Nene Royal Wins AGT Season 21 After Stunning ‘Seven Nation Army’ Finale

America’s Got Talent (AGT) Season 21 finally has an official winner, and to the delight of tons of fans, 16-year-old Nene Royal from Thailand took the crown. Read on for more details.

Nene Was The One To Beat

After the quarterfinals, we reported that Nene was looking very much like the one contestant the others had to beat. At the time, she delivered an exuberant performance of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun.”

What made it even more special was that Mel B gave her the Golden Buzzer, sending her straight into the final while the other contestants battled it out in the semifinals.

A Lot of Competition 

During the finals, Celeb Dirty Laundry recapped the performances by the contestants who included Nene Royal, along with Lai Noelle, Geno Ploeger, Olivia Befus, Acro Canine Crew, Unitree, Come Here, Veronika Goroshkova, Royal Lasers, and Hundred Fingers.

The acts covered a wide range of talent and included dogs, dancers, a light show, singers, an aerialist, and magicians. But it turned out that none of them could beat the teen from Thailand.

Nene Royal, whose real name is Rattikarn Amlong, won America’s vote and landed the $1 million grand prize with her performance of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” complete with her amazing signature heavy-metal flourish.

The Judges Loved Her

Before the voting, Howie Mandel had literally told folks to give her the win, saying, “Give her the million, America. Give her the million.”

He was already over the moon about Nene, and we reported on August 30 that the judge spoke enthusiastically about her with Bobby Bones on The Rich Eisen Show. He went so far as to say that he believed she was “as good, if not better, than Hendrix ever was.”

Consistently Good

Nene showed throughout AGT Season 21 that she had plenty of talent, both as a singer and a guitarist. Back home in Thailand, she had already played in markets before she ever arrived on the AGT stage.

Her first song was The Cranberries’ “Zombie,” and people in the audience were literally sitting there with their jaws dropping. She came back for the Judges’ Callbacks with Muse’s “Hysteria.”

Fans were also raving about her when she performed “Black Hole Sun.”   

She played “Seven Nation Army” for the final, and KSI said he  hadn’t seen her perform before. He called what she’d just done “out of this world.”

The crowd went crazy, and from what I could see, almost everyone was on their feet. It was a huge moment for the 16-year-old who got her biggest break ever since her first AGT audition. 

Later, Nene performed “The Emptiness Machine” with Linkin Park.

Fans React

The comments section on YouTube went wild with America’s Got Talent fans from all over the world chiming in.

One viewer from Vietnam wrote, “From Vietnam 🇻🇳 – Nene, you didn’t just win AGT. You gave millions of us a moment we’ll never forget. At 16, you stood on that stage like a true rock star. So proud of you.”

Here are a few more reactions from the discussion:

• “I’m 51 and I’ve always been a pop music lover… until Nene came along and opened the door to the world of rock for me. 🤘❤️ I never thought I’d fall in love with rock music at this age, but your voice, your energy, and the way you perform completely won me over.”
• “I watched an entire season of AGT because of Nene Royal. She inspired millions of people around the world. Congratulations! You are the CHAMPION!”
• “She is the greatest AGT contestant of all time.”
• “From a busker in Phuket to the AGT champion… I’m completely speechless. This brought tears to my eyes. Congratulations Nene Royal!”

What are your thoughts? Join the discussion in the comments, and then come back here for more reality TV news and updates.