Nene Royal’s audition for “America’s Got Talent” is the most viewed of the season — by a landslide.
In just two months, the 16-year-old rocker’s performance of The Cranberries’ “Zombie” has climbed up to 20 million views on the official “AGT” YouTube channel. Her performance of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” from just three weeks ago already has more than 13 million views.
Now, in what should come as a surprise to no one, Royal is one of 10 acts competing in the “AGT” Season 21 finale, which airs Tuesday and Wednesday.
Ahead of the finale, here’s a look at her run on the show.
Nene Royal goes viral on ‘AGT’
Royal made her “AGT” debut the day before her 16th birthday.
The guitarist and singer from Phuket, Thailand, told the show’s judges that she started playing guitar at 7. According to her website, she is largely self-taught and learned how to play “primarily by ear through online videos.”
“I really want to be a superstar on tour,” she told the “AGT” judges.
Her timid demeanor disappeared the second she started shredding on her guitar. The judges were visibly in awe while watching the teenager perform.
After exuding her rock star energy, Royal was emotional as she took in all the cheers and applause from the audience.
“You have a very, very good chance to do really good in this competition,” “AGT” judge Sofia Vergara told the teenager following the performance.
“You are a rock star young lady, you really are,” “AGT” judge Howie Mandel added.
During the quarterfinals, Mandel had even higher praise for the rising artist.
“I know I’m not supposed to say this,” Mandel said after Royal’s performance of “Black Hole Sun.” ”NBC, give her the million right now.”
“Nene, I think you could really win this competition,” Vergara added in support.
The cheers from the crowd were so loud that “AGT” judge Mel B could barely talk. Instead, the judge chose to hit her golden buzzer for the singer-guitarist, immediately advancing her to the Season 21 finale.
Now, Royal seems to have substantial support from “AGT” viewers and her home country.
“The government admires Nene and has full confidence in her talent. We want to represent the Thai people in wishing her success in winning America’s Got Talent 2026, bringing pride to Thailand,” Ploythalay Laksameesaengjan, the deputy government spokesperson for Thailand, told the Bangkok Post.
What Nene Royal said about competing on ‘AGT’
Even though she’s a standout contestant this season, Royal wasn’t even aware she had gone viral.
“It adds a little bit of pressure because suddenly there’s so many people watching me and supporting me,” she told Talent Recap. “Sometimes I still can’t believe how much everything has grown online. I just want to focus on giving the best performance and showing people something new.
“I came here from Thailand with my guitar and a dream, and I never expected this journey to become this big,” she continued.
Who is competing in the ‘AGT’ Season 21 finale?
Royal is one of two singers in the finals. Fourteen-year-old Lai Noelle, a powerhouse singer who has received a golden buzzer twice this season, is another standout contestant.
The remaining acts in the finale include:
- Acro Canine Crew (dog act)
- Come Here (dance crew)
- Geno Ploeger (magician)
- Hundred Fingers (magic and illusion group)
- Olivia Befus (dog act)
- Royal Lasers (dance and laser act)
- Unitree (robot dance crew)
- Veronika Goroshkova (aerialist)
The top 10 performances air Tuesday at 8 p.m. MDT on NBC. The show will reveal the Season 21 winner, based on online voting, Wednesday night. The two-hour finale episode airs at 8 p.m. MDT.