At just 16 years old, Rattikarn Amloy has made history by becoming the first Thai contestant to win America’s Got Talent.
The young musician from Phuket, better known by her stage name Nene Royal, was crowned the winner of the show’s 21st season during the live awards ceremony broadcast on NBC on September 23 in the United States.
Her victory earned Rattikarn a $1 million prize, along with the opportunity to perform in Las Vegas. More importantly, she became the first contestant from Thailand to claim the prestigious America’s Got Talent title.
From ‘Zombie’ to the AGT final
Rattikarn’s journey began with an audition that quickly turned her into one of the season’s most talked-about performers.
Dressed simply, the teenage musician took the stage and delivered a powerful rock cover of The Cranberries’ classic Zombie. Her transformation from an unassuming teenager into a commanding rock performer stunned the audience and judges.
The performance went on to generate hundreds of millions of views across social media and became the most-watched act of season 21.
Rattikarn continued to impress with her cover of Muse’s Hysteria, successfully making it through the judges’ evaluation.
She then reached another major turning point in the quarterfinals with a performance of Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun.
The rendition was so impressive that judge Mel B pressed the Golden Buzzer, sending the young Thai singer through to the final.
A powerful final performance
In the final, Rattikarn once again showed why she had become one of the season’s standout performers.
She took the stage in traditional attire featuring a special inscription connected to her homeland and delivered a powerful version of The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army.
Her energetic yet captivating performance drew enthusiastic reactions from both the audience and judges.
But the excitement did not end with the competition.
During the awards ceremony, Rattikarn had the opportunity to perform alongside legendary rock band Linkin Park, joining them for The Emptiness Machine.
The spontaneous collaboration was warmly received, including by founding member Mike Shinoda.
Judges praise Thailand’s teenage rock star
Rattikarn’s progress throughout the competition earned strong praise from the America’s Got Talent judging panel.
Mel B said she was delighted to have pressed the Golden Buzzer for the teenager, highlighting both Rattikarn’s captivating stage presence and the uniqueness of what she brought to the competition.
“I’m so happy I pressed the golden buzzer,” Mel B said. She also praised Rattikarn’s background in Phuket and added that the young performer had brought something “incredibly unique” to the show despite being only 16.
Sofia Vergara said the world was captivated by Rattikarn’s distinctive musical style.
Howie Mandel went even further, describing her as the biggest and most impactful talent of the season and saying she deserved the championship.
Nearly a decade of musical dedication
Behind Rattikarn’s remarkable America’s Got Talent run is almost a decade of hard work.
The musician was previously known by the nickname Praew before adopting the stage name Nene Royal at the age of 12.
She began teaching herself to play guitar when she was just seven, learning through online videos.
As a young performer, Rattikarn also became a familiar freelance singer at Phuket’s Naka Night Market, where she performed with student bands.
She has long dreamed of becoming an international rock star and has built a social-media following of more than 3 million people.
From Phuket to the world stage
Rattikarn’s success has also become a source of pride for Thailand.
Before she entered the decisive stages of the competition, the Bangkok government appointed her as a Tourism Ambassador to help promote the country’s image internationally. Her trip to the United States was also fully sponsored.
Now, with her America’s Got Talent victory opening a new chapter in her career, Rattikarn is preparing to release her debut solo album.
At only 16, the Phuket musician has already gone from performing at a local night market to winning one of America’s biggest televised talent competitions—and she is now preparing for the next stage of her journey on the international music scene.
