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And the Season 21 winner of America’s Got Talent is… Nene Royal! This is huge. A dream comes true for Thai fans as the Phuket teenager takes the crown.
Her run begins in the second round of auditions, a day before her sixteenth birthday. She plugs in an electric guitar, sings the Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’ and taps out a two-handed solo halfway through. All four judges say yes. The clip becomes the most-watched audition of the season, passing 20 million views on the show’s YouTube channel.
After a few notes from Howie Mandel in the callback round, she returns with Muse’s ‘Hysteria’, which racks up 2.1 million plays within 24 hours of going online on August 8. Then comes Soundgarden’s ‘Black Hole Sun’ at the live quarterfinals on August 25, and Mel B hits the Golden Buzzer, sending Nene through to the final without a single public vote.
Back home, even the government gets behind her, with a deputy spokesperson publicly wishing her luck. For the first night of the final on September 22, she chooses the White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army’, adds a solo of her own and wears a dress with ‘Nene Thailand’ printed across it. Simon Cowell misses the finale while recovering from back surgery, so YouTuber KSI takes his seat, and Howie tells viewers to give her the million. America listens.
On results night she performs ‘The Emptiness Machine’ alongside Linkin Park. Magician Geno Ploeger finishes second and South Korean illusionists Hundred Fingers take third. Nene walks away with $1 million (around B33 million) and a headline show in Las Vegas.
For Thai people, this win is another milestone that puts the Thai name on the global stage. We look forward to seeing what comes next for you, Nene. Congratulations!