{
  "id": 9612979,
  "title": "Nene Royal on Her ‘America’s Got Talent’ Win and Her Rock Star Dreams: ‘This Is Just the Beginning’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/nene-royal-on-her-americas-got-talent-win-and-her-rock-star-dreams",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-24T19:21:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Billboard",
    "slug": "billboard",
    "url": "https://www.billboard.com/culture/tv-film/nene-royal-americas-got-talent-win-interview-1236346514/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nene Royal, a 16-year-old Thai singer and guitarist, was crowned the champion of America's Got Talent on September 23, 2021. She expressed surprise at winning the competition, saying, \"I honestly wasn't expecting to win at all.\" She stood alongside fellow finalist Geno Ploeger during the results show, waiting to find out who America had chosen as its champion. Her family and fellow contestants were shocked when Royal's name was called, and they all fell to their knees in astonishment.\n\nRoyal's journey to win America's Got Talent began in her hometown of Phuket, Thailand, where she first picked up the guitar at the age of seven. She has since honed her skills as a self-taught musician, playing guitar, singing, writing her own music, and even trying her hand at piano, bass, and drums. Although she was primarily known as a guitarist during the competition, Royal hopes to explore the world of rock and metal music. She aspires to release her own music, including an album or EP, and tour internationally.\n\nWinning America's Got Talent was especially significant for Royal as it marked the culmination of her dream to perform on one of the world's biggest stages. Representing Thailand on such a platform was a dream come true for her, as she feels proud to be from a country with a rich musical heritage. Royal hopes her journey will inspire other young musicians to pursue their dreams, regardless of their background. She envisions herself releasing original music, potentially an EP or album, within a year of her victory and performing on bigger stages around the world. For Royal, the million-dollar prize is just the beginning of her musical journey, which she calls \"just the beginning.\"",
  "summary": "The 16-year-old Thai guitarist and vocalist tells Billboard about representing Thailand on a global stage, her plans for original music and the rock legends she hopes to work with.",
  "key_points": [
    "16-year-old Thai singer Nene Royal crowned America's Got Talent champion on September 23, 2021.",
    "Royal surprised by winning, stating she didn't expect to win at all.",
    "Royal aspires to release music and tour internationally after her victory."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}