have the "world's got talent" each year. See what I mean?

Is she really at Jimi Hendriz level?

I'm not a music expert but I felt something watching Hendrix that I haven't felt watching Nene.

It seems that many people are feeling it!

I think there's more to it than technical skill.

6 hours ago, rustinorman said:

Every Thai news outlet and probably the TAT and the government as well, will want a piece of Nene’s success and use it for publicity.

This is a bad thing? Promoting your nation through the "international" success of one of your own citizens?

2 hours ago, anchadian said:

The gift was made to recognise Nene’s determination and dedication to her musical dream, and to provide a home and foundation for her family.

So it's not a shameless self-promotion by one of Thai society's elites?

6 hours ago, redwood1 said:

A thousand times better and more real than Lisa's K-pop nonsense....

Doing covers of old rock and roll hits is "more real"?

3 minutes ago, pomchop said:

Well done. As said above now somebody make sure she has some very tough and strong agents and financial advisors to protect her from all the scammers who will come slinking from under their rocks.

I believe the million dollar prize is divied up and paid annually over a defined period of years: no lump-sum option, so she needs to make sure she has her tax affairs in order.

Maybe the RD should be capitalising on her success with adverts showing how the good, responsible Thai citizen needs to get onboard with social responsibility and file taxes, just like the other celebrities and hi-sos'.

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Is she really at Jimi Hendriz level?

I'm not a music expert but I felt something watching Hendrix that I haven't felt watching Nene.

It seems that many people are feeling it!

I think there's more to it than technical skill.

Wow what a spoilsport you are @Jingthing --16 years old, just won AGT and plays amazingly, writes songs and still at school, and you compare her to one of greatest names in music. You obviously need a new outlook on life.

2 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Doing covers of old rock and roll hits is "more real"?

I agree. She's a good cover band guitarist and at 16 she is quite phenomenal at that for sure. She deserves the prize and accolades.

And while LaLisa might be just another entertainment industry-made celebrity, she is (also?) a real Thai brand ambassador. But my gut tells me the Thai establishment don't like her much. She's a rags-to-riches story with a farang step father - not a 'good middle class Thai girl' with true Thai modesty and fielty. That feeling irks me, I must admit. But anyway, good for Nene.

20 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

This is a bad thing? Promoting your nation through the "international" success of one of your own citizens?

So it's not a shameless self-promotion by one of Thai society's elites?

Doing covers of old rock and roll hits is "more real"?

I believe the million dollar prize is divied up and paid annually over a defined period of years: no lump-sum option, so she needs to make sure she has her tax affairs in order.

Maybe the RD should be capitalising on her success with adverts showing how the good, responsible Thai citizen needs to get onboard with social responsibility and file taxes, just like the other celebrities and hi-sos'.

She can choose to receive $25,000 a year for 40 years, totaling $1 million before taxes. Or, she can take a one-time lump sum based on the prize's present cash value, reportedly only around $300,000–430,000, or about 9.9–14.2 million baht, before taxes.

https://x.com/KhaosodEnglish/status/2103005207265488928

These shows are a joke, if she had been playing Thai music instead of parroting western crap she would never have been on the show. She was a novelty act- little Thai girl playing 'our' music. she's not even that good compared to other young Thai youngsters. Petty Rock won a contest in California years ago- hardly any coverage for her, she won world championship of performing arts in 2017. No film of it that I could find.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_qhyqVwbiY&list=RDY_qhyqVwbiY&start_radio=1

I hope that she acknowledges the other members of the Ozone band that she has been effectively been busking with in Phuket who have been a significant part in her meteoric rise to stardom.

I started watching them on TicTok only a few months ago when they were playing to audiences of only a few people with the customary tip box as their source of income

8 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

She's a rags-to-riches story with a farang step father - not a 'good middle class Thai girl' with true Thai modesty and fielty.

LISA's Buriram born and bred so that may have more to do with her acceptance here than any perceived lack of "modesty and fealty" or having a farang lurking in the background.

Back on topic, I admit to not following Nene's success story or seeing much of anything beyond a couple of clips on social media. She's talented for sure but I wouldn't call her a guitar great. She seems a tad undisciplined with a tendency to "overcook" the riffs and solos but then again, I was only a moderately proficient bass guitarist who could double up on drums when the drummer got the bloody Hammond organ working, and we could belt out Highway Star.

Plus she's only 16 so she can only get better. I'll be paying more attention now.

21 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

I agree. She's a good cover band guitarist and at 16 she is quite phenomenal at that for sure. She deserves the prize and accolades.

And while LaLisa might be just another entertainment industry-made celebrity, she is (also?) a real Thai brand ambassador. But my gut tells me the Thai establishment don't like her much. She's a rags-to-riches story with a farang step father - not a 'good middle class Thai girl' with true Thai modesty and fielty. That feeling irks me, I must admit. But anyway, good for Nene.

Can you name any middle class Thai singers? I can't apart from Carabao of course, yellow shirt and establsihment supporter.

WOW! That is fanTAStic! Well done that girl!

Hope you can keep your feet on the ground ...

41 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Is she really at Jimi Hendriz level?

I'm not a music expert but I felt something watching Hendrix that I haven't felt watching Nene.

It seems that many people are feeling it!

I think there's more to it than technical skill.

Hendrix was a musical genius, this kid is one of thousands of youngsters doing covers with limited talent. she cashed in now, but if she wants to continue it will be gigs at the Hard Rock Cafe again, not world tours.

37 minutes ago, couchpotato said:

Wow what a spoilsport you are @Jingthing --16 years old, just won AGT and plays amazingly, writes songs and still at school, and you compare her to one of greatest names in music. You obviously need a new outlook on life.

It was @pomchop who introduced "Jimi Hendrix would be proud" notion to the thread as well as invoking Jimmy Page.

Like myself, @Jingthing doesn't agree with those frothy, OTT comparisons. She's hot, but she's not s**t hot. Yet.