A 16-year-old who learned guitar from YouTube videos and busked at a Phuket weekend market has just taken the America's Got Talent 2026 crown, along with the show's one-million-dollar prize.

Rattikarn "Praew" Amloy, performing as Nene Royal, sealed the win with a blazing cover of The White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army' in the Grand Final on September 23. Judge Howie Mandel called her the "biggest, most talented, most viral talent" in the show's history and urged viewers to vote for her. She then shared the stage with Linkin Park, performing 'The Emptiness Machine', with co-founder Mike Shinoda summing up his reaction in one word: "Incredible".

Her rise traces straight back to Phuket's Naka Weekend Market, where she played rock and metal covers with her bands Ozone and Miniheart. One Danish fan was so taken he gifted her a rare Ibanez Musician Series MC300 — the exact guitar she used for her viral audition, a rendition of The Cranberries' 'Zombie' that pulled in over 1.5 million views in a single day. A Muse 'Hysteria' cover later hit a million views within 14 hours, and a Golden Buzzer from Mel B for Soundgarden's 'Black Hole Sun' carried her into the final.

Back home, the Thai government has named her a tourism ambassador and covered her AGT expenses — a neat bit of soft power for a country already famous for its live music scene. She's now got more than 3 million followers across social media and a featured-artist deal with instrument brand Enya Music. On stage she even wore a Thai-inspired costume blending Phuket tradition with rock 'n' roll attitude.

For travellers, the story puts a spotlight on a side of Phuket beyond the beaches. The Naka Weekend Market, on the island's north side near Phuket Town, is one of the best places to catch local live performances while grazing through street food stalls — and, as Nene proved, the talent there is genuinely world-class. If you're visiting and hear a teenager shredding 'Zombie' between the food vendors, stop and listen. You might be watching the next breakout star before the rest of the world catches on.

Nene beat runner-up Geno Ploeger and third-placed Hundred Fingers, and she credits her parents — her father introduced her to music and built her a rehearsal room at home; her mother, Chuanpit "Mae Oom" Poonkerd, has been her constant support. She started playing at seven, self-taught from online clips. Nine years later, she's a rock star with a million-dollar cheque and a country cheering her on.

Story reported by Bangkok Post Life.